Lead Optomechanical Engineer - Quantum Hardware

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

Job summary

Cisco is seeking an Optomechanical Engineer to advance quantum hardware platforms within its Quantum Research team in Santa Monica. You will re-engineer lab optics into rugged, manufacturable 19-inch chassis, solving alignment drift and thermal challenges while ensuring fast, repeatable assembly and servicing.

The role involves designing compact enclosures for lasers and photonic devices, performing FEA analyses, and collaborating with engineers to optimize stability and performance under varied

Qualifications

• Bachelors + 8 years related experience, or Masters + 6 years, or PhD + 3 years, or equivalent.
• 2+ years experience in optomechanical design, precision mechanism design, or optoelectronic packaging in commercial/ telecom contexts.
• Experience with 3D CAD (SolidWorks, Creo) and FEA tools (ANSYS, COMSOL, SolidWorks Simulation).
• Experience with GD&T, kinematic design, CTE matching, and fine adjustment mechanisms.
• Experience packaging free-space optics, fiber launches, photonic devices into enclosed hardware.

Responsibilities

• Re-engineer delicate breadboard/benchtop optical setups into compact 19-inch rack-mount chassis.
• Address thermal expansion, deformation, and drift to maintain sub-micron alignment.
• Create standardized mounting, fiber routing, and adjustment mechanisms for quick assembly/testing.
• Design compact, rugged enclosures (1U-4U) for optics and photonic devices.
• Layout free-space optics and interfaces inside enclosures for high stability.
• Perform FEA for deformation and heat dissipation in optical modules.
• Develop active/passive vibration isolation to protect optics.
• Conduct tolerance stack-up analyses and validate assembly tolerances.
• Build and validate optomechanical prototypes; test for drift and vibration susceptibility.
• Collaborate with optical physicists and systems engineers on performance budgets.

Skills

Optomechanical design

Precision mechanism design

optoelectronic packaging

3D CAD

FEA analysis

GD&T

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

SolidWorks

Creo

ANSYS

COMSOL

SolidWorks Simulation

Job description

Cisco is seeking an Optomechanical Engineer to advance quantum hardware platforms within its Quantum Research team in Santa Monica. You will re-engineer lab optics into rugged, manufacturable 19-inch chassis, solving alignment drift and thermal challenges while ensuring fast, repeatable assembly and servicing.

The role involves designing compact enclosures for lasers and photonic devices, performing FEA analyses, and collaborating with engineers to optimize stability and performance under varied