Senior Component Engineer

What You'll Do (Roles & Responsibilities)

As AI, cloud, and high-performance networking systems continue to scale, Cisco requires unprecedented levels of reliability and signal integrity. Your role is to serve as the senior technical authority for the quality, reliability, and lifecycle governance of signal-switching components. Your role is expected to excel as a senior Component Engineer for passive, Discrete and Logic commodities, primarily focused on Logic ICs, LEDs, Optocouplers, and Relays.

· Strategy & Governance: Own the technical strategy and AVL/AML governance for Logic IC families. Define application robustness and derating methodologies (voltage domains, noise margins, and signal integrity).

· Reliability & Qualification: Set reliability targets and execute qualification plans (HTOL, HAST, ESD/Latch-up) to mitigate risks in advanced packaging and high-speed applications.

· Supplier Readiness: Evaluate supplier manufacturing processes (wafer fab, assembly, and test) and conduct technical audits to ensure supplier capability and test coverage.

· Resilience & Lifecycle: Manage technical impact assessments for PCN, PDN, and EOL events, developing mitigation strategies to ensure long-term supply continuity.

· Failure Analysis: Lead root cause analysis (RCA) for factory excursions and field returns, driving systemic quality improvements for logic functional and package-related failures.

· Technical Leadership: Act as the primary technical interface for global suppliers and internal Hardware Design teams to drive data-backed decisions.

Cisco Component Engineering (CE) Roles & Responsibilities

Your work aligns with core CE functions including:

• Commodity Strategy and Supplier Benchmarking.

• Supplier Selection, Site Qualification, and Audits.

• Component Qualification and Regulatory Compliance.

• Cisco Factory Quality Incidents, Field FA, and Reliability/Risk Analysis.

Who You'll Work With

You will be part of the Component Quality & Technology (CQT) organization within Global Supply Chain. You will regularly engage with:

• Cisco Business Units and Hardware Design Engineering teams.

• External Commodity Suppliers.

• Extended Supply Chain functions and data analytics teams to tackle sophisticated hardware problems.

Who You Are (Desired and Soft Skills)

• Passionate & Collaborative: Highly motivated to become an expert across multiple technical domains and work effectively across teams.

• Adaptable: Able to thrive in the evolving landscape of AI infrastructure and advanced semiconductor technologies.

• Independent Thinker: Possesses a "can-do" attitude and the ability to lead cross-functional programs through closure.

Minimum Requirements

• Education: BS in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field (MS preferred).

• Experience: Proven experience in semiconductor engineering, quality, or reliability within the networking, server, or high-reliability electronics industry.

• Deep understanding of Logic IC behavior, including timing closure, signal integrity, and power-sequencing risks.

• Expertise in ESD/EOS mechanisms, latch-up immunity, and accelerated stress testing methodologies.

• Experience in leading failure analysis and root cause determination for semiconductor devices.

Preferred Requirements

• Experience with high-speed networking/data center systems and related design constraints.

• Familiarity with secondary commodities: LED optical degradation, optocoupler CTR aging, and relay contact reliability.

• Knowledge of supplier test strategy, guard-banding, and defect screening philosophy.

• Strong ability to communicate complex technical data and risk assessments to both engineering teams and executive leadership.

• Experience leading technical discussions and audits with global suppliers.

• Proficiency in quality toolsets: SPC, Cpk, dFMEA/pFMEA, 8D, and DOE.

• Knowledge of Lean and Six Sigma continuous quality improvement methodologies.

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.