high-speed optical transceiver circuits

About the Role

Cisco's Silicon One Optics Group (S1O) designs and delivers high-speed optical transceivers and platforms for Cisco's core data center networking solutions. We specialize in the design and integration of cutting-edge IM/DD optics and silicon photonic platforms, enabling industry-leading optical technologies within data centers with unprecedented speed, capacity, and reliability. We are seeking an experienced High Speed AMS Design Engineer to drive full-chip electrical specifications and deliver mixed-signal design for Cisco's silicon photonics driver integrated circuits supporting 100G/200G/400G per Lambda solutions. You will design high-speed datapath and low-speed control circuit design for receive and transmit paths in our next-generation silicon photonics modules.

Key Responsibilities

• Participate in analog/mixed-signal design for Cisco's next generation silicon photonics driver integrated circuits for 100G/200G/400G per Lambda solutions.
• Drive full-chip electrical specifications, circuit design, and verification test plans from concept through production, coordinating across electrical, optical, and product teams.
• Author mixed-signal datapath designs including photonics modulator drivers, serializers, PLLs, TIAs and control circuits, optimizing for power, performance, testability, and cost.
• Debug complex silicon and system-level issues during bring-up and lab validation phases, driving yield enhancements and failure analysis.
• Collaborate with architecture, digital, SI/PI, and product teams on verification, design, and testability strategies.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Demonstrated knowledge in high-speed optical transceiver design (modulator drivers, TIAs, CDRs, PLLs, ADC/DAC).
• Proficiency with industry standard tools: Cadence Virtuoso, Spectre, Caliber.
• Strong skills in device physics and circuit operations.
• Proficiency in Python or C for design automation, scripting, and analytical tools.
• Familiarity with Verilog-A modeling for AMS simulations.
• Hands-on experience with lab instrumentation (digital communication analyzers, real-time scopes, BERTs), SI/PI, and test fixture/PCB.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree + 7 years of related experience, OR Master's degree + 4 years of related experience, OR PhD + 1 year of high-speed AMS design experience.
• Preferred: Master's or PhD degree in Electrical Engineering.
• Preferred: 6-8 years of hands-on analog/mixed signal circuit design experience.
• Preferred: Experience with silicon photonics driver ICs and direct-detect optical module architectures.
• Preferred: Good understanding of silicon photonics and optical subsystems.
• Preferred: Expertise in one or more high-speed PHYs, protocols and subsystems (SerDes 112Gbps/224Gbps PAM4, Ethernet, UCIE, clock and data recovery systems, PLLs, ADC/DAC circuits).
• Strong collaborator, team player with the ability to work across teams in multiple sites.