Analog/mixed-signal IC Design Engineer - Acacia (Hybrid)
Cisco SystemsJob Title
Analog/mixed-signal IC Design Engineer - Acacia (Hybrid)
Role Summary
Join the Acacia mixed-signal IC design team to architect, design, layout, measure and productize ultra-deep-submicron CMOS analog/mixed-signal blocks for high-speed optical transceivers. The team collaborates with digital/DSP, system, package and module design groups to deliver components for 100G–1.6T+ fiber-optic transmission products.
This is a hybrid role based in San Jose, CA (three days per week onsite) focused on developing high-speed AMS circuits, owning large design blocks, mentoring engineers, and driving designs from concept through production.
Experience Level
Senior — role requires substantial industry experience working on high-speed analog/mixed-signal ICs and leadership of complex design blocks.
Responsibilities
Primary responsibilities include hands-on IC design and leadership of complex analog/mixed-signal subsystems.
- Architect, design, simulate, lay out, and validate high-speed analog/mixed-signal IC blocks and integrate them into ASICs.
- Lead efforts for large blocks on complex chips; define and track deliverables and timelines.
- Mentor and review work of other engineers; participate in peer reviews and enforce solid design methodology from conception to production.
- Collaborate with package and hardware teams to meet signal and power integrity requirements.
- Develop lab validation and test setups; perform measurements and characterization over operating conditions.
- Address manufacturability and reliability issues (PVT characterization, electromigration, self-heating, IR drop) in collaboration with cross-functional teams.
Requirements
Must-have technical skills and experience; years/degree requirements are summarized separately under Education Requirements.
- Experience designing, simulating and measuring high-speed ICs in at least three of the following areas: high-speed serial links (serializers/deserializers, data converters), system link modeling, high-performance output drivers, phase-locked loops, clock distribution, op amps/programmable gain amplifiers, and equalization techniques.
- Proven ability to deliver high-speed AMS circuits for communication transceivers and to work across analog, digital, and package domains.
- Experience with high-frequency layout and floorplanning, including power/ground and analog/digital isolation.
- Familiarity with lab validation practices, ESD methodology, and construction of test setups for IC characterization.
- Tool experience (preferred): Cadence Virtuoso, Spectre/APS/SpectreX, Calibre (layout verification), EMX, mixed-signal simulations (AMS), and MATLAB.
- Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to work both independently and in a collaborative team environment.
- Preferred: experience with electrical transceiver applications (backplane/cable), FinFET/GAA technologies, and design-for-manufacturability analyses.
Education Requirements
Degree and experience minimums: Bachelor's degree plus 8 years of related experience, Master's degree plus 6 years of related experience, or PhD plus 3 years of related experience. (Source lists degree-plus-years combinations as the minimum qualification.)
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).
