HW Board Design Technical Leader

Cisco Systems, Inc.; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking a Hardware Team Lead in San Jose to guide the hardware engineering team from concept to production. You will define architecture, oversee schematic and PCB layout, and drive design reviews and DFM/DFT processes to ensure manufacturability and reliability.

You will collaborate with FW, SW, mechanical, QA and manufacturing teams, mentor engineers, and manage schedules while solving complex electrical challenges.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a relevant engineering field.
• 12 years of related experience with Bachelors, 8 years with Masters, or 5 years with PhD.
• Experience in digital, analog and power circuit design.
• Experience reviewing complex PCB layouts with PCB tools.
• Hands-on lab skills with test equipment (scope, logic analyzer).

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor the hardware engineering team across all design phases.
• Define hardware architecture and design strategy for projects.
• Oversee schematic design, PCB layout, and component selection.
• Review designs for quality, reliability, cost, and manufacturability (DFM/DFT).
• Manage schedules, priorities, and resources; align with cross-functional teams.
• Support prototype bring-up, debugging, and validation activities.
• Drive design reviews and risk analysis; make technical decisions.
• Ensure compliance with relevant standards and regulations.

Skills

Digital circuit design

Analog circuit design

Power circuit design

Signal integrity

Lab equipment

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Tools

PCB design tools

DFM/DFT review

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 08/31/2026

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

Meet the team:

The Hardware Team Lead is responsible for leading the hardware development team through all phases of product design, from concept and architecture to production and support. This role combines strong technical expertise with leadership, planning, and cross-functional collaboration.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and mentor the hardware engineering team.
• Define hardware architecture and design strategy.
• Oversee schematic design, PCB layout, and component selection.
• Review designs for quality, reliability, cost, and manufacturability (DFM/DFT).
• Manage schedules, task prioritization, and resource allocation.
• Work closely with FW, SW, mechanical, QA, and manufacturing teams.
• Support prototype bring-up, debugging, and validation.
• Drive design reviews, risk analysis, and technical decision-making.
• Ensure compliance with relevant standards and regulations.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelors + 12 years of related experience, or Masters + 8 years of related experience, or PhD + 5 years of related experience.
• Prior experience with digital, analog, and power circuit design.
• Prior experience with PCB design tools and review of complex layouts.
• Prior experience with signal integrity, power integrity.
• Hands-on experience with lab equipment (scope, logic analyzer, etc.).

Preferred Experience:

• Prior experience supporting manufacturing and working with suppliers.

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 $186,900.00 to $267,700.00 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:

$186,900.00 - $307,800.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$166,300.00 - $274,100.00

* 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.