Job Description

Meet the Team
We are an innovation team on a mission to transform how enterprises harness AI. Operating with the agility of a startup and the focus of an incubator, we're building a tight-knit group of AI and infrastructure experts driven by ambitious ideas and a shared goal: to rethink systems from the ground up and deliver breakthrough solutions that redefine what's possible - faster, leaner, and smarter.
We thrive in a fast-paced, experimentation-rich environment where new technologies aren't just welcome - they're expected. Here, you'll work side-by-side with seasoned engineers, architects, and thinkers to craft the kind of iconic products that can reshape industries and unlock entirely new models of operation for the enterprise.
If you're energized by the challenge of solving hard problems, love working at the edge of what's possible, and want to help shape the future of AI infrastructure - we'd love to meet you.
Impact
Cisco is seeking a highly skilled and detail-oriented Test Automation Engineer to lead the design, implementation, and execution of automated testing strategies for its products. This role focuses on ensuring software quality, streamlining CI pipelines, and acting as a bridge between product and engineering teams to align testing efforts with business goals. The ideal candidate will have expertise in CI tools, GitHub Actions, system and integration testing, and feature flag management, with a proven ability to deliver high-quality, reliable software.
As a Test Automation Engineer at Cisco, your contributions will:

• Ensure software releases meet high-quality standards through robust automated testing strategies.
• Streamline CI pipelines with effective quality gates to reduce release cycle times.
• Use of AI agents to automate code review and code coverage tasks.
• Facilitate seamless live upgrades and rollbacks by thoroughly testing these scenarios.
• Align testing efforts with product goals, enabling faster time-to-market for features.
• Improve the overall user experience by ensuring the reliability of UI and system integrations.

Your work will help Cisco deliver reliable, high-performing products while building trust with customers and stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities:

• Design and maintain Testing CI pipelines to ensure efficient and reliable software releases, leveraging tools like GitHub Actions.
• Utilize Git and GitHub to manage test automation code and collaborate effectively with development teams.
• Define and enforce quality criteria for pipeline gates to ensure only high-quality code is promoted to production.
• Manage the ownership, testing, and lifecycle of feature flags to enable controlled feature rollouts and reduce risks.
• Develop and execute system-level and integration tests to validate end-to-end functionality and interoperability.
• Design test strategies to ensure seamless live upgrades and rollbacks with minimal customer impact.
• Implement and maintain automated UI testing frameworks to ensure a smooth and consistent user experience.
• Act as a bridge between product and engineering teams to align testing efforts with product goals and priorities.
• Bachelor's degree+ and relevant 10+ years of Engineering work experience.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Proficiency with Python and other scripting languages.
• Experience with CI tools and pipeline design for release automation (e.g., GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or similar tools).
• Proficiency with Git and GitHub for version control and collaboration.
• Strong understanding of quality criteria and pipeline gates for ensuring high-quality software releases.
• Proven expertise in testing strategies for feature flags, including ownership of feature flag lifecycle management.
• Hands-on experience with system and integration testing for complex, distributed systems.
• Knowledge of live upgrade and rollback testing methodologies.
• Familiarity with UI testing frameworks and tools (e.g., Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, or similar).
• Strong communication and collaboration skills for working with both product and engineering teams.
• Use of AI agents to automate code review and code coverage tasks

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in designing and implementing automated testing strategies in SaaS or cloud-based environments.
• Ability to balance fast-paced development cycles with thorough testing and quality assurance practices.
• Passion for staying up to date with advancements in test automation tools and practices.

#WeAreCisco
#WeAreCisco where every individual brings their unique skills and perspectives together to pursue our purpose of powering an inclusive future for all.
Our passion is connection-we celebrate our employees' diverse set of backgrounds and focus on unlocking potential. Cisconians often experience one company, many careers where learning and development are encouraged and supported at every stage. Our technology, tools, and culture pioneered hybrid work trends, allowing all to not only give their best, but be their best.
We understand our outstanding opportunity to bring communities together and at the heart of that is our people. One-third of Cisconians collaborate in our 30 employee resource organizations, called Inclusive Communities, to connect, foster belonging, learn to be informed allies, and make a difference. Dedicated paid time off to volunteer-80 hours each year-allows us to give back to causes we are passionate about, and nearly 86% do!
Our purpose, driven by our people, is what makes us the worldwide leader in technology that powers the internet. Helping our customers reimagine their applications, secure their enterprise, transform their infrastructure, and meet their sustainability goals is what we do best. We ensure that every step we take is a step towards a more inclusive future for all. Take your next step and be you, with us!
Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:
When available, the salary range posted for this position reflects the projected hiring range for new hire, full-time salaries in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including equity or benefits. For non-sales roles the hiring ranges reflect base salary only; employees are also eligible to receive annual bonuses. Hiring ranges for sales positions include base and incentive compensation target. Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location and additional factors, including but not limited to skillset, experience, and relevant education, certifications, or training. Applicants may not be eligible for the full salary range based on their U.S. or Canada hiring location. The recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.
U.S. employees have to quality medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, short and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance and numerous wellbeing offerings.
Employees receive up to twelve paid holidays per calendar year, which includes one floating holiday (for non-exempt employees), plus a day off for their birthday. Non-Exempt new hires accrue up to 16 days of vacation time off each year, at a rate of 4.92 hours per pay period. Exempt new hires participate in Cisco's flexible Vacation Time Off policy, which does not place a defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use, but is subject to availability and some business limitations. All new hires are eligible for Sick Time Off subject to Cisco's Sick Time Off Policy and will have eighty (80) hours of sick time off provided on their hire date and on January 1st of each year thereafter. Up to 80 hours of unused sick time will be carried forward from one calendar year to the next such that the maximum number of sick time hours an employee may have available is 160 hours. Employees in Illinois have a unique time off program designed specifically with local requirements in mind. All employees also have access to paid time away to deal with critical or emergency issues. We offer additional paid time to volunteer and give back to the community.
Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components. 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 up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

Skills Required