Signal/Power Integrity Hardware Engineer Technical Lead (Onsite)

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

This position requires that you commute to our San Jose, CA office 5 days per week. 

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 our 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. Join us to power the future of the digital world.

Cisco Silicon One (#CiscoSiliconOne) is a business organization with a long track record of building complex and high-performance Silicon ASICs. Our silicon devices drive the world’s most complex networks and carry over 90% of IP traffic. Cisco Silicon One is the only unifying silicon architecture in the market that enables customers to deploy the best-of-breed silicon from Top of Rack (TOR) switches all the way through web scale data centers and across service provider, enterprise networks, and data centers with a fully unified routing and switching portfolio. 

The Cisco Service Provider SI team is seeking a Technical Lead, Signal/Power Integrity Engineer for the design and analysis of high-speed interconnects and power distribution networks. As a member of the Service Provider SI team, you will help develop the next generations of Cisco Switch and Router products, participating in the definition and design of current and next-generation ASICs, packages, printed circuit boards (PCBs), and system interconnects. You will be working in a larger team, collaborating closely with system architects, ASIC engineers, package engineers, and versatile and knowledgeable SI/PI engineers in the creation of next-generation networking products. 

• High-speed link modeling and simulation, including high-speed I/O, IC package, and system interconnections.

• Modeling and analyzing power delivery networks.

• Electromagnetic modeling of complex 3-dimensional structures.

• Perform pre- and post-route signal integrity analysis of both PCB and ASIC package designs.

• Write signal integrity design guidelines, test plans, and test reports.

• Decide appropriate PCB material, stack-up, and work with vendors to address any DFM (Design for Manufacturability) issues.

• Support prototype function bring-up, validation, and troubleshooting.

• Work closely with other hardware function teams including HW design, eCAD, Mechanical, Power, EMC, and Diagnostics to deliver first-class products.

• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior SI/PI engineers, fostering skill development and best practices within the team.

• Drive the definition, implementation, and continuous improvement of advanced SI/PI methodologies, simulation flows, and design processes.

• Contribute to the overall SI/PI technology roadmap, evaluating new tools, techniques, and design approaches to maintain a competitive edge.

• Lead the investigation and resolution of highly complex, system-level signal and power integrity challenges that span multiple domains (ASIC, package, PCB, system).

• Lead comprehensive SI/PI design reviews, providing expert guidance and ensuring adherence to stringent performance and reliability targets.

• Bachelors in Electrical Engineering + 7 years of related experience, or Masters in Electrical Engineering + 5 years of related experience, or PhD in Electrical Engineering + 2 years of related experience.

• Experience applying EE fundamentals, EM theory, and coupling mechanisms in circuit or system design, analysis, or troubleshooting.

• Experience with transmission line theory, channel modeling, and signal/power integrity, including simulation and analysis.

• Lab and measurement experience to include configuring and interpreting measurements from VNA, TDR, and oscilloscopes.

• Tools knowledge with tools such as HFSS, ADS, MATLAB, Cadence PowerSI/DC, Allegro, Simbeor, and HSpice.

• Experience with 3-D field solvers and PI (Power Integrity) simulation tools such as PowerSI/DC.

• Self-motivation, collaboration, effective communication, and a desire to innovate.

• Working experience with high-speed NRZ and PAM4 SerDes, as well as high-speed PCB/package development and PI analysis.

• Knowledge of optical transceiver module types, form factors, and requirements.

• Masters or PhD in Electrical Engineering.

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. 

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.