Hardware Validation Engineer (SerDes/Optics/Electrical) (Onsite)

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

This position requires that you live within commuting distance of our San Jose, CA office and commute to the office 5 days per week.

MEET THE TEAM

Cisco Hardware Engineers work on next-generation technologies to design and deliver industry-leading hardware products, with a strong focus on user experience, IEEE standards, and industry guidelines.

The Hardware Engineering Assurance team plays a critical role in delivering world-class hardware platforms by ensuring the highest levels of quality, reliability, and performance. The team is responsible for comprehensive system level validation of hardware components and associated software, using a multi-stage validation process to ensure each phase of development meets Cisco's thorough quality standards prior to production release.

By joining this team, you will directly influence the end-user experience through detailed validation of hardware platform behavior, working alongside highly collaborative and innovative engineers committed to technical excellence and continuous improvement. If you are passionate about quality engineering and motivated to make a measurable impact on modern hardware solutions that power Cisco's global network infrastructure, we encourage you to apply.

YOUR IMPACT

You will be a key contributor to both new product development and sustaining engineering, ensuring robust, high-quality optical interface solutions across multiple Cisco hardware platforms.

• Define and implement platform host test procedures, including design characterization and qualification of high-speed host interfaces.
• Validate high-speed host and optical interfaces from 1 Gbps to 224 Gbps per lane across DAC, multimode, and single-mode solutions.
• Drive validation efforts for emerging optical technologies including CPO, LPO, and LRO, contributing to next-generation system development.
• Review engineering specifications and translate product requirements into comprehensive test strategies and methodologies.
• Integrate new test equipment and build scalable test systems, environments, and automation frameworks.
• Leverage automation and scripting to implement test strategies, improve coverage, and increase validation efficiency.
• Implement compliance testing against Cisco internal specifications and industry standards.
• Perform detailed issue analysis, provide mitigation strategies, and drive issues to closure across multi-functional teams.
• Develop and maintain test plans, procedures, and detailed test reports.
• Support field issue root-cause analysis and assist with customer issues.
• Collaborate closely with system architects, signal integrity engineers, software/diagnostics teams, customer support engineers, and external vendors to ensure robust validation methodology, timely issue resolution, and high product quality.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering or a related technical field, with 6+ years of relevant experience, or Master's degree with 4+ years of experience.
• Hands on experience with electrical and/or optical test & measurement equipment, through professional work and/or advanced coursework, such as:
• Signal Analysis and Testing Instruments: High-speed oscilloscopes with CDR, BERT (Bit Error Rate Tester) and Network analyzers
• Optical Spectrum Analyzer (OSA)
• Traffic and Noise Simulation Devices to include Noise and Traffic generators

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with high-speed SERDES systems and/or signal integrity.
• Solid understanding of optical transceiver theory, functional blocks, and industry form factors (SFP, QSFP, OSFP, QSFP-DD, etc.).
• Experience with optical signal measurements and characterization techniques.
• Working experience of relevant standards and specifications such as IEEE 802.3, OIF/CEI, MSAs, and SFF-8431.
• Shown problem solving and diagnostics skills.
• Experience developing hardware/optics physical-layer evaluation methodologies based on product requirements.
• Experience with instrument control and test automation.
• Proficiency in scripting and automation (e.g., Python) for measurement and validation workflows.
• Familiarity with hardware subsystems including CPUs/microcontrollers, LVDS signaling, clocking architectures, and power integrity, with the ability to read schematics and understand PCB layout considerations

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.

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:

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

* 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.