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From the employer's careers site First seen 1 Nov 2026

Engineer - Silicon Photonics

Cisco senior full-time

Salary

$154,900 to $225,300 per year

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Description

We are seeking an accomplished Engineer to join the Optics group within Cisco’s Component Quality and Technology (CQT) organization. You will drive the development and mass production of next-generation Silicon Photonics (SiPh) ICs, serving as the primary interface between Cisco engineering and high-volume manufacturing (HVM) foundries.

Your Impact Manage the end-to-end PIC tape-out lifecycle, from device-level design recommendations and PDK engagement through DRC sign-off, process integration, and foundry qualification. Develop, modify, and optimize photonic process flows for SiPh platforms by leveraging CMOS fabrication capabilities, ensuring robust process windows and high yield. Lead the development and validation of optical and electrical Process Control Monitors (PCMs) and automated test plans for passive and active PIC components. Execute root-cause analysis and Design of Experiments (DOE) to address failure mechanisms in discrete and integrated components. Apply design-for-reliability (DFR) frameworks to anticipate and eliminate failure modes early in the development cycle, and drive qualification.

Minimum Qualifications

  • PhD or MS in Electrical Engineering, Optics, Photonics, or a related field with 5+ years of industry experience in chip development, foundry management, and process qualification.
  • Direct experience working with external foundries on process bring-up and qualification in high-volume production environments.
  • Knowledge of design-for-manufacturing (DFM), design-for-reliability (DFR), and design-for-test (DFT) principles applied to the fabrication, integration, and characterization of PIC and EIC devices.
  • Proficiency in IC design tools including Cadence Virtuoso, Synopsys, and Klayout.
  • Hands-on experience with wafer-level testing, lab automation, and bring-up and debugging of photonic and electronic ICs within high-volume production environments.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Familiarity or hands-on experience with near-package optics (NPO) or co-packaged optics (CPO) architectures.
  • Prior experience in volume manufacturing within a silicon photonics foundry environment.
  • Proficiency with advanced simulation tools for photonic and electronic IC design, such as ANSYS Lumerical.
  • Demonstrated ability to contribute to and lead projects within matrixed, geographically distributed technical teams.
  • Proven ability to lead cross-functional technical teams and manage complex vendor/foundry relationships, including process roadmap negotiations and qualification milestone ownership.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • 401(k) plan with Cisco matching contribution
  • Paid parental leave
  • Short and long-term disability coverage
  • Basic life insurance
  • Paid time away (vacation, holidays, sick time)
  • Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer

Salary Information

  • Starting salary range: $154,900.00 to $225,300.00 (U.S. and/or Canada locations)

Skills

Required

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Optics
  • Photonics
  • Chip Development
  • Foundry Management
  • Process Qualification
  • Cadence Virtuoso
  • Synopsys
  • Klayout
  • IC Design

Nice to have

  • Near-Package Optics (NPO)
  • Co-Packaged Optics (CPO)
  • Silicon Photonics Foundry Environment
  • ANSYS Lumerical
  • Project Leadership
  • Cross-Functional Team Management

Ready to apply?

You apply with the employer directly. Their original posting is here: https://cisco.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Cisco_Careers/job/Holmdel-New-Jersey-US/Si-Photonic-Foundry-Component-Engineer_2028515

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