Job Title: Senior Engineer – Semiconductor Component Failure Analysis

Location: Hsinchu / Taipei, Taiwan

Department: Supply Chain Operations – Component Quality and Technology, GSM

Reports To: Senior Manager, Component Engineering

Cisco Systems is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Technical Leader to join our global Component Engineering team, with a focus on failure analysis (FA) and reliability of semiconductor components. This role is based in Taiwan and will serve as a critical local resource, collaborating with suppliers, ODMs, and internal engineering teams across geographies.

Who You’ll Work With

You will be part of the Component Quality and Technology group. You will interface internally with ASIC and Platform Hardware Engineering groups, Cisco FA labs and externally with Cisco’s FA contract manufacturing partners and component suppliers to drive and end-to-end 8D failure investigation of critical component failures.

Who You Are

As a domain expert, you will lead deep-dive FA investigations, drive corrective actions with suppliers, and enable component quality and reliability for Cisco products ranging from switches and routers to servers and AI platforms. The role requires strong knowledge of SERDES-based ICs, DDRx/HBMx memory, x86/ARM SoCs, and storage components, as well as hands-on proficiency in electrical and physical failure analysis..

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead technical investigations for component failures across NPI, mass production, and field return stages.
• Perform root cause analysis on high-speed interfaces including PCIe, Ethernet SERDES, DDR4/5, LPDDRx, HBMx, and NVMe/SATA/SAS components.
• Work closely with Cisco’s global teams and contract manufacturers to debug system-level failures involving SoCs (x86/ARM), power delivery, and signal integrity.
• Understand use of advanced FA techniques such as curve tracing, X-ray, CSAM, OBRICH, SEM/EDX, FIB, and microprobing. Be able to understand when to apply what techniques and tools for targeted failure analysis in collaboration with FA labs and suppliers.
• Collaborate with suppliers to define and verify corrective actions (8D, RC/CA reports).
• As a component subject-matter expert, provide guidance to FA leads at Cisco CMs..
• Participate in multi-functional reviews of component quality and reliability issues, technology and design reviews, yield excursions, and drive solutions to resolve failures.
• Build and deliver clear FA reports and executive summaries with risk assessments and mitigation paths with excellent attention to details.
• Support lab expansion or qualification and audits across regional test partners.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related discipline.
• 5+ Experience in semiconductor quality, with knowledge in design, fabrication, characterization, qualification, testing, quality, reliability, failure analysis.
• Strong technical background in analyzing and common failure modes impacting high-speed interfaces and ICs such as NPU ASICs, FPGA/CPLDs, SERDES-based PHYs, DRAM (DDRx/LPDDR), and storage (SATA, PCIe NVMe) architectures.
• Deep understanding of FA tools and workflows (CSAM, SEM, X-ray, FIB, OBIRCH, etc.) and structured problem solving methods such as Fishbone, and 3x5 Whys, etc.
• Experience working with contract manufacturers, ODMs, and semiconductor vendors in Taiwan or Asia.
• Familiarity with JEDEC, IPC, and industry qualification standards.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Ability to work independently, drive issues to closure, and influence multi-functional teams.

Why Cisco

#WeAreCisco

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. Simply put – we power the future.

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:

When available, the salary range posted for this position reflects the projected hiring range for new hire, full-time salaries in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including equity or benefits. For non-sales roles the hiring ranges reflect base salary only; employees are also eligible to receive annual bonuses. Hiring ranges for sales positions include base and incentive compensation target. Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location and additional factors, including but not limited to skillset, experience, and relevant education, certifications, or training. Applicants may not be eligible for the full salary range based on their U.S. or Canada hiring location. The recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees have access to quality medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, short and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance and numerous wellbeing offerings.

Employees receive up to twelve paid holidays per calendar year, which includes one floating holiday (for non-exempt employees), plus a day off for their birthday. Non-Exempt new hires accrue up to 16 days of vacation time off each year, at a rate of 4.92 hours per pay period. Exempt new hires participate in Cisco’s flexible Vacation Time Off policy, which does not place a defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use, but is subject to availability and some business limitations. All new hires are eligible for Sick Time Off subject to Cisco’s Sick Time Off Policy and will have eighty (80) hours of sick time off provided on their hire date and on January 1st of each year thereafter. Up to 80 hours of unused sick time will be carried forward from one calendar year to the next such that the maximum number of sick time hours an employee may have available is 160 hours. Employees in Illinois have a unique time off program designed specifically with local requirements in mind. All employees also have access to paid time away to deal with critical or emergency issues. We offer additional paid time to volunteer and give back to the community.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components. 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 up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.