Lead Hardware Architect - High-Speed Networking

Cisco Systems, Inc; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc is seeking a Lead Hardware Board Design Engineer in Milpitas, CA. You will define architecture, lead complex hardware initiatives, and collaborate with multiple teams to deliver high-performance networking products.

This individual contributor role emphasizes technical independence, ownership, and leadership across teams, without direct people management responsibilities.

Qualifications

• Experience with hardware board design and system-level development.
• Includes high-speed design, signal integrity, power integrity, and lab validation.
• Board designs from concept through production with tools like Cadence.

Responsibilities

• Defining board-level architecture, technology choices, power-delivery strategy, and design direction.
• Leading major hardware initiatives from requirements through validation and production release.
• Solving signal integrity, power integrity, reliability, thermal, and manufacturing challenges.
• Participating in design reviews, architecture discussions, investigations, and lab work.
• Guiding teams to data-driven decisions and mentoring engineers.
• Improving hardware delivery processes and establishing design methods.
• Partnering with silicon vendors, PCB fabricators, contract manufacturers, and suppliers.
• Communicating risks, options, and recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Contributing to product-line technology roadmaps and documenting specs.
• Owning the design and validation of a sub-system and ensuring specs are met.
• Participating in cross-functional meetings and creating technical documentation.

Skills

High-speed digital design

Signal integrity

Power integrity

Lab validation

Board level design

System-level development

Networking hardware

Multi-site engineering

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

Spectrum analyzers

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering

Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering

PhD in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering

Tools

Cadence Concept

Allegro

Job description

Cisco Systems, Inc is seeking a Lead Hardware Board Design Engineer in Milpitas, CA. You will define architecture, lead complex hardware initiatives, and collaborate with multiple teams to deliver high-performance networking products.

This individual contributor role emphasizes technical independence, ownership, and leadership across teams, without direct people management responsibilities.