Principal Network Hardware Engineer

Owns qualification plans and sustaining strategies for one or more product lines across a Group. Designs test strategies, optimizes cost/power, and drives multi-vendor interoperability to meet capacity, reliability, and compliance goals.

Key Responsibilities
Platform Roadmap and Requirements:

• Convert capacity and reliability objectives into component and system-level specs and acceptance thresholds.
• Influence platform SKU strategy (line cards, optics mix, timing modules) based on field learnings and market trends.
• Align requirements across Teams and related Groups to prevent divergence.

Hardware/Optical Qualification and Interoperability:

• Author comprehensive qualification strategies covering functional, environmental, and longevity tests.
• Lead multi-vendor interoperability events; codify pass/fail and waiver criteria.
• Validate energy efficiency and thermal behavior; recommend design guardrails.

Supplier/Vendor Management and Cost/Power Optimization:

• Partner with suppliers to tune firmware/PLD/EEPROM settings for optimal power/performance.
• Lead cost/power down-selections; maintain approved parts list and alternates.
• Ensure vendor compliance to specifications, security, and traceability requirements.

Compliance, Security, and Quality (incl. labs, test, and release controls):

• Ensure EMI/EMC pre-compliance, safety, and labeling before release.
• Implement change control gates for hardware/firmware; maintain audit-ready evidence.
• Coordinate security assessments on supply chain risk and device-level controls.

New Product Introduction (NPI), Deployment Readiness, and Sustaining:

• Drive NPI from EVT/DVT/PVT through pilot; define burn-in and soak tests.
• Create field deployment guides and rollback/contingency plans.
• Lead cross-functional RCAs for field issues; prevent recurrence with supplier and internal changes.

Data, Metrics, and Continuous Improvement:

• Establish qualification KPIs (cycle time, defect escape rate, MTBF deltas).
• Automate test data ingestion and reporting; establish acceptance dashboards.
• Standardize test fixtures, scripts, and golden images to improve repeatability.

 

Core Responsibilities
Planning & Execution:

• Manages and coordinates moderately complex tasks, monitoring timelines and deliverables to ensure timely completion and adherence to requirements for a moderately-sized project or initiative. Efficiently delegates, monitors, and prioritizes work across multiple projects, providing technical oversight and adjusting plans to address shifts in resources or timelines.

Collaboration & Partnership:

• Collaborates across the organization to align on expectations and achieve shared objectives. Leverages understanding of business leaders, stakeholders, and/or customers to ensure proposed solutions meet their needs. Supports inclusivity by actively seeking and listening to diverse perspectives, ensuring others feel heard and respected.

Problem Solving:

• Identifies and addresses moderately complex issues by analyzing a wide range of data and/or information to identify solutions in accordance with standard practices. Proactively escalates unresolved or critical issues with a thorough assessment and suggests potential solutions. Reviews, contributes to, and documents problem solving strategies.

Continuous Learning:

• Pursues learning opportunities to expand knowledge and skills and/or tools in new areas and stays abreast of the latest industry trends and best practices. Proactively seeks and leverages ongoing feedback and training to improve skills. Coaches and mentors junior team members, fostering