Component Engineer (Optical Suppliers & Transceivers) - Hybrid

About this role

The application window is expected to close on: 10/18/2026 Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received .

Candidate must be local to one of these 4 locations only:  Holmdel, New Jersey or Maynard, Massachusetts or San Jose, California or Allentown, Pennsylvania; and come into the office a minimum of 1 day a week.

Meet the Team You will work closely with a network of Cisco optical suppliers and internal Cisco teams to guide optical transceiver, optical module, and optical transport product qualification and module assembly. You will operate in a highly collaborative, cross-functional environment that includes engineering, operations, and supply chain teams to develop next-generation optical transport and optical transceiver technologies. This role offers high cross-organizational visibility and the opportunity to influence critical technology development and commodity strategy for Cisco's various product platforms.

Your Impact As a Senior Optical Component Engineer, you will lead optical device and assembly process qualification for Cisco's optical transport and optical transceiver products. You will partner with internal design teams to assess, develop, and qualify suppliers and technologies for wavelength line management (WLM) and optical transceivers. You will own the quality, reliability, and manufacturability of these components from the design phase through to end-of-life.

Responsibilities: Assess, develop, and qualify suppliers and technologies for wavelength line management (WLM) and optical transceivers. Conduct technical assessments of optical suppliers, including next-generation technologies, material systems, packaging solutions, and quality/reliability. Perform design and process reviews and audits to ensure design robustness, quality, and manufacturing readiness. Own the quality, reliability, and manufacturability of optical sub-modules/daughter cards and optical transceivers from design phase to end-of-life. Assess business-impacting issues and drive product/component failure analysis, containment, and corrective actions.

Minimum Qualifications • Candidate must be local to one of these 4 locations only - Holmdel, New Jersey, Maynard, Massachusetts, San Jose, California, or Allentown, Pennsylvania; and come into the local office a minimum of 1 day a week

• 5+ years of relevant experience in optics, specifically in opto-electronics or optical materials.

• Degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, or a similar field.

• Demonstrated understanding of design, working principles, physics, and failure modes of optical sub-assemblies (e.g. TOSA/ROSA, tunable lasers).

• Proven experience in reliability engineering, quality metrics, and resolving design/manufacturing reliability issues.

• Demonstrated ability to work within a cross-functional environment and manage external suppliers.

Preferred Qualifications • Ability to troubleshoot optical device reliability and assembly process issues.

• Experience in 8D or model-based problem solving.

• Knowledge of statistical process control and facility with data analysis.

• Proficiency in optical component and semiconductor failure analysis techniques.

• Strong communication, project management, and influencing skills.

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 $143,100.00 to $185,900.00 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 e

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