Emulation Engineer, Technical Leader

The application window is expected to close on: 11/30/2026

This is an onsite role and will require working out of the Milpitas/San Jose 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. We're a global team of creative experts, bringing our unique backgrounds and bold ideas to push boundaries and help each other grow.

Because full product development—from design to qualification to production—is within our team, we're able to think differently, experiment more, and work quickly. Join us to power the future of the digital world.

You will work with Cisco’s best-in-class switching solution team. Our team is responsible for driving integration of the Nexus systems and ACI with software, including Open Stack, Docker, and Open vSwitch, to help our customers build multi-tenant clouds.

Your Impact:

Develop innovative emulation environments that will be used to evaluate the performance and functionality of multi-terabit systems.

Developing emulation infrastructure using C/C++ and TCLAs a team member, work closely with the design, DV, power, and post-silicon diagnostic teams.

Assist with test plan design, test implementation, and debugging during the pre-silicon emulation process.

Develop tests to generate complex traffic, and performance scenarios to catch potential post-Silicon issues during the Pre-Silicon phase.

Work with leading emulation vendors to solve issues.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in EE (Electrical & Electronics) or CE (Computer Engineering) with 8+ years of relevant experience.

Prior emulation experience on platforms such as Palladium Z3, Veloce, as well as experience with compilation, debug, performance testing.

Prior experience with RTL development for Emulation prototypes.

Prior experience with C/C++ and TCL infrastructure development.

Prior experience with System debug tools like gdb, waveform debuggers.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with scripting programs (e.g., Python, Perl or similar)
Prior experience with UVM and System Verilog.

Post Silicon functional validation or debugging experience is a plus.

Experience with protocols e.g. PCie, I2C, Ethernet packet headers, Ethernet protocol is preferred.

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 $ to $ 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.…