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 Common Hardware Group (CHG) creates innovative hardware platforms central to the AI era, powering Cisco’s core Switching, Routing, and Wireless products for organizations globally. Our innovations in silicon, optics, and hardware platforms—like Silicon One—are shaping the technology industry. We're a global team of creative experts, bringing our unique backgrounds and bold ideas to push boundaries and help each other grow. Because full product development—from design to qualification to production—is within our team, we’re able to think differently, experiment more, and work quickly. Join us to power the future of the digital world. 

Cisco’s Optics Group designs & delivers the high-speed optical transceivers, and platforms that power Cisco's core data center networking solutions. We specialize in the design and integration of innovative IM/DD optics and silicon photonic platforms that enable customers to deploy industry-leading optical technologies within data center with unprecedented speed, capacity, and reliability. Come join us and take part in shaping COG’s ground-breaking optical solutions by designing, developing, and testing some of the most advanced pluggable, and Co-packaged Optics (CPO) being developed in the industry.

You will work with Cisco's best-in-class Silicon Photonics team. Our team is responsible for driving the development and optimization of optical transceivers & modules (800G,1.6T & beyond) that seamlessly integrate with Cisco's routing, switching, and datacenter platforms, enabling customers to build scalable, high-performance networks that support emerging technologies including AI/ML workloads, and next-generation data center architectures.

We are seeking an experienced High Speed AMS Design Engineer to lead full-chip electrical specifications and mixed-signal design for Cisco's silicon photonics driver integrated circuits supporting 100G/200G/400G per Lambda solutions. You will own high-speed datapath and low-speed control circuit design for receive and transmit paths in our next-generation silicon photonics modules.

Your Impact

• Provide technical leadership in analog/mixed-signal design for Cisco's next generation silicon photonics driver integrated circuits for 100G/200G/400G per Lambda solutions.

• Lead full-chip electrical specifications, circuit design, and verification test plans from concept through production, coordinating across electrical, optical, and product teams.

• Author mixed-signal datapath designs including photonics modulator drivers, serializers, PLLs, TIAs and control circuits while optimizing for power, performance, testability, and cost.

• Debug complex silicon and system-level issues during bring-up, and lab validation phases, driving yield enhancements and failure analysis.

• Mentor and guide analog, digital, and validation engineers while collaborating with architecture and product teams on verification and testability strategies.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors + 12 years of related experience, or Masters + 8 years of related experience, or PhD + 5 years of high-speed AMS design experience

• Demonstrated expertise in high-speed optical transceiver design (modulator drivers, TIA, CDR, PLLs, ADC/DAC) and proficiency with industry standard tools (Cadence Virtuoso, Spectre, Caliber, SystemVerilog, Verilog-AMS)

• Demonstrated ability to lead design teams through full tapeout cycle, making critical decisions with limited data and delivering successful silicon products

• Proficiency in Python or C for design automation, scripting, and analytical tools

Preferred Qualifications

• 10-15 years of analog/mixed signal circuit design experience

• Experience with silicon photonics driver ICs and direct-detect optical module architectures

• Strong understanding of silicon photonics, optical subsystems, MSA standards (QSFP/QSFP-DD), and IEEE 802.3 specifications

• Expertise in multiple high-speed PHYs, protocols and subsystems (SerDes 112Gbps/224Gbps PAM4, Ethernet, UCIE, clock and data recovery systems, PLLs, ADC/DAC circuits)

• Demonstrated experience in design for testability (DFT) and test methodology development for large mixed-signal designs

• Proven experience with lab instrumentation (digital communication analyzers, real-time scopes, BERTs), SI/PI and test fixture/PCB

• Familiarity with optical sub-component models (photodiodes, modulators) and Verilog-A modeling for AMS simulations

• Strong collaborator and teammate with the ability to work across teams in multiple sites

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 $189,300.00 to $271,500.00 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 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:

$210,600.00 - $350,800.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$189,300.00 - $312,200.00

* 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.