Principal Design Verification Lead

Cisco•Carlsbad, CA

23h•$208,600 - $287,000

About The Position

Cisco’s Client Optics Group (COG) designs and delivers high-speed optical transceivers and platforms that power Cisco's core data center networking solutions. They specialize in the design and integration of innovative IM/DD optics and silicon photonic platforms, enabling customers to deploy industry-leading optical technologies within data centers with unprecedented speed, capacity, and reliability. This role involves shaping COG’s ground-breaking optical solutions by designing, developing, and testing some of the most advanced pluggable and Co-packaged Optics (CPO) in the industry. The team collaborates with Cisco's best-in-class Silicon Photonics team, which is responsible for driving the development and optimization of optical transceivers and modules (800G, 1.6T, and beyond) that seamlessly integrate with Cisco's routing, switching, and datacenter platforms. This enables customers to build scalable, high-performance networks supporting emerging technologies like AI/ML workloads and next-generation data center architectures. The company is seeking a dedicated and experienced Principal Design Verification Engineer to join the team and lead the verification of Cisco's silicon photonics driver integrated circuits for the next generation of 100/200/400G per Lambda solutions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical or Computer engineering and 15+ years of ASIC Design Verification experience, or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering and 12+ years of ASIC Design Verification experience, or PhD in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering + 7 years in ASIC Design Verification experience.
Experience in System Verilog, UVM, and verification methodologies
Experience owning and delivering verification for large-scale SoCs or subsystems.
Experience leading verification teams or projects.
Experience in scripting and automation such as Python, Perl, TCL, or Shell Scripts.

Nice To Haves

Experience with leading larger teams, with the ability to empower team members to successful outcomes.
Strong experience with UVM (Universal Verification Methodology) for developing scalable, reusable, and coverage-driven verification environments.
Expertise in verification of SerDes IP, D2D PHY IP, ODSP & integrated transceiver features, CPU sub-system & Protocols (Ethernet, UCIE, UAL, SPI/I2C, etc.)
Experience influencing design for testability and verification.
Proven experience in troubleshooting and debugging.
Experience with Formal Verification, hardware description languages (HDLs) such as Verilog/System Verilog)
Experience with emulation and prototyping platforms (Veloce, HAPS).
Experience collaborating with architecture and design teams on verification strategy.

Responsibilities

Own verification planning, estimation, and execution tracking
Define and lead verification methodology and standards across multiple projects, coordinating activities across multiple sites.
Lead verification at block & chip level with various high-speed IPs integrated like ODSP, D2D IP, SerDes XSR/PAM4, Integrated drivers/TIA, and control functions.
Review specifications, participate in design reviews, and influence architecture for testability and verification efficiency.
Mentor and coach verification engineers, driving continuous improvement in technical skills and execution.
Debug complex silicon and system-level issues during bring-up phases.
Support post-silicon bring-up and optimize integration and performance.

Benefits

medical, dental and vision insurance
a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution
paid parental leave
short and long-term disability coverage
basic life insurance
grants of Cisco restricted stock units
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 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
annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies (for non-sales roles)
performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary (for sales plans)