Hardware Design Engineer Technical Lead

About the Team

The Common Hardware Group (CHG) creates innovative hardware platforms central to the AI era, powering Cisco’s core Switching, Routing, and Wireless products for organizations globally. Our innovations in silicon, optics, and hardware platforms—like Silicon One—are shaping the technology industry. We're a global team of creative experts, bringing unique backgrounds and bold ideas to push boundaries and help each other grow. Because full product development—from design to qualification to production—is within our team, we’re able to think differently, experiment more, and work quickly.

Responsibilities

• Define and design the next generation Hyperscaler Switch hardware based on Silicon One and/or merchant ASIC.
• Responsible for system and board level specification, schematic capture, FPGA design, ASIC/System level bring up and troubleshooting.
• Bring up the system to work with multiple groups including ASIC, DFT, Signal Integrity, software, Diagnostics, and Manufacturing team to resolve any design issues.
• Debug and troubleshoot in labs using scopes and analyzers.
• Act as technical liaison with major component Suppliers for the product.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Telecommunications and 8+ years of experience, or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Telecommunications and 6+ years of experience, or PhD in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering + 3 years in system level development.
• Prior experience with common HW technology, including power, clock, memory, CPU, and a variety of system interfaces.
• Previous experience with complex high-speed board design and board bring-up.
• Prior experience with schematics/layout, hardware bring-up, troubleshooting, and system level testing.
• Experience working with Software team on system bring-up and porting, device configuration (registers level).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with schematics, PCB, and Verilog HDL/VHDL design.
• Experience with scripts (Python, Tcl, etc.).
• Experience with lab bring up and design validation of products.
• Knowledge of the Ethernet protocol.
• Experience with access switch Ethernet interfaces: gigabit, multi-gigabit, 10 gigabit.
• Experience with high-speed Ethernet interfaces: 25G, 100G, 400G, 800G.
• Experience with DRAM, CPU subcomplex, and control interfaces such as PCIe, I2C, SPI, MDC/MDIO.
• Self-motivation, teamwork, and strong communication skills.

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. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale.

Pay

The starting salary range for this position is $168,800.00 to $241,200.00 for new hires in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation, equity, or benefits. Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training.

Full salary ranges for specific locations:

• New York City Metro Area: $168,800.00 - $277,400.00
• Non-Metro New York State & Washington State: $148,800.00 - $248,200.00

For quota-based sales roles, the ranges include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution.
• Paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance.
• Grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment.
• Paid time away:
  • 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.
  • 4 paid days off for personal wellness.
  • Non-exempt employees receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at 4.92 hours per pay period.
  • Exempt employees participate in Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program with no defined limit (subject to availability and business limitations).
  • 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, with up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward.
  • Additional paid time away may be requested for critical or emergency family issues.
  • Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer.
• Annual bonuses for non-sales roles, subject to Cisco’s policies.
• For sales roles, performance-based incentive pay split between quota and non-quota components.