Mechanical Engineering Technical Leader

The application window is expected to close on: 09/04/2026

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

Meet the Team

The Enterprise Routing organization designs and develops Cisco's Edge and Access routing products. We architect the next generation of routing technology using both internally developed and commercially available silicon. The team designs, implements, and delivers industry leading routing products. You will be part of the dynamic and passionate team working on innovative projects.

Your Impact

Designs and analyzes mechanical systems, equipment and packaging. Conducts feasibility studies and testing on new and modified designs. Directs support personnel in the preparation of detailed design, design testing and prototype fabrication. Provides design information to drafting for packaging documentation. Applies understanding of thermal and electrical engineering to conceptual design and architectural design.

Primary Responsibilities

• Leads junior engineers and provides technical consultation to complex mechanical engineering projects that span multiple products and or multiple teams with significant resource requirements, risk, and/or complexity
• Drives industry standards, designs specifications and defines future technologies for next generation Cisco products
• Works with key customers and suppliers to turn the requirements into product features
• Provides advanced technical knowledge to engineering teams where needed to support assembly, fabrication and manufacturing of products. Plans for and addresses supply chain management and quality issues as needed
• Oversees testing, failure analysis, reliability and verification plans for developed design elements, materials, parts and products
• Coordinates with appropriate stakeholders to address issues, including working with suppliers
• Oversees design for manufacturing (DFM) and BoM cost avoidance strategy
• Oversees the selection and vetting of supplier materials when BoM is submitted
• Collaborates with suppliers to ensure sample materials characteristics meet Cisco requirements
• Collaborates with T&Q and GSM teams to onboard new suppliers with key technology
• Defines the value engineering upfront to recognize future cost savings
• Acts as the technical expert in feasibility testing, prototyping and root cause analysis investigations
• Sets standards and approach for technical justification analysis reports
• Identifies the technology, materials, tools and methodology to give Cisco products a competitive edge

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors + 12 years of related experience, or Masters + 8 years of related experience, or PhD + 5 years of related experience.
• Experience in design of compute/networking products.
• Expertise in use of 3D MCAD tools (Creo/NX).
• Experience designing sheet metal for high volume production.
• Experience with GD&T and tolerance analysis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in manufacturing tooling for sheet metal, plastic, and die-casting.
• Knowledge in designing plastic and die-cast parts.
• Mechanism design experience.
• Experience in performing static and dynamic analysis using tools such as Creo Simulate or ANSYS.
• Expert in tolerance analysis, Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) and statistical analysis.
• Experience with I/O/Mezzanine/Back-plane interconnects
• Knowledge of thermal 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 $168,800.00 to $241,200.00 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:

$168,800.00 - $277,400.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$148,800.00 - $248,200.00

* 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.