Senior Director, Hardware - Mechanical & Thermal Eng -> Hyper Scale Systems (AI Networking)
About The Position
Cisco’s System Thermal Engineering and Mechanical (STEAM) team within Networking Hardware Engineering provides engineering leadership and foundational innovation across Service Provider Routing, Enterprise Routing, and Switching. The team advances design reliability, engineering processes, and scalable hardware solutions for networking products. The Senior Director of Mechanical and Thermal Engineering leads a multidisciplinary organization focused on researching, designing, and optimizing mechanical and thermal systems. The role shapes next-generation package, board, and system technologies through simulation, experimental validation, and multifunctional optimization. It works closely with Silicon Design, Supply Chain, Electrical Design, Manufacturing, and Quality Assurance to influence product reliability, performance, and manufacturability while establishing long-term technology roadmaps. The position oversees engineering people and programs, develops mechanical and thermal engineering standards and roadmaps, and communicates technical updates and tradeoffs to executive leadership. The role may also engage directly with customers on critical issues or architecture reviews.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field, or equivalent practical work experience.
- At least 14 years of professional mechanical and thermal engineering experience in microelectronics, networking, telecommunications, or hardware systems.
- At least 5 years of direct technical leadership experience managing multidisciplinary engineering teams, including engineers, engineering managers, or technical staff.
- Experience in mechanical enclosure design, cooling system or thermal design, or tolerance analysis for electronic hardware systems.
Nice To Haves
- Master’s degree or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field, or equivalent work experience in the hardware industry.
- Experience building high-density hardware products for AI/ML and hyperscale customers, and a track record using AI/ML tools and optimization algorithms to accelerate and streamline mechanical and thermal design cycles.
- Expertise with advanced cold plates, backing plates, liquid cooling architectures, optical devices, Co-Packaged Optics / Chip-Package-Optics (CPO), Chip-Package-Copper (CPC), Thermal Interface Materials (TIMs), and novel cooling solutions.
- Experience with high-speed connectors, sheet metal fabrication, ruggedized enclosures, high-density cabling, ejector mechanisms, and large form-factor rack-level systems.
- Ability to drive critical initiatives, process modernization, and new approaches across globally distributed, multi-geographic, and multi-segment engineering teams.
- Ability to investigate critical technical partner concerns, conduct root-cause analysis, and structure team operating models to resolve high-stakes hardware issues promptly.
- Comprehensive understanding of industry trends, IEEE standards, thermal test methodologies, and regulatory compliance standards across enterprise and service provider networking platforms.
Responsibilities
- Manage, mentor, and develop engineering managers, senior engineers, and technicians, fostering a collaborative, transparent, and innovative culture and structuring the team to support varied engagement models and multifunctional demands.
- Lead end-to-end development and execution of complex mechanical and thermal engineering projects, aligning them with company goals, schedules, and quality landmarks.
- Lead design and optimization of mechanical enclosures, sheet metal, cooling systems, tolerance analysis, material selection, and Design-for-Reliability for networking applications.
- Develop and scale engineering standards across product lines, including the use of AI/ML tools, algorithms, and computational optimization to accelerate mechanical and thermal design workflows.
- Ensure hardware designs align with applicable IEEE standards, industry regulations, safety requirements, and quality expectations.
- Drive design reviews covering mechanical enclosures, sheet metal fabrication, high-speed connector integration, and tolerance analysis; collaborate on structural and thermal simulations.
- Establish data-transfer and collaboration workflows between STEAM and partner teams, including Product Development, Silicon Design, Electrical Engineering, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and QA.
- Develop strategic business and technology plans for the mechanical and thermal engineering department and author multiyear roadmaps for next-generation thermal, mechanical, and packaging solutions.
- Present complex technical updates, engineering tradeoffs, and critical needs clearly to executive leadership; engage with selected customers on critical issues or architecture reviews.
Benefits
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- 401(k) plan with Cisco matching contribution
- Paid parental leave
- Short- and long-term disability coverage
- Basic life insurance
- Paid holidays and floating holiday for eligible non-exempt employees
- Paid birthday day off, year-end holiday shutdown, and personal wellness days
- Vacation time or flexible vacation time off program, depending on employee classification
- Paid sick time
- Additional paid time away may be requested for critical or emergency family issues
- Optional paid volunteer days
- Annual bonuses for eligible non-sales roles
- Potential Cisco restricted stock unit grants
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
