ASIC DFT Technical Leader

Cisco Systems, Inc.; San Jose (CA); Hybrid; USD 214,000 - 356,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Annual bonus

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. in San Jose, CA seeks an ASIC Technical Lead focused on Design-for-Test. You will collaborate with Front-end RTL and backend physical design teams to drive DFT requirements early in the design cycle and lead the post-silicon validation efforts for next-generation networking chips.

Ideal candidate has 12+ years in ASIC/DFT, with experience in JTAG, BIST, ATPG, and EDA tools like TestMax, Tetramax, Tessent, and PrimeTime. Strong debugging skills with VCS are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering.
• 12+ years of experience.
• Post-silicon debug experience from first silicon to production.
• Experience with JTAG, Scan and BIST architectures including memory BIST and boundary scan.
• Experience with ATPG and EDA tools such as TestMax, Tetramax, Tessent, PrimeTime.
• Gate level simulation and debugging with VCS or similar.

Responsibilities

• Lead DFT and quality processes across Implementation flow and post-silicon validation.
• Collaborate with Front-end RTL and backend physical design teams to drive DFT requirements.
• Contribute to design and integration of next generation networking chips.
• Provide guidance on DFT architecture, test patterns, and timing checks.

Skills

RTL design

DFT

JTAG

ATPG

VCS debugging

Education

Bachelors or Masters in EE/CE

Tools

TestMax

Tetramax

Tessent

PrimeTime

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 11/05/2026

Meet the Team

The Silicon One team creates innovative hardware platforms central to the AI era, powering Cisco’s core Switching, Routing, and Wireless products for organizations globally. Our innovations in silicon, optics, and hardware platforms are shaping the technology industry. We're a global team of creative experts, bringing our unique backgrounds and bold ideas to push boundaries and help each other grow. Because full product development—from design to qualification to production—is within our team, we’re able to think differently, experiment more, and work quickly. Join us to power the future of the digital world.

Your Impact:

You will be in the Silicon One development organization as an ASIC Technical Lead in San Jose with a primary focus on Design-for-Test. You will work with Front-end RTL teams, backend physical design teams to understand chip architecture and drive DFT requirements early in the design cycle. As a member of this team you will also be involved in crafting groundbreaking next generation networking chips. You will help lead to drive the DFT and quality process through the entire Implementation flow and post silicon validation phases with additional exposure to physical design signoff activities.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or a Master's Degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering required with at least 12+ years of experience.
• Prior experience in post-silicon debug experience from first silicon to production
• Prior experience with Jtag protocols, Scan and BIST architectures, including memory BIST and boundary scan.
• Prior experience with ATPG and EDA tools like TestMax, Tetramax, Tessent tool sets, PrimeTime
• Prior experience working with Gate level simulation, debugging with VCS and other simulators.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Verilog design experience - developing custom DFT logic & IP integration; familiarity with functional verification
• DFT CAD development - Test Architecture, Methodology and Infrastructure
• Test Static Timing Analysis
• Post silicon validation using DFT patterns.
• Verification skills include, System Verilog Logic Equivalency checking and validating the Test-timing of the design

Why Cisco?

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:

The starting salary range posted for this position is $214,100.00 to $309,800.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation*, equity, or benefits.

Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco’s policies:

• 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, and 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 timecarried forwardfrom one calendar yearto 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

For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:

• .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;
• 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;
• 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and
• Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.

For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

$214,100.00 - $356,300.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$192,400.00 - $317,200.00

* For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.