Freelance Hardware Design Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The application window is expected to close on: 07/15/2026

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

This role requires the employee to work onsite at the San Jose, CA office location.

Meet the Team

The Common Hardware Group (CHG) creates innovative hardware platforms central to the AI era, powering Cisco's core Switching, Routing, and Wireless products for organizations globally. Our innovations in silicon, optics, and hardware platforms-like Silicon One-are shaping the technology industry.

The High-End Routing hardware team develops the groundbreaking routers deployed in Service Providers and Data Centers worldwide. We are inventors in our field, using powerful technologies to design a new class of innovative routers supporting the Internet of the Future. Join us and participate in this exciting journey towards the future of connectivity!

Your Impact

• As a Hardware Engineer, you will develop high-performance board designs for Cisco's next-generation networking hardware. These products range from high-density access switches to massive-scale service provider routers and AI infrastructure.

• This individual will contribute to the hardware development team and be responsible for the full lifecycle of board design, complex debugging, and schematic and layout verification processes.

• Participate in the design and sustenance of complex, high-speed multi-layer PCBs, incorporating high-speed serial links and advanced power delivery networks.

• Perform root-cause analysis on complex hardware failures, including signal integrity issues, power rail instabilities, and component-level degradation.

• Develop and execute test plans for upcoming designs and document procedures, plans, and specifications used by the engineering team.

• Perform and lead design reviews of schematics, BOMs, layout, and routing using internal automation tools.

• Perform and review failure analysis (FA), root cause analysis (RCA), and corrective action reports (CAR) to improve long-term product reliability.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical or computer engineering + 5 years of related experience OR Master's degree in electrical or computer Engineering + 3 years of related experience

• Experience in schematic capture and PCB layout oversight for high-complexity systems.

• Experience with hardware debugging using high-speed such as oscilloscopes, VNAs, or logic analyzers.

• Experience with tools such as Concept, Allegro, LTspice, or similar industry-standard hardware design suites.

Preferred Qualifications

• Automation skills using python or perl is highly preferred

• Experience writing hardware functional specifications

• Experience with control interfaces such as PCIe, MDIO, SPI, I2C

• Experience designing systems with DDR4/DDR5 DIMMs and storage products

• Experience with tackling signal integrity issues and board mounted power design and distribution techniques

• Experience working with programmable devices such as FPGAs, CPLD

• Prior experience with shipping products

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.

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:The starting salary range posted for this position is $135,800.00 to $193,400.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation*, equity, or benefits.

Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco's plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco's policies:

• 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees

• 1 paid day off for employee's birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco

• Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees

• Exempt employees participate in Cisco's flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)

• 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours ofunused sick timecarried forwardfrom one calendar yearto the next

• Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members

• Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer

For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco's policies.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:

• .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;

• 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;

• 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and

• Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.

For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

$135,800.00 - $222,400.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$122,000.00 - $197,900.00

* For quota-based sales roles on Cisco's sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.