Senior Analog/Mixed-Signal IC Design Engineer, Acacia
Cisco SystemsJob Title
Senior Analog/Mixed-Signal IC Design Engineer, Acacia
Role Summary
Design and productize high-speed analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits for fiber-optic transceivers (100G–1T) within the Acacia group at Cisco. Work in a mixed-signal IC design team collaborating with digital/DSP, system, package and module teams.
This is a hybrid role requiring three days per week in the San Jose, CA office.
Experience Level
Senior — expected experience varies by degree: BSEE +12 years, MS +8 years, or PhD +5 years; equivalent practical experience accepted.
Responsibilities
Primary responsibilities include end-to-end analog/mixed-signal IC development and technical leadership on complex chips.
- Architect, design, layout, simulate, measure and productize ultra-deep sub-micron CMOS ICs for optical transceivers.
- Lead large design blocks, mentor team members, set and track deliverables, and participate in peer reviews.
- Collaborate with packaging and hardware teams to meet signal and power integrity requirements.
- Develop high-speed AMS circuits: serializers/deserializers, data converters, PLLs, clock distribution, amplifiers and equalization.
- Drive design-for-manufacturability, characterize prototypes, and support production transfer.
Requirements
Must-have technical skills and demonstrable experience:
- Design, simulation and measurement of high-speed ICs across at least three areas such as serializers/deserializers, data converters, voltage regulators, output drivers, PLLs, clock transmission/propagation, op-amps, programmable gain amplifiers, or equalization.
- Experience with electrical transceiver applications, including backplane and cable communications.
- Practical experience with mixed-signal simulation tools and workflows (Cadence Virtuoso, Spectre/APS/SpectreX, AMS simulations).
- High-frequency layout and floorplanning experience (power/ground, digital/analog routing).
- Custom transistor layout, passive component design (inductors, transformers, transmission lines) and ESD laboratory practices.
Nice-to-have:
- Experience with FinFET technology, EMX or Matlab, and advanced EM/layout verification tools.
- Experience designing for manufacturability and production test strategies for mixed-signal ASICs.
Education Requirements
BSEE with 12+ years of relevant experience, MS with 8+ years, or PhD with 5+ years — or equivalent practical experience. Preferred fields: Electrical Engineering or related technical/engineering disciplines. No specific certifications required.
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).
