Software Development Test Engineer

Meet the team

Cisco Networking’s Wireless Engineering System Integration Test team validates end-to-end enterprise Wi-Fi solutions, spanning access points, controllers, switches, and cloud platforms. We ensure high-performing, secure connectivity in complex, customer-representative environments. You will partner with cross-functional engineering teams, employing advanced automation and emerging AI tools to accelerate validation, improve failure analysis, and drive product excellence.

Your impact

As a Wi-Fi QA Engineer, you will own assigned test areas from requirements review through release. You will design and implement integration plans covering functionality, interoperability, performance, scale, and security. You will build and maintain Python-based automation integrated into our CI/CD pipelines to ensure rigorous, repeatable testing. When issues arise, you will perform deep-dive root cause analysis using packet captures, telemetry, RF data, and system diagnostics. You will spearhead the use of AI agents for test generation, log analysis, and defect triage, applying RAG and structured workflows to improve test coverage and investigation efficiency. Success in this role means identifying critical system-level defects early, optimizing lab productivity, and serving as a trusted quality partner who champions technical excellence across the team.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field+ 5 years of experience, or Masters + 3 years of related experience.
• Experience in software quality engineering, system integration testing, network engineering, or a related field, including testing sophisticated networked or distributed systems, and knowledge of enterprise Wi-Fi and IEEE 802.11.
• Experience with TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS, VLANs, switching, routing, multicast, QoS, and network authentication; strong troubleshooting skills with packet captures, logs, telemetry, and command-line tools.
• Expertise in Python or a comparable programming language, with experience developing and maintaining automated tests.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience testing enterprise access points, wireless LAN controllers, and cloud-managed networking; knowledge of Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, or Wi-Fi 7, including roaming, RF behavior, spectrum use, and client interoperability.
• Expertise with WPA2/WPA3, 802.1X, RADIUS, EAP, identity services, and wireless security.
• Experience with high availability, redundancy, software upgrades, large-scale deployments, or system performance; familiarity with Wireshark, iPerf, traffic generators, spectrum analyzers, RF tools, or wireless packet capture.
• Experience with REST APIs, Git, containers, test frameworks, and CI/CD platforms.
• Experience using generative AI or AI agents for test creation, log analysis, troubleshooting, or defect management; familiarity with agent evaluation, retrieval, tool security, guardrails, and human review. Cisco Enterprise Switching or Wireless certifications such as CCNP Enterprise, CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure, or CCIE Enterprise Wireless are a plus.
• Experience with complex failures, and collaborate across engineering teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work independently.

Why Cisco?

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era - and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:

Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco’s policies:

• 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees

• 1 paid day off for employee’s birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco

• Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees

• Exempt employees participate in Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)

• 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to the next

• Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members

• Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer

For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:

• .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;

• 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;

• 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and

• Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.

For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

* For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.