Reliability/Component Engineer - Optics/Silicon Photonics

Cisco Systems, Inc; Allentown (Lehigh County); On-site; USD 124,000 - 157,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

401(k) with matching

Parental leave

Disability insurance

RSUs

Paid holidays

Volunteer days

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. in Allentown, PA is seeking an Optics Reliability/Component Engineer to bridge design and manufacturing, qualifying next‑generation Silicon Photonics and laser supply technologies while ensuring high reliability across products.

You will design experiments, lead DOEs and stress tests, and apply material science analyses (SEM, EDX, CSAM, X‑ray) to drive design improvements and cross‑functional collaborations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant technical field.
• 3+ years in optical component technologies, interconnect quality and reliability test methodologies.
• Experience with full device qualification plans including test setups, fault finding and hardware debug.
• Knowledge of DFMEA and statistical tools for evaluating process/design reliability (FIT, MTBF).
• Experience with environmental stress testing (shock, vibration, ESD, dust, mixed flowing gases).

Responsibilities

• Drive and execute Silicon Photonics and laser qualification and reliability studies with lab personnel.
• Evaluate new designs for failure modes; develop comprehensive qualification and reliability plans.
• Design DOEs and stress tests to assess next‑generation designs.
• Quantify reliability and lead cross‑functional teams to resolve issues and mitigation plans.
• Use SEM, EDX, CSAM, and X‑ray techniques to interpret data and drive design improvements.

Skills

Optical components

Interconnect quality

Reliability testing

DFMEA

Statistical tools

MTBF

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

Reliasoft

JMP

Minitab

SR332 Excel

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 10/18/2026

Meet the Team

You will be part of a global Component and Technology organization, working alongside a diverse group of subject matter experts. Our team is dedicated to driving product innovation by collaborating with state-of-the-art technology partners across the Optical and Semiconductor industries. We combine our expertise in optical design and reliability principles to push the boundaries of the next generation of industry-leading optical transceiver products.

Your Impact

As an Optics Reliability/Component Engineer, you will play a critical role in developing and qualifying next-generation Silicon Photonics and laser supply technologies. You will bridge the gap between design and manufacturing, ensuring our products meet the highest reliability standards.

Responsibilities:

• Drive and execute Silicon Photonics and laser qualification and reliability studies in collaboration with lab personnel.
• Evaluate new product designs for potential failure modes, developing comprehensive qualification and reliability plans.
• Design Design of Experiments (DOEs) and stress tests to evaluate the performance of next-generation designs.
• Quantify design reliability attributes and lead cross-functional teams to resolve issues and suggest mitigation plans.
• Utilize material science analysis—including SEM, EDX, CSAM, and X-ray techniques—to interpret data and drive design improvements.
• Rationalize technical decisions that impact revenue, customers, suppliers, and internal stakeholders.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant technical field.
• 3+ years of experience in optical component technologies, interconnect quality requirements, and reliability test methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience executing full device qualification plans, including test set-ups, fault finding, and hardware debug.
• Working knowledge of methodologies such as DFMEA and statistical tools for evaluating process and design reliability (e.g., FIT rates, MTBF).
• Experience with environmental stress testing, including shock, vibration, ESD, dust, and mixed flowing gases.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in a relevant technical field.
• Proven experience with Silicon Photonics (SiPh) packaging.
• Proficiency with reliability analysis software such as Reliasoft, JMP, or Minitab.
• Experience utilizing SR332 Excel spreadsheets for module piece part calculations.
• Strong program management, influencing, and cross-functional communication 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 $124,000.00 to $157,100.00 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
• basic life insurance
• 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 employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)

• 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours ofunused sick timecarried forwardfrom one calendar yearto the next

• Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members

• Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer

For non-sales roles, employees are also 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.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

$143,100.00 - $213,800.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$130,300.00 - $189,600.00

* 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.

** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.