Hardware Engineer (Onsite)

Cisco•Milpitas, CA

2d•$138,100 - $196,500•Onsite

About The Position

The Product Operations team within the Core Routing Business Unit (CRBU) plays a critical role in delivering Cisco’s next-generation hardware products at scale. Working at the intersection of engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing, the team ensures seamless product lifecycle execution—from new product introduction to high-volume production and customer delivery. With a strong focus on reliability, efficiency, and operational excellence, the team drives impact across global operations and enables successful product outcomes. Cisco Hardware Engineers are at the forefront of building the technology that powers the future. By balancing innovative design with rigorous IEEE standards, you will play a meaningful role in taking products from initial concept to high-quality production. In this role, you will work across a broad spectrum of the Cisco portfolio—including system and board design, signal integrity, power design, and validation. Whether you are defining industry standards as an architect or ensuring product reliability as a solution integrator, you will collaborate with multi-functional teams and external partners to optimize performance, cost, and quality. We are looking for engineers who are eager to challenge the status quo and drive innovation through research and practical application.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and 5+ years of related experience, or Master’s degree and 3+ years of related experience, or PhD plus 1+ years of related experience.
5+ years of applied experience with VNA to measure multiport S Parameter (insertion loss, return loss and X talk)
Capability to set up TDR setups to locate impedance discontinuity, trace routing mismatches, structural damage in PCB, cables and connectors

Nice To Haves

Prior experience with micro probing station, high bandwidth differential probes, calibration methodology.
Basic scripting skills in Python or MATLAB to parse data and analyze data.

Responsibilities

Validate high-speed channels from silicon die through the PCB interface using advanced time-domain and frequency-domain techniques.
Partner with layout engineers to optimize routing and define manufacturing test requirements.
Execute physical layer compliance and characterization for PCIe Gen 6/7 protocols, utilizing PAM4 signaling, multi-tap equalization, and advanced clocking architectures.
Operate precision lab instrumentation, including multi-port Vector Network Analyzers (110GHz+), high-bandwidth Oscilloscopes, Bit Error Rate Testers (BERTs), and Time Domain Reflectometers (TDRs).
Extract S-parameters and utilize tools such as Ansys HFSS, Keysight ADS, or Cadence Sigrity to correlate lab data with simulation models.
Drive root-cause analysis based on these findings.
Troubleshoot complex signal and power integrity anomalies, such as insertion/return loss, crosstalk, jitter, and noise, to ensure robust product performance.
Develop and maintain Python or MATLAB scripts to automate instrument control, streamline data collection, and process complex validation datasets.

Benefits

medical
dental
vision insurance
401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution
paid parental leave
short and long-term disability coverage
basic life insurance
Cisco restricted stock units
10 paid holidays per full calendar year
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
16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year (non-exempt)
flexible vacation time off program (exempt)
80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter
up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to the next
Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer
annual bonuses (for non-sales roles)
performance-based incentive pay (for sales roles)