Senior Hardware Post-Silicon Validation Engineer (Hybrid)

Cisco • San Jose, CA

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

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. This role is within the Post-Silicon Validation Team, which offers a startup culture within a leading networking company. The team engages in dynamic collaboration with verification engineers, designers, and cross-functional teams to ensure the successful verification of ASICs throughout their lifecycle. The team operates at the forefront of technology, working with cutting-edge, high-speed, and power-hungry devices, and impacts the future of networking technology. This position requires living within commuting distance of the San Jose, CA office and commuting to the office at least 4-5 days per week.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field and 6+ years of experience in post-silicon electrical validation, hardware bring-up and lab-based silicon debug, OR Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field and 3+ years of experience in post-silicon electrical validation, hardware bring-up and lab-based silicon debug, OR PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field and 1+ years of experience in post-silicon electrical validation, hardware bring-up and lab-based silicon debug.
• Experience in electronics, digital logic, signal integrity, and power integrity
• Experience in high-speed measurement techniques (eye diagrams, BER, jitter, compliance testing)
• Experience with interfaces such as DDR5, USB 3.x, SGMII, PCIe, USB2.0, eMMC, SPI, MDIO, I2C, and UART
• Experience with Reading and Reviewing schematics and layout files for complex boards

Nice To Haves

• Experience working independently, lead, plan and execute lab-based debug efforts
• Hands-on experience with silicon bring-up and post-silicon validation labs
• Experience validating Ethernet, PCIe, and SerDes interfaces
• Scripting skills for lab automation and data analysis (Python preferred)
• Understanding of networking fundamentals and packet-based systems

Responsibilities

• Lead hands-on post-silicon electrical validation in lab environments for networking ASICs and evaluation platforms
• Own early-silicon bring-up activities from first power-on through feature enablement
• Define, execute, and refine detailed hardware validation plans covering functionality characterization, performance, and reliability
• Drive validation readiness, lab infrastructure setup, and test coverage strategy
• Lead power-on sequencing, reset strategy validation, clock bring-up, and strap configuration
• Perform in-depth voltage, current, power integrity (PDN), and signal integrity analysis
• Capture, analyze, and interpret waveforms, eye diagrams, jitter, BER, PDN measurements, power supply stability and noise
• Independently isolate and root-cause silicon, package, board, or signal integrity issues
• Lead validation of Ethernet MAC/PHY and high-speed interfaces such as PCIe and SerDes
• Oversee packet-level validation using traffic generators and protocol analyzers
• Validate system-level behavior under real-world networking workloads
• Develop and maintain lab automation using scripts and frameworks (e.g., Python)
• Plan and execute thermal testing using chambers and chillers across operating ranges

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
• 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees (non-exempt employees)
• flexible vacation time off program (exempt employees)
• 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
• 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 (for non-sales roles)
• performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary (for sales roles)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior