Hardware Engineer

Senior Hardware Design EngineerThe Firewall Hardware Team at Cisco is responsible for designing and developing high-performance, secure firewall hardware platforms that protect enterprise, data center, and cloud networks from evolving cyber threats. This team focuses on creating advanced hardware solutions, including FPGA-based crypto accelerators and network processing units, to deliver exceptional throughput, low latency, and robust security features.As a Senior Hardware Design Engineer, you will serve as a technical lead for the development of Cisco's next-generation security hardware appliances. You will own the end-to-end hardware development lifecycle, from architectural definition to mass production. This role requires a high degree of autonomy, technical leadership, and the ability to drive innovation within a fast-paced environment. You will act as a subject matter expert, mentoring junior engineers and collaborating across global cross-functional teams to deliver carrier-grade products.Key ResponsibilitiesTechnical Leadership: Lead the hardware development lifecycle for complex, high-performance security appliances, ensuring alignment with product roadmaps and architectural standards.Design Ownership: Architect and drive the creation of complex circuit designs, schematics, and PCB layouts, ensuring optimal performance, signal integrity, and manufacturability.System-Level Validation: Define and execute comprehensive design verification and validation (DVT) strategies, ensuring adherence to rigorous regulatory and performance specifications.Advanced Troubleshooting: Serve as the primary technical authority for complex root cause analysis of hardware issues, including signal integrity, power distribution, and mechanical integration.Strategic Collaboration: Act as a key technical liaison between hardware, software, BIOS, and manufacturing teams. Provide expert guidance to resolve cross-functional bottlenecks.Process & Quality: Drive continuous improvement in design methodologies, maintain high-quality technical documentation, and conduct rigorous design reviews to mitigate risk.Mentorship: Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineering staff, fostering a culture of innovation and engineering excellence.Integrate AI-driven design, simulation, and diagnostic tools to streamline design cycles, enhance predictive quality analysis, and improve overall operational efficiencyMinimum Qualifications:4+ years of experience with a Masters' degree or 7+ years of experience with a Bachelors' degree.

Experience expected to be in hardware design.Experience taking complex hardware products from concept to production.Experience with industry-standard design suites, such as Cadence Allegro/Concept, Mentor Graphics Xpedition, etc.Preferred Qualifications:Architectural Expertise: Deep proficiency in board design leveraging x86, ARM, and high-performance FPGA/SoC architectures.High-Speed Design: Expert-level knowledge of high-speed interface bus design (PCIe Gen 4/5, DDR5, PAM4) and high-speed Ethernet (100G/400G).Board-Mounted Power Design (Bonus): Demonstrated expertise in designing robust power delivery networks (PDN). Proficiency in selecting and implementing DC-DC converters, LDOs, and managing power sequencing for high-current, low-voltage processors, FPGAs, and ASICs.Signal & Power Integrity: Advanced capability in modeling and mitigating signal integrity and power distribution challenges in dense, high-speed systems.Firmware/RTL Interaction: Strong understanding of RTL design (Verilog/System-Verilog) and its interaction with hardware/BIOS.Communication: Exceptional ability to communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.