Optical Component Engineer

Cisco Systems, Inc; Vimercate; On-site; EUR 47,000 - 59,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. in Italy (Lombardia) is seeking a senior optics engineer to own qualification of optical devices and assembly processes, collaborating with internal design teams and suppliers. You will guide qualification of WLM line cards, transceivers and related modules across life cycles.

You will assess reliability risks, develop qualification plans, and drive corrective actions while influencing commodity strategy and supplier selection through cross-functional partnerships.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of optics experience with WLM and transceiver tech.
• Experience with design, assembly and reliability of line cards and submodules.
• Strong understanding of optoelectronics, circuits and manufacturing qualification.

Responsibilities

• Assess optical suppliers and review next-gen technologies.
• Conduct design and process reviews to ensure quality and readiness.
• Own quality, reliability and manufacturability of WLM cards and transceivers.
• Collaborate with global supply management to shape commodity strategy.
• Lead failure analysis and implement corrective actions with suppliers.

Skills

Optics

Reliability engineering

Data presentation

Supplier management

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Education

MS or PhD in Optical Engineering/Physics/Materials Science

Job description

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

Meet the Team

You will work 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 within Cisco. You will work closely with a network of Cisco optical suppliers and internal Cisco teams to guide qualification of optical transceiver, optical modules and optical transport products, module assembly and to manage quality issues.

Your Impact

You will own the qualification of optical devices and assembly processes for Cisco's optical transport and optical transceiver products. You'll work closely with Cisco internal design teams to: assess, develop and qualify suppliers and technologies for wavelength line management (WLM) and optical transceivers. The role has a large scope, cross-organizational visibility and the potential to influence critical technology development, as well as influence commodity strategy for Cisco's various product platforms.

What You'll Do

• Primary responsibilities include technical assessment of optical suppliers including next generation technologies, material systems, packaging solutions and quality/reliability.
• Conduct design and process reviews and audits to ensure design robustness, quality and manufacturing readiness.
• Assess reliability risk, develop and execute to qualification plans and resolve technical issues.
• Own the quality, reliability and manufacturability of WLM line cards/subsystems/ circuit packs, optical sub-modules/daughter cards and optical transceivers from design phase to end-of-life.
• Partner with global supply management teams to develop commodity strategy and influence technology and supplier selection.
• Assess business impacting/critical issues and drive product/component failure analysis, containment and corrective actions. You will manage and develop suppliers’ quality.

Minimum requirements:

• MS (minimum) or PhD (preferred) in Optical Engineering, Physics, Materials Science or a similar field, preferably with a focus on opto-electronics, optical materials etc.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in optics, specifically:
  • Wavelength management (WLM) technology: design, assembly and reliability of line cards, sub-systems, circuit packs, daughter cards, and their constituent sub-modules (EDFA, DGE, WXC, OTDR, OCM, OSC etc.) and sub-components (tunable lasers, high power laser pumps, TOSA/ROSA, SFP, AAWGs etc.).
  • Optical transceiver technology: design, assembly and reliability of active and passive optical components and sub-assemblies including gain chip, laser diode, photodiode, tunable laser/uITLA/nITLA, single and multi-function passive assemblies (WDM, iWDM, TOF-VOA, etc.).
  • Technical knowledge of optoelectronics, circuit pack/module assembly processes, manufacturing and reliability qualification experience.
• Solid understanding of the design, working principles, physics, reliability and common failure modes of optical sub-assemblies, optical components and semiconductors (e.g. WXC, EDFA, DGE, AAWGs, tunable filters, APDs, TOSA/ROSA, tunable lasers/uITLA/nITLA etc.), multi-function passive components (e.g. WDM, iWDM, TOF-VOA , etc).
• Proven ability working in multi-functional teams and with external suppliers/ partners.
• Good understanding of reliability engineering and quality metrics.
• Excellent communication, data presentation and influencing skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of optical component and semiconductor failure analysis techniques.
• Expertise in resolving optical device reliability issues, assembly process issues, design/manufacturing issues.
• Experience with 8D or model-based problem-solving methodologies.
• Knowledge of statistical process control (SPC) and facility with data analysis.

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.

The starting salary range posted for this position is €46,900.00 to €59,200.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position, 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.

For non-sales roles, employees may also be 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.

* 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.