1439145 - Hardware Engineer

Cisco Systems; United States; Remote; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems is seeking a proactive hardware engineer to enhance product security through the development of hardware and firmware solutions. This role involves working within the Hardware & Firmware Security Team to ensure the trustworthiness of Cisco products, requiring a strong background in FPGA design and embedded systems. Join us to contribute to innovative security technologies in a dynamic environment.

Benefits

Dedicated paid time off to volunteer

Inclusive Communities for employee engagement

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience with FPGA design and/or verification.
• Experience with embedded CPU systems and hardware debug.
• Strong troubleshooting skills with lab equipment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deploy hardware and firmware-based security technologies.
• Assist product teams in deploying security technologies.
• Investigate new security threats and technologies.

Skills

FPGA design

hardware debugging

security principles

scripting (Python, Linux shell)

Education

B.S./M.S. in Computer Engineering or Electrical Engineering

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: June 4, 2025.

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

The successful applicant will provide ownership of and be performing work in FedRAMP or IL-5 type environments, and therefore, must be a U.S. Person (i.e. U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, asylee, or refugee). This position may also perform work that the U.S. government has specified can only be performed by a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil.

Meet the Team

The Security & Trust Organization (S&TO) has corporate-level responsibility for customer data protection and compliance, corporate information protection, and government and product security. Security is a key concern of our customers and a top investment area for Cisco. Join us and help us become the #1 Trusted IT Company in the World.

Within S&TO, the Foundational Security Technologies (FST) team seeks to increase product security and trustworthiness across a broad range of Cisco products through development, integration and deployment of reusable software and hardware solutions. Within Foundational Security, the Hardware & Firmware Security Team (HFST) focuses on security solutions implemented at the hardware and firmware level.

Your Impact

The HFST seeks an energetic, proactive hardware engineer to design, implement, test and support security features & solutions. This position provides an opportunity to grow and learn in the product development security space. We are seeking someone who has skills in hardware development, as well as experience working with embedded processor-based systems.

• Responsibilities are focused on the development and deployment of hardware and firmware-based security technologies that improve the trustworthiness of Cisco products.
• This is a multifaceted role including development activities within the Hardware & Firmware Security Team, applications engineering activities serving the product teams that are deploying security technologies, assessment of system architectures and components for security capabilities and/or vulnerabilities, and education to increase the security awareness of others.
• The successful candidate will need to be comfortable working in an environment with many concurrent activities and be able to prioritize and manage concurrent tasks.
• Since security threats are dynamic and constantly evolving, the role will also require ongoing education to improve security knowledge and awareness, investigation of new security threats and technologies to address them, as well as evaluation of security solutions.
• Designing, developing, documenting, and testing hardware or combined hardware and firmware-based security technologies on CPU evaluation platforms and Cisco products.
• Assisting internal product teams deploying hardware and software security technologies.
• Developing documentation, proof of concepts, reference code, and scripts to facilitate adoption and verification of security technologies.
• Participating in, and contributing to, hardware architecture, design, specifications, and HDL code reviews.

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S./M.S. in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field
• 3+ years of experience with FPGA design and/or verification, using Verilog Hardware Description Language
• Experience with embedded CPU systems along with hardware debug and test in a lab environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong troubleshooting skills and experience with board level bring-up using hardware debug tools and lab equipment (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and evaluation boards)
• Experience with x86 and ARM CPUs and boot architecture / bootstrap code
• Scripting language experience for automation using Python or Linux shell scripts
• Experience with security related design principles, methods, and architecture
• Experience with Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standards, algorithms, and encryption techniques, with implementation experience in embedded products.
• Familiarity with CNSA1.0 and 2.0 standards, especially LMS/XMSS or ML-DSA.
• Ability to apply malware forensic analysis techniques and concepts to ensure advanced trustworthy product security features.

#WeAreCisco

#WeAreCisco where every individual brings their unique skills and perspectives together to pursue our purpose of powering an inclusive future for all.

Our passion is connection—we celebrate our employees’ diverse set of backgrounds and focus on unlocking potential. Cisconians often experience one company, many careers where learning and development are encouraged and supported at every stage. Our technology, tools, and culture pioneered hybrid work trends, allowing all to not only give their best, but be their best.

We understand our outstanding opportunity to bring communities together and at the heart of that is our people. One-third of Cisconians collaborate in our 30 employee resource organizations, called Inclusive Communities, to connect, foster belonging, learn to be informed allies, and make a difference. Dedicated paid time off to volunteer—80 hours each year—allows us to give back to causes we are passionate about, and nearly 86% do!

Our purpose, driven by our people, is what makes us the worldwide leader in technology that powers the internet. Helping our customers reimagine their applications, secure their enterprise, transform their infrastructure, and meet their sustainability goals is what we do best. We ensure that every step we take is a step towards a more inclusive future for all. Take your next step and be you, with us!

About the company

Cisco Systems, Inc. is an American multinational technology conglomerate headquartered in San Jose, California, in the center of Silicon Valley.

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