ASIC Digital Design Engineer

What You'll Do

We are looking for a talented and experienced Digital Design Engineer to join the Silicon One Optics Group (S1O) Digital Design Team and drive the digital design and integration of Cisco’s silicon photonics integrated circuits for next generation 100G, 200G, and 400G per lambda solutions.

In this role, you will own RTL design, and subsystem integration of digital logic used in high-performance optical interconnect products. You will work closely with analog/mixed-signal designers, verification engineers, physical design, DFT, firmware, packaging, process, and product engineering teams to develop robust, high-quality, and manufacturable designs that meet performance, power, reliability, and production requirements.

With a strong understanding of digital systems, RTL development, mixed-signal integration, ASIC/SoC design flow, and implementation readiness, you will participate in all phases of digital design from concept through tapeout and production support. You will drive block-level digital development for control functions, interfaces, receive/transmit paths, and integrated high-speed interface circuitry within a silicon photonics module, CPO (Co-Packaged Optics) engine.

Specific responsibilities include:

· Own the RTL design of complex digital blocks and subsystems.

· Drive RTL design and integration for control functions, high speed interfaces, and receive/transmit paths.

· Own and review RTL quality, ensuring best practices in coding style, reuse, maintainability, and design robustness.

· Document block-level and top-level design specifications, interface definitions, and implementation plans.

· Work across analog and digital interfaces to ensure seamless mixed-signal integration.

· Collaborate closely with verification teams to define test plans, review coverage, debug issues, and ensure design intent is fully verified.

· Support full-chip integration involving high-speed IPs such as D2D IP, SerDes XSR, and integrated drivers/TIA.

· Support synthesis, timing closure, power optimization, low-power intent, and design-for-test (DFT) considerations.

· Develop scripts and automation flows for analysis, design checks, QoR tracking, and reporting using Python, Perl, Tcl, Shell, or C.

· Independently debug simulation and integration issues and identify root causes of design bugs.

· Support firmware/C coding activities related to CPU subsystem functionality and integration, where needed.

· Contribute to FPGA prototyping and validation activities where applicable.

· Partner with post-silicon and ATE teams on bring-up support, test planning, and production readiness.

Who You’ll Work With:

As a Digital Design Engineer, you will work with a diverse team of engineers spanning digital design, analog/mixed-signal design, verification, DFT, physical design, firmware, FPGA, CAD, packaging, and post-silicon validation.

At the concept stage, you will participate in the digital architecture, interface requirements, implementation strategy, and design methodology. During execution, you will write block-level RTL and support full-chip integration of high-speed IPs such as ODSP, D2D IP, SerDes XSR, SerDes PAM4 integrated drivers/TIA, and control functions. You will work closely with verification teams to ensure complete functional closure, with physical design teams to support implementation readiness, and with post-silicon teams to help drive successful product bring-up and release to production.

Who You Are

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field; Master’s degree preferred.

• Strong technical leader with 6-8 years of hands-on experience in digital design, RTL development, and ASIC/SoC integration.

• Strong understanding of digital architecture, finite state machines, control logic, datapath design, and interface design.

• Familiarity with protocols such as SPI, I2C, APB, AXI, or similar interfaces.

• Experience supporting block-to-chip integration.

• Strong knowledge of ASIC/SoC design flow, including RTL development, simulation, lint, CDC/RDC, synthesis, formal/equivalence checking, DFT, and implementation handoff.

• Experience with low-power design methodologies such as UPF/CPF.

• FPGA experience is a plus.

• Experience supporting lab bring-up, post-silicon validation, or ATE enablement is a plus.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, teamwork and debugging skills.

Minimum Qualifications)

· Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a related field.

· 3+ years of digital design or ASIC/SoC RTL design experience, with demonstrated technical leadership in block or subsystem development.

· Strong skills in RTL design, digital integration, ASIC design flow, and DFT.

· Proficiency in Verilog/SystemVerilog.

Why Cisco

WE ARE CISCO

#WeAreCisco, where each person is unique, but we bring our talents to work as a team and make a difference. Here’s how we do it.

We embrace digital and help our customers implement change in their digital businesses. Some may think we’re “old” (30 years strong!) and only about hardware, but we’re also a software company. And a security company. A blockchain company. An AI/Machine Learning company. We even invented an intuitive network that adapts, predicts, learns and protects. No other company can do what we do - you can’t put us in a box!

But “Digital Transformation” is an empty buzz phrase without a culture that allows for innovation, creativity, and yes, even failure (if you learn from it.)

Day to day, we focus on the give and take. We give our best, we give our egos a break and we give of ourselves (because giving back is built into our DNA.) We take accountability, we take bold steps, and we take difference to heart. Because without diversity of thought and a commitment to equality for all, there is no moving forward.

So, you have colorful hair? Don’t care. Tattoos? Show off your ink. Like polka dots? That’s cool.

Why Cisco?

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.

Disclaimer

To ensure that we hire the best talent in the right way, we follow a strict hiring process and recently, Cisco has been made aware of fraudulent recruiters claiming to be from the company. Please be advised that any communication from Cisco about careers will:

• be in direct response to an application you have submitted through the company career site
• begin with screening or an interview
• originate from a Cisco email address, and
• be conducted across email, phone, or WebEx

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