Engineering Technician

Cisco Systems, Inc; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 91,000 - 116,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision insurance

401(k) plan with Cisco matching

Paid parental leave

Short-term disability coverage

Long-term disability coverage

Basic life insurance

Cisco RSUs vesting grants

Paid holidays and vacation time

Paid time off for personal wellness

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. in San Jose, CA is seeking an Engineering Technician to support hardware design, prototype bring-up, and rework for Networking Hardware Engineering.

You will work closely with cross-functional teams in a demanding lab environment, performing precise component-level rework and hand soldering on fine-pitch packages while documenting activities and maintaining compliance with standards. You will operate advanced lab equipment (BGA rework stations, hot-air tools, soldering

Qualifications

• 4+ years in electronic assembly, soldering, or PCB rework roles.
• Experience with fine-pitch SMT/thru-hole hand soldering and microscopic inspection.
• Ability to read schematics, PCB layouts, assembly drawings, and BOMs.

Responsibilities

• Perform component-level rework and hand soldering using inspection microscopes.
• Set up, operate, and maintain lab machinery and rework tools.
• Maintain rework logs and ensure lab safety and quality standards.

Skills

Electronic assembly

Soldering

PCB rework

Reading schematics

Microscope inspection

Tools

Rework tools

BGA rework stations

X-ray tools

Inspection microscope

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 11/27/2026.

This role will require the employee to work onsite at the San Jose, CA location.

Meet the team Networking Hardware Engineering (NHE) creates innovative hardware platforms central to the AI era, powering Cisco’s core Switching, Routing, and Wireless products for organizations globally.

As an Engineering Technician in Cisco's Service Provider Routing Hardware team, you will support critical hardware engineering activities across design, prototype bring-up, quality control, and PCB/PCBA rework. Working closely with multi-functional development teams, you will operate sophisticated lab equipment, perform component-level rework, and conduct operational test and visual inspections to verify hardware prototypes.

Your Impact:

• Perform component-level rework, trace modifications, jumper wiring, and precision hand soldering on fine-pitch surface mount (SMT), thru-hole, and advanced packages (QFN, DFN, SOIC, and BGA) using inspection microscopes.
• Safely set up, operate, and maintain advanced lab machinery and rework tools, including BGA rework stations, hot-air systems, soldering stations, and inspection/X-ray tools.
• Generate and maintain accurate rework logs and rework documentation; ensure lab compliance with ESD, chemical safety, calibration, and industry quality standards.

Minimum Qualifications

• 4+ year of experience in electronic assembly, soldering, or PCB rework technician roles.
• Experience with fine-pitch SMT/thru-hole hand soldering, component rework, and microscopic inspection.
• Experience with reading and interpreting electronic schematics, PCB layout drawings, assembly drawings, and Bills of Materials (BOMs).

Preferred Qualifications

• IPC-A-610 or IPC/WHMA-A-620 soldering certification (or J-STD-001).
• Experience working with basic test instruments (digital multimeters and rework equipment).
• Strong documentation skills and comfort collaborating across fast-paced hardware development teams.

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 $90,700.00 to $115,600.00 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.

• New York City Metro Area: $90,700.00 - $132,900.00
• Non-Metro New York state & Washington state: $80,700.00 - $117,500.00

Benefits and Perks

• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution
• Paid parental leave
• Short-term disability coverage
• Long-term disability coverage
• Basic life insurance
• Grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time
• 10 paid holidays per full calendar year
• 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
• 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year (accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time 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
• Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer
• Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components
• Annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies for non-sales roles

Cisconians power the future. We make impact as a team, innovating fast and fearlessly to create meaningful solutions on a large scale. The depth and breadth of our technology doesn't just benefit our customers – it also means limitless opportunities for us to experiment and learn. We understand the power each of our unique backgrounds bring when we work together. Because of that, we have a global network of thinkers, doers, experts, and curious creators who help one another do their life’s best work.