Description
The Common Hardware Group (CHG) at Cisco creates innovative hardware platforms central to the AI era, powering Cisco’s core switching, routing, and wireless products for organizations globally.
As a Lead Hardware Board Design Engineer, you will be a recognized technical leader for a product. You will apply deep hardware expertise to define architecture, lead complex product initiatives, resolve difficult technical issues, and guide engineers across disciplines.
Responsibilities:
- Define board-level architecture, technology choices, power-delivery strategy, and design direction for complex networking products.
- Lead major hardware initiatives from requirements and architecture through validation, qualification, and manufacturing release.
- Solve novel or high-risk signal integrity, power integrity, reliability, thermal, and manufacturing challenges.
- Participate in design reviews, architecture discussions, cross-functional technical investigations, and laboratory work.
- Guide teams to clear, data-driven decisions.
- Mentor engineers and improve hardware delivery processes.
- Establish practical design methods, constraints, verification strategies, and quality improvements.
- Partner with silicon vendors, PCB fabricators, contract manufacturers, and other suppliers on technical tradeoffs and product execution.
- Communicate technical risks, alternatives, and recommendations to senior stakeholders.
- Contribute to product-line technology roadmaps.
- Own the design and validation of a sub-system.
- Ensure designs meet functional specifications.
- Participate as a valuable team member in cross-functional meetings, specification creation, and technical documentation.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering and 7+ years of experience, or Master’s in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering and 5+ years of related experience, or PhD in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering and 2+ years of related experience.
- Experience with hardware board design and system-level development, including high-speed digital design, signal integrity, power integrity, and hardware validation using lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and spectrum analyzers.
- Experience with taking board designs from concept through production, including schematics generation, layouts, troubleshooting, and hands-on use of design tools such as Cadence Concept and Allegro.
- Experience with networking, server, computer, or high-performance embedded systems, including technologies such as high-speed Ethernet, PCIe, DDR, SerDes, advanced packaging, multi-phase power conversion, thermal management, EMI/EMC.
- Experience with leading technical projects or programs, partnering with silicon vendors, fabricators, contract manufacturers, or technology suppliers, and leading multi-site engineering teams or cross-functional tiger teams.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Methodical, analytical approach to problem solving, experience with breaking down complex issues, evaluating evidence, and documenting clear conclusions and next steps.
- Experience with networking product design.
- Experience with co-packaged optics, near-packaged optics, or optical and signal-integrity budget analysis.
- Experience creating test scripts in Python.
- Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams.
- Effective verbal and written communication skills.
Benefits:
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) plan with Cisco matching contribution
- Paid parental leave
- Short and long-term disability coverage
- Basic life insurance
- Paid time away (vacation, holidays, sick time)
- Optional 10 paid days per year to volunteer