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The application window is expected to close on: 12/19/2025.

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

Meet the Team

Join the Cisco Acacia Communications team in developing intelligent transceivers using advanced signal processing and photonic integration for the 100G, 400G and 1T bit speed fiber optic transmission market deployed in data center, metro, long-haul and ultra-long haul telecommunication networks. Acacia’s silicon team provides a unique experience for ASIC engineers by combining the resources offered by a large multi-geography silicon organization with the startup culture and breadth of growth opportunities that working in a smaller ASIC team can provide.

Your Impact

As a Physical Design Engineer, you will play a key role in the full RTL-to-GDSII implementation flow for advanced semiconductor nodes. You will optimize floor planning and timing, analyze and improve backend design flows, and collaborate across teams to ensure the successful delivery of high-performance networking chips. You will:

• Own and drive RTL-to-GDSII implementation for advanced nodes (sub-7nm to 2nm)

• Define and execute hierarchical floor planning, place and route, clock and power distribution, and timing convergence strategies

• Perform static timing analysis (STA), setup reviews, and sign-offs for multi-mode/multi-corner designs; develop automated scripts within STA tools

• Implement and manage timing ECO strategies

• Collaborate closely with RTL and DFT designers to debug and root-cause physical implementation issues related to design, tools, etc.

• Evaluate and implement new timing methodologies; provide creative debugging solutions

• Contribute to best practices and drive methodology alignment across projects

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Computer or Electrical Engineering and 5+ years of related experience, or Masters degree in Computer or Electrical Engineering and 3+ years of related experience

• Hands-on experience in ASIC physical design and implementation

• Experience with floor planning & partitioning, place & route, static timing analysis (STA), formal equivalence check, Clock Tree Synthesis, timing closure, signal integrity, EMIR, physical verification DRC/LVS

• Experience with industry standard CAD methodologies (Cadence, Synopsys, or Mentor)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Scripting using languages such as TCL, Perl, Python, etc.

• Place & Route experience using tools such as Cadence Innovus or Synopsys ICC2

• Synthesis experience including Synopsys DC/FC

• Formal Verification experience using tools such Synopsys Formality or Cadence LEC

• Experience with Static Timing Analysis including tools such as PrimeTime-DMSA or Tempus

• Experience with Power Integrity including tools such as Apache Redhawk or Voltus

• Physical Verification experience including tools such as Synopsys ICV or Mentor Calibre

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 $122,000.00 to $172,100.00 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.

+ 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 of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to 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.

Cisco is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis.

Cisco will consider for employment, on a case by case basis, qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.