Engineering Project Manager

Hardware Project Manager

This position requires working onsite, with a preference for our Austin, TX office, followed by San Jose, CA as an alternative location.

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. We value diverse perspectives and foster an inclusive environment where every team member is empowered to share their ideas and drive meaningful outcomes.

Our CHG HW PMO team serves as the engine for Cisco's hardware portfolio, redefining complex strategies into predictable, high-quality delivery through multi-functional governance and operational excellence. As a Hardware Project Manager, you will act as the primary orchestrator for next-generation platforms, driving the end-to-end product lifecycle while ensuring financial rigor and seamless alignment across our engineering and business partners.

• Lead end-to-end hardware program development from initial concept through customer release, defining clear priorities, breakthroughs, and comprehensive execution plans.
• Orchestrate complex, multi-functional programs by aligning hardware and software engineering, product management, and operations teams to ensure cohesive delivery.
• Proactively monitor program health, identify risks and dependencies, and drive timely issue resolution through actionable recommendations to partners.
• Champion continuous process improvements, governance frameworks, and the integration of automation and AI-enabled tools to enhance operational efficiency.
• Manage financial integrity and resource allocation, ensuring that budgets are tracked accurately and projects remain within scope and on schedule.
• Facilitate seamless collaboration between internal teams, manufacturing partners, and external suppliers while providing transparent status updates to leadership.

• Bachelor's degree in engineering with 5+ years of experience or a master's degree in engineering with 3+ years of experience in technical hardware program/project management or hardware/product development.
• Experience applying Jira and Confluence to track project dependencies, risks, and issue resolution.
• Experience handling end-to-end programs including budget oversight, schedule management, and breakthrough tracking.
• Experience in advanced spreadsheet management, including the use of data modeling and visualization to track project metrics.
• Experience implementing AI-powered tools or workflows to improve operational efficiency or project delivery speed.

• Demonstrated experience with Design Verification Testing (DVT) processes within hardware development life cycles.
• In-depth knowledge of hardware manufacturing environments and production workflows.
• Background in supply chain operations or procurement strategies for complex hardware programs.
• Current project management certification (e.g., PMP, CAPM, PRINCE2).
• Proven ability to navigate and influence outcomes in a highly matrixed, globally distributed organization.
• Experience balancing rapid program execution with long-term operational and quality priorities.
• Familiarity with managing cross-functional dependencies in fast-paced engineering environments.

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…