Analog/Mixed-Signal IC Design Engineer — Acacia (Hybrid)

Job Title

Analog/Mixed-Signal IC Design Engineer — Acacia (Hybrid)

Role Summary

Member of the Acacia mixed-signal IC design team responsible for architecting, designing, laying out, measuring, and productizing ultra-deep-submicron CMOS analog/mixed-signal circuits for high-speed optical transceivers (100G–1.6T+).

This is a hybrid role based in San Jose, CA (three days per week in office). You will collaborate with digital/DSP, system, package and module teams to deliver production-ready IC blocks that meet signal and power integrity targets.

Experience Level

Senior. See Education Requirements for explicit years-of-experience equivalencies.

Responsibilities

Accountable for development and delivery of complex mixed-signal IC blocks and for evolving design methodology across the project lifecycle.

• Architect, design, simulate, layout, verify, and productize high-speed analog/mixed-signal IC blocks.
• Lead design effort for large blocks on complex chips; track deliverables and schedules.
• Mentor engineers and participate in peer reviews to ensure robust design methodology.
• Collaborate with packaging, hardware, digital/DSP, and system teams to meet SI/PI and system requirements.
• Define and execute lab validation and test setups; support characterization and production qualification.

Requirements

Must-have technical experience and core skills.

• Proven experience designing, simulating, and measuring high-speed analog/mixed-signal ICs.
• Experience in at least three of the following areas: serial links (SERDES, serializers/deserializers, data converters), high-performance output drivers, phase-locked loops (PLLs), efficient clock transmission/propagation, op‑amps and programmable gain amplifiers (PGAs), equalization techniques.
• Ability to take designs from concept through production, including floorplanning for high‑frequency layouts and ensuring manufacturability.
• Practical lab experience with test setup construction and measurement/validation methodologies.

Nice-to-have / preferred:

• Experience with electrical transceiver applications (backplane and cable communications).
• Experience in FinFET and GAA process technologies.
• High-frequency layout experience including power/ground planning, analog/digital routing, and passive component integration.
• Design-for-manufacturability experience: PVT characterization, electromigration, self-heating, IR drop analysis.
• Familiarity with ESD practices and mixed-signal lab validation.
• Experience with Cadence Virtuoso, Spectre/APS/SpectreX, Calibre, EMX, AMS simulations, and MATLAB.

Education Requirements

Degree and experience equivalencies: Bachelor's degree plus 8 years related experience, Master's degree plus 6 years related experience, or PhD plus 3 years related experience; equivalent practical experience considered. The posting does not specify particular fields of study.

About the Company

Company: Cisco Systems

Headquarters: San Jose, CA, United States

Cisco Systems is a global technology company that designs and sells networking hardware, telecommunications equipment, software, and services. It provides enterprise and service-provider networking, security, collaboration, and optical communications solutions (including Acacia Communications technologies for high-speed optical interconnects).