Quantum Team Hardware Engineering Technical Leader

Cisco; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 179,000 - 254,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus program

Stock options or RSUs

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Cisco Quantum Research seeks a System Engineer to support our Quantum Experimental Team in building rack-level quantum systems for data centers and customers. You will integrate precision control electronics, RF/microwave distribution, thermal management, and optical/fiber routing into manufacturable rack architectures.

The role involves developing assembly and test infrastructure to scale Cisco's quantum hardware platform delivery, collaborating with researchers and engineers across disciplines

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 12+ years, or Master’s 8+ years, or PhD 5+ years in related field.
• Experience designing, integrating and deploying high-density electro-mechanical/rack systems.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD software and rack layout design (EIA-310).

Responsibilities

• Build and architect multi-chassis, rack-level quantum systems per customer/data center specs.
• Optimize rack layouts and RF/microwave routing for stability and low-noise operation.
• Develop fiber routing, slack management, and connector strategies for reliability.
• Serve as technical authority for delivering rack-mounted quantum systems to customers.
• Unify outputs from multiple engineering domains into a cohesive rack architecture.
• Help establish assembly/test infrastructure to scale quantum hardware delivery.

Skills

Rack design

3D CAD (SolidWorks/Creo/Inventor)

AC/DC power distribution

Fiber/microwave routing

Thermal management

Environmental interlocks

System integration

Education

Bachelor's degree +12 years

Master's degree +8 years

PhD +5 years

Tools

SolidWorks

Creo

Inventor

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 10/28/2026

Meet the Team

The Outshift by Cisco team is one of the Cisco’s most visible innovation organizations, driving the next generation of transformative technologies and business opportunities. You will collaborate with some of the company’s most forward-thinking researchers, engineers, and technology leaders. Within the Outshift Quantum Research team and Quantum Labs, we are pioneering the design and development of practical, scalable, and efficient quantum networking technologies — foundational building blocks for the future Quantum Internet. Our multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers is dedicated to advancing the state of the art in quantum networking, distributed quantum systems, and quantum-enabled applications.

Your Impact

Cisco Quantum Research is seeking a skilled System Engineer to support our Quantum Experimental Team in a role that is central to the physical realization of Cisco's deployable quantum hardware platforms.

• Build and architect multi-chassis, rack-level quantum systems tailored to customer and data center requirements, including rack-level power distribution (PDUs, UPS integration, grounding, and electrical isolation), while ensuring compliance with EIA-310, UL, CE, and IEC standards.
• Optimize rack layouts and integrate RF/microwave signal routing to ensure structural stability, thermal performance, serviceability, and reliable, low-noise system operation.
• Develop robust fiber optic routing, slack management, and connector management strategies to ensure low insertion loss, high reliability, and protection against mechanical stress.
• You will serve as the primary technical authority responsible for delivering coordinated, rack-mounted quantum systems directly to customer data centers and research facilities, directly driving customer satisfaction and site-acceptance timeline success.
• You will unify disparate engineering domain outputs—including precision control electronics, RF/microwave distribution, thermal management, optical/photonic routing, and fiber management—into a cohesive, manufacturable, and serviceable rack architecture.
• You will play a key role in establishing the assembly and test infrastructure that will support the scaling of Cisco's quantum hardware platform delivery.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors +12 years of related experience or Masters +8 years of related experience or PhD 5+ years of related experience.
• 7+ years experience designing, integrating, and deploying high-density electro-mechanical, optoelectronic, or telecom rack.
• Experience with 3D CAD software (SolidWorks, Creo, or Inventor) with experience in rack layout design (EIA-310 standard), structural enclosures, and cable management routing.
• Experience with AC/DC power distribution (PDUs, grounding schemes, safety isolation), thermal/airflow management inside enclosed racks, and environmental interlocks.
• Experience with standard optical telecommunication components and architecture, as well as designing or operating optical data center rack systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience defining and performing Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), including authoring site-readiness specifications for enterprise or research customer facilities.
• Experience reading, interpreting, and producing engineering drawings, schematics, and assembly procedures, with demonstrated ability to provide structured design feedback based on assembly and test findings.
• Exposure to quantum optics, quantum communication, or quantum networking hardware.

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 $179,000.00 to $254,300.00 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 time carried forward from one calendar year to 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

$194,600.00 - $328,600.00

Non-Metro New York State & Washington State

$179,000.00 - $294,000.00

• 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.