Cloud Security Engineering at Cisco drives the technology that is transforming the way customers secure their networks and, more importantly, their users.

We are seeking a Data Platform Engineer to join our dynamic and innovative technology team. This role is ideal for a fresh graduate who has a strong foundation in computer science, software engineering, and data systems, along with a strong desire to learn and grow in the data platform and infrastructure domain.

As a member of the Data Platform team within Cloud Security Engineering, you will work with engineers responsible for building and operating the streaming and analytics infrastructure that powers Cisco Umbrella and Cisco Secure Access. Our platform processes billions of DNS, network, and security events daily using Apache Kafka, ClickHouse, and AWS.

This role provides an opportunity to learn distributed data systems, infrastructure automation, data pipeline operations, and production observability while working alongside experienced engineers in a collaborative environment.

What You'll Do

o   Assist in building, automating, and improving data ingestion pipelines using Apache Kafka and Kafka Connect under the guidance of senior engineers.

o   Learn and contribute to Ansible playbooks and Packer AMI builds used to provision and configure data platform infrastructure on AWS.

o   Support the operations and monitoring of ClickHouse clusters, including helping with routine tasks such as data validation, partition management, and health checks.

o   Help monitor platform health using observability tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, and collectd.

o   Participate in troubleshooting issues across data ingestion, storage, and pipeline components.

o   Contribute to scripts and automation in Python, Go, or Bash that improve engineering productivity and platform reliability.

o   Work with engineering teams to understand data serialization formats such as Avro and the role of the Schema Registry in the data pipeline.

o   Collaborate with developers, data platform engineers, and infrastructure teams to support production data services.

o   Learn best practices for cloud security, data reliability, scalability, and incident response.

o   Continuously learn new technologies and tools in the areas of data engineering, streaming systems, and cloud infrastructure.

Basic Qualifications

o   Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related technical field.

o   Fresh graduate or early-career candidate with a strong interest in data engineering, data platform infrastructure, or distributed systems.

o   Foundational understanding of software development and operating system concepts.

o   Basic programming or scripting knowledge in one or more languages such as Python, Go, Java, Bash, or Shell scripting.

o   Familiarity with Unix/Linux systems and basic command-line usage.

o   Basic understanding of cloud computing concepts such as compute, storage, networking, and managed services.

o   Exposure to one or more cloud platforms such as AWS, GCP, or Azure through coursework, projects, internships, or self-learning.

o   Basic awareness of data systems concepts such as messaging queues, databases, or data pipelines.

o   Good analytical and problem-solving skills.

o   Strong communication skills and willingness to work in a team-oriented environment.

o   Eagerness to learn, experiment, and adapt in a fast-paced technology environment.

Preferred Qualifications

o   Academic projects, internship experience, or personal projects related to data engineering, distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, or automation.

o   Exposure to message queue or streaming systems such as Apache Kafka, RabbitMQ, AWS Kinesis, or similar.

o   Basic familiarity with a database system, especially columnar or analytical databases.

o   Familiarity with version control systems such as Git.

o   Exposure to CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or GitLab CI.

o   Basic understanding of data serialization formats such as JSON, Avro, or Protobuf.

o   Exposure to monitoring or logging tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, Splunk, or ELK.

o   Interest in cloud security, distributed data systems, and reliability engineering.

o   Ability to learn new tools and technologies quickly.

o   Awareness of container technologies such as Docker; familiarity with Kubernetes is a plus.

Who You'll Work With

The Data Platform team within Cloud Security Engineering builds and operates the foundational streaming and analytics infrastructure for Cisco Umbrella and Cisco Secure Access.

You will work with a team that is supportive of learning, experimentation, and engineering excellence. You will collaborate closely with Cloud Security Engineering teams and other engineering groups across Cisco.

You will:

o   Work with data platform engineers, DevOps engineers, and cloud infrastructure teams.

o   Learn from senior engineers through hands-on tasks, code reviews, and technical guidance.

o   Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand data ingestion, pipeline operations, and observability needs.

o   Contribute to building reliable, scalable, and secure data platform services.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for a motivated fresh graduate who is curious, technically strong, and excited about building and operating data systems at cloud scale. The ideal candidate should be comfortable learning new technologies, asking questions, solving problems, and working collaboratively with experienced engineers.

A successful candidate will bring:

o   Strong fundamentals in computer science and engineering.

o   Curiosity about how large-scale data pipelines are built, operated, and monitored in production.

o   Passion for automation, data infrastructure, and distributed systems.

o   A learning mindset and willingness to take ownership over time.

o   Good collaboration and communication skills.

Our Interview Process

To help reduce the stress of job searching, our interview process is straightforward and transparent. The process generally includes:

o   Screening call with a Cisco recruiter.

o   30-minute call with the hiring manager.

o   Technical interviews with the team, conducted on-site or remotely.

o   One coding or problem-solving exercise.

o   Discussion around projects, fundamentals, data systems concepts, Linux, scripting, and interest in data platform engineering.

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. 

Disclaimer

To ensure that we hire the best talent in the right way, we follow a strict hiring process and recently, Cisco has been made aware of fraudulent recruiters claiming to be from the company. Please be advised that any communication from Cisco about careers will:

• be in direct response to an application you have submitted through the company career site
• begin with screening or an interview
• originate from a Cisco email address, and
• be conducted across email, phone, or WebEx

Cisco will never make a job offer without conducting an interview process or ask you for money in any way. If you have been requested to apply for a role or have received an offer from a site other than https://careers.cisco.com or cisco.wd5.myworkday.com, do not provide any personal identifying information, including your Aadhaar or other personal identifying number, birth certificate, banking information, driver's license, or passport.

If you are the target of a recruiting scam, consider filing a report with your local law enforcement authorities. Cisco bears no responsibility, and cannot be held liable, for any claims, damages, expenses, or other inconvenience resulting from or in any way connected to recruiting scams.