Lead Optomechanical Engineer for Quantum Enclosures

Cisco Systems, Inc; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 151,000 - 216,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan with Cisco matching

Paid parental leave

Health, dental and vision insurance

Cisco RSU grants

Bonuses / incentive pay

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking an Optomechanical Engineer to support the Quantum Experimental Team in developing deployable quantum hardware platforms.

You will re-engineer bench-top optical setups into compact 19-inch rack-mount chassis, addressing thermal, mechanical, and alignment challenges across environments. You will collaborate with optical physicists and systems engineers, perform FEA, design enclosures, and validate prototypes to ensure ultra-high alignment stability and

Qualifications

• 2+ years experience in optomechanical design, precision mechanism design, or optoelectronic packaging for commercial, aerospace, or telecom applications.
• Experience in 3D CAD (SolidWorks, Creo) and FEA tools (ANSYS, COMSOL, or SolidWorks Simulation).
• Experience with GD&T (ASME Y14.5), kinematic design principles, CTE matching techniques, and micron-level precision adjustment mechanisms.
• Experience packaging free-space optics, fiber launches, photonic devices, or laser assemblies into enclosed hardware products.

Responsibilities

• Re-engineer delicate breadboard/benchtop optical setups into compact 19-inch rack-mount chassis.
• Solve thermal expansion, structural deformation, and drift challenges with sub-micron alignment.
• Standardize mounting, fiber routing, and precision adjustment mechanisms for fast assembly and servicing.
• Design compact ruggedized enclosures (1U–4U) for optics and photonic devices.
• Ensure high alignment stability within enclosed hardware over long lifespans.
• Perform FEA for deformation, thermal, and heat dissipation analyses.
• Design active/passive vibration isolation to protect optical paths.
• Conduct tolerance stack-up analyses to guarantee budgets and interchangeability.
• Build and validate optomechanical prototypes; test for drift, stability, and loss.
• Collaborate with scientists/engineers to characterize insertion loss, beam quality, and phase stability.

Skills

Optomechanical design

3D CAD

Finite Element Analysis

GD&T

Vibration isolation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

SolidWorks

Creo

ANSYS

COMSOL

SolidWorks Simulation

Job description

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking an Optomechanical Engineer to support the Quantum Experimental Team in developing deployable quantum hardware platforms.

You will re-engineer bench-top optical setups into compact 19-inch rack-mount chassis, addressing thermal, mechanical, and alignment challenges across environments. You will collaborate with optical physicists and systems engineers, perform FEA, design enclosures, and validate prototypes to ensure ultra-high alignment stability and