Cisco

Mechanical Engineering Technical Leader

Cisco$168K — $241K *
Telecommunications & Hardware
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree with 8 years of experience, Master's with 6 years, or PhD with 3 years in mechanical engineering or related field preferred.
  • Strong background in mechanical system design and feasibility studies.
  • Proven experience in leading engineers and managing complex projects.
  • Advanced knowledge of supply chain management and manufacturing processes.
  • Familiarity with design for manufacturing (DFM) and Bill of Materials (BoM) strategies.

Responsibilities

  • Lead junior engineers on multifaceted mechanical engineering projects.
  • Drive industry standards and specifications for next-gen products.
  • Consult with customers and suppliers to develop product features.
  • Provide technical support for assembly and manufacturing processes.
  • Oversee testing, failure analysis, and reliability plans for designs.
  • Collaborate with suppliers to ensure material quality meets requirements.
  • Implement value engineering strategies for future cost savings.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
  • 401(k) plan with Cisco matching contributions.
  • Flexible vacation policy for exempt employees with no cap on time off.
  • Paid time off including holidays, personal wellness days, and birthday leave.
  • Opportunities for employee stock grants that vest after ongoing employment.
Full Job Description
The application window is expected to close on: 07/30/2026
Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

This role requires being onsite in San Jose, CA at least 4 days/week.

Your Impact

In this role, you will have the opportunity to work on the platform engineering mechanical team in San Jose, CA. The job involves working on current and next-generation mechanical designs of telecom systems.

High-Level Responsibilities:
  • Architect, design, and deliver next generation chassis and cards that meets system product requirements.
  • Perform detailed 2D tolerance analysis for complex electro-mechanical assemblies using spreadsheet and/or 3D tolerance analysis tool such as CETol.
  • Design and develop innovative mechanical solutions using sheet metal, plastic, and die-cast that meets EMI, safety, and compliance requirements.
  • Develop 3D CAD model using Creo or NX.
  • Create detailed drawings by applying Geometric Tolerancing and Dimensioning (GD&T) principles.
  • Lead resolution of issues by working closely with manufacturing team and suppliers, developing mitigation plans, and keeping management informed.
  • Collaborate with cross functional teams (Hardware, Signal Integrity, CAD, Thermal, Manufacturing, etc.) to negotiate requirements and evaluate technical risks and tradeoffs.
  • Collaborate with thermal engineers to design and implement cooling solutions.
  • Provide technical design guidance and mentoring for junior engineers.


Minimum Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent and 8+ years of experience designing electronic enclosures.
  • 3+ years of relevant experience in design of compute/networking products.
  • Expertise in use of 3D MCAD tools (Creo/NX).
  • Experience with sheet metal design.
  • Experience with GD&T and tolerance analysis.


Preferred Qualifications:
  • Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent and 6+ years of experience designing electronic enclosures.
  • Relevant experience in the mechanical design of computer/networking equipment for data center.
  • Strong knowledge in manufacturing tooling for sheet metal, plastic, and die-casting.
  • Experience 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 in Model-Based Definition (MBD).


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.

About Cisco

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Learn more about Cisco
Size
79,500 employees
Market Cap
$194.5 billion
Industry
Net Income
$10.1 billion
Founded
2014
5 Year Trend
+1.4%
Revenue
$48 billion
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