RF Engineering Technical Leader

The application window is expected to close on: 05/31/2026

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

This position is onsite in San Jose, with approximately 10% travel to Asia.

Meet the Team

Common Hardware Group (CHG) Wireless is responsible for the Cisco Enterprise Access Point Portfolio. As part of the wireless engineering group, you will collaborate with various functions like Hardware Design and Test, Antenna and Compliance, Power Engineering, Signal Integrity, EMC / EMI, and Mechanical Design, expanding the breadth of your knowledge, designing power, and delivering amazing products to the market.

Your Impact

• As an RF Engineer, you will develop highly reliable RF system solutions for Cisco Enterprise Access Point.

• Develop RF architecture in PRD and participate in RFQs for our wireless access point portfolio.

• For each product validate and iterate on layout and schematics, run simulation for front end design, DRI for approving RF design before each build.

• Perform RF component evaluation between vendors, document measurements and make recommendations.

• Establish strong relationship with RF front end component vendors, tracking current and future offerings.

• Collaborate with firmware resources and responsible for radio calibrations, power table integration

• Develop manufacturing test plans for RF stations.

• Support FA cases related to RF performance including in lab failure reproduction or field support.

• Perform and review failure analysis (FA), root cause analysis (RCA), and corrective action reports (CAR), and 8D reports.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering with 12+ years of experience or a master’s degree in electrical engineering 8+ years of experience or PhD with 5+ years of related experience.

• Expertise in RF system design and 802.11 standards, skilled with simulation tools such as ADS, HFSS etc.

• Experience with successful end to end product development, track record of launch at least one hardware product from PRD concept to production.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experienced with internal and external antenna design operating in 2.4/5/6GHz.

• Experienced with certification process for Wi-Fi products, hands on experience with EMC, safety testing.

• Expertise in UWB, BLE and GNSS protocol, launched products with these technologies integrated.

• Strong relationship with major Wi-Fi SoC suppliers, knowledgeable on vendor product roadmap

• Familiarity with manufacturing processes and build management.

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.

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.