Mechanical Engineering Technical Leader

The application window is expected to close on: 04/03/2026

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

The role can be performed either at the San Jose, California office or at the RTP (Research Triangle Park) office.

MEET THE TEAM

Join a passionate mechanical engineering team focused on designing and analyzing advanced mechanical systems, equipment, and packaging for Cisco’s next-generation products. The team’s work is integral to Cisco’s product innovation, ensuring that every device meets rigorous standards for performance, sustainability, and manufacturability. With a diverse and highly skilled group of engineers and support staff, the team collaborates across business segments, functions, and regions, fostering a culture of creativity, precision, and teamwork. What’s exciting about this team is its pivotal role in driving new technologies, championing sustainability, and setting the standard for mechanical design excellence at Cisco.

YOUR IMPACT

As a Mechanical Engineering Leader, you will own critical project leadership, technical innovation, and strategic influence across Cisco’s business segments. You will shape the design, production, and sustainability of mechanical systems that power Cisco’s industry-leading products.

• Project Leadership & Technical Strategy
• Lead mechanical engineering projects that span the business segment, function, or region.
• Drive innovation on large features from design through fabrication, and advise staff-level management on future product design direction and technologies.
• Contribute to the mechanical and hardware engineering strategy across businesses from design to production.
• Perform system competitive analysis to benchmark Cisco products against competitors to identify possible mismatches and opportunities.
• Problem Solving & Manufacturing Excellence
• Resolve complex assembly, fabrication, and manufacturing issues across a portfolio of products, ensuring that supply chain management (SCM) and quality issues are addressed systematically.
• Work with suppliers to develop advanced custom solutions in early prototype stage and scale up to mass production upon product release.
• Serve as technical expert on testing and issue resolution approaches.
• Coordinate with appropriate stakeholders to integrate changes into the mechanical engineering design lifecycle.
• Cost, Materials, and Sustainability
• Serve as technical expert on materials and cost avoidance strategy.
• Set budget guidelines for materials.
• Approve all BoM requests and edits in accordance with design and cost goals.
• Set the standards and lead the team to ensure Cisco meets net zero requirements.
• Ensure designs are modular and can be recycled into the ecosystem, with low impact on material usage.
• Innovation & Standards
• Champion the innovation and design of new feasibility testing and prototyping standards and approaches.
• Set feasibility testing and prototyping standards across the product lifecycle.

Minimum Qualifications

• Excellent understanding of advanced manufacturing techniques for sheet metal and next generation switches and routers, thermal solutions for next generation routers and switches, PCBA assembly, and SPC on the factory floor based on design
• Proven ability to drive industry standards, design specifications, and define future technologies for next generation Cisco products
• Experience overseeing design for manufacturing (DFM) and BoM cost avoidance strategy and its execution
• Demonstrated experience with cost reduction activities for existing designs

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong leadership and team coordination skills
• Ability to drive innovation and set technical standards
• Experience working with suppliers on custom solutions and mass production
• Expertise in sustainability and net zero requirements
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities

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 $191,400.00 to $281,400.00 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 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

$191,400.00 - $323,600.00

Non-Metro New York State & Washington State

$176,100.00 - $287,900.00

• 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.