The application window is expected to close on: 09/29/2026

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

This is a hybrid role base twice a week in the Cisco Office.

Meet the team

You'll join NPI Operations for Co-Packaged Optics — a growing team spanning four functions and four sites that leads the product lifecycle from concept through end of life. We take photonic and optical products from build through qualification, transfer them to contract manufacturers, and sustain them in volume. This role sits within the Process & Automation Equipment function, which owns product bring-up at the contract manufacturer: defining the equipment needed to scale to production, structuring the manufacturing line, and handing off to regional operations after first customer ship before moving to the next program. Reporting into Process and Automation, you'll work alongside Program Management and the Center of Perfection move each product from prototype to sustained volume.

Your Impact

• Own the process and automation strategy for optical product manufacturing — define process flows, equipment requirements, alignment approaches, and automation needs for critical assembly steps, with emphasis on fiber attach, detachable and permanent fiber bundles, aligner development, and product manufacturing readiness.
• Drive early engagement for design-for-manufacturing and design-for-cost — work with engineering, operations, suppliers, and manufacturing partners to influence platform decisions early and improve manufacturability, automation feasibility, and scalable cost structures.
• Develop and refine manufacturing processes for scale — improve yield, cycle time, repeatability, and operational adaptability for new and existing optical product platforms, ensuring processes can support ramp and long-term manufacturing needs. Identify choke points, solve equipment and process gaps and ensure capability supports delivery.
• Identify and qualify the equipment for CPO/NPO — evaluate and select capital equipment across die and flip-chip attach, hybrid bonding, fiber-array attach, laser attach, encapsulation, laser burn-in, and wafer-, engine-, and module-level optical/electrical test. Collaborate and develop equipment solutions with vendors for scale on an immature, fast paced equipment landscape, and drive vendor development where the tools don’t yet exist.
• Support transfer from NPI to production — qualify and hand off validated equipment, process flows, documentation, and operating knowledge to internal operations teams and contract manufacturing partners so that transfers are balanced and repeatable.

Minimum qualifications

• 10+ years’ experience in process, equipment, and/or test engineering in optics, opto-electronics, or semiconductor packaging, including NPI and transfer to production.
• BS in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Optics/Photonics, Mechanical Engineering, Materials, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrated experience defining, specifying, evaluating, or qualifying capital equipment working directly with suppliers and/or contract manufacturers.
• Strong technical communication, problem-solving, and multi-functional execution skills related to design-for-manufacturing, design-for-cost, or manufacturing cost modeling.

• Curiosity about using AI or digital tools to improve manufacturing analysis, process monitoring, or operational decision-making.

Preferred skills

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience in relevant field.
• Experience with fiber attach, optical alignment systems, or automated optical assembly processes development and qualification (DOE, SPC, PFMEA, capability studies).
• Exposure to next-generation optics manufacturing concepts, including CPO/NPO or related sophisticated process development.

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 $139,200.00 to $201,400.00 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:

$171,600.00 - $281,800.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$151,300.00 - $250,900.00

* 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.