Hardware Design Engineer

Cisco Systems, Inc; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 138,000 - 197,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking a hardware engineer to own end-to-end design and delivery of medium-to-complex hardware features for high-performance product integration.

You will contribute to hardware specifications and design reviews to maintain Cisco quality standards, and develop test plans to enhance reliability and performance. You will collaborate with system designers and diagnostics engineers to solve board- and system-level challenges, ensuring smooth deployment across Cisco’s

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a related field with 3+ years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree with 1+ years of relevant experience.
• Prior experience in hardware design for networking and compute applications.
• Experience designing boards with ARM or x86 processors, with knowledge of I2C, SPI, and PCIe (Gen5).
• Prior experience in bring-up and debugging of boards.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end design and delivery of medium-to-complex hardware features for high-performance product integration.
• Contribute to hardware specification and design review to align with Cisco quality standards and industry best practices.
• Develop test plans and strategies to improve product reliability and performance.
• Collaborate with system designers and diagnostics engineers to resolve board- and system-level challenges for seamless deployment.

Skills

End-to-end design thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

High-speed board design

Testing and validation

Cost/performance optimization

Education

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or related field

Master’s degree with 1+ years of relevant experience

Tools

Board design for networking/compute applications

ARM and x86 microprocessors

I2C bus

SPI bus

PCIe Gen5

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 01/28/2027

Meet the Team

Our Hardware Engineering team is the backbone of Cisco's innovation, designing and delivering next-generation technology that powers the global network. We operate at the intersection of cutting-edge research and practical application, ensuring our products meet rigorous IEEE standards while optimizing for performance and user experience. Our diverse, cross-functional team thrives in a collaborative environment where we turn complex concepts into reliable, high-quality hardware solutions. We are problem-solvers and IP creators who challenge the status quo to drive the future of networking. Joining us means working at the forefront of industry-defining technology, where your technical expertise directly impacts global connectivity.

Your Impact

Own the end-to-end design and delivery of medium-to-complex hardware features to ensure high-performance product integration. Contribute to the hardware specification and design review process to maintain alignment with Cisco's quality standards and industry best practices. Develop effective test plans and strategies that improve product reliability and performance. Collaborate cross-functionally with system designers and diagnostics engineers to resolve board- and system-level challenges and ensure seamless product deployment.

MinimumQualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field with 3+ years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree with 1+ years of relevant experience.
• Prior experience in hardware design, including board design for networking and compute applications.
• Previous experience designing boards with ARM or x86 microprocessors, with working knowledge of bus technologies including I2C, SPI, and PCIe (up to Gen 5).
• Prior experience in bring-up and debug of boards.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience optimizing hardware for cost, performance, and power efficiency.
• Proficiency in high-speed board design.
• Technical proficiency in hardware validation, testing, and signal integrity methodologies.
• Familiarity with industry-standard hardware automation tools and test frameworks.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams to solve complex board- and system-level issues.
• Previous experience with manufacturing processes to transition designs into quality production.

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 $138,100.00 to $196,500.00 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 ofunused 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:

$138,100.00 - $226,000.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$124,000.00 - $201,000.00

* 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.