Si Photonic Foundry Component Engineer

Cisco Systems, Inc; Holmdel Township (NJ); On-site; USD 155,000 - 225,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking an accomplished Engineer to join the Optics group within the Cisco Component Quality and Technology organization, driving the development and mass production of next-generation Silicon Photonics ICs.

In this role, you will serve as the primary interface between Cisco engineering and high-volume manufacturing foundries, owning end-to-end process integration, device qualification, and bring-up of Si Photonic ICs.

Qualifications

• PhD or MS in Electrical Engineering, Optics, Photonics or related field with 5+ years of industry experience.
• Direct experience working with external foundries on process bring-up and qualification in high-volume production.
• Knowledge of DFM, DFR, and DFT principles applied to PIC and EIC devices.
• Proficiency with IC design tools and lab automation for photonic/electronic ICs.

Responsibilities

• Manage the end-to-end PIC tape-out lifecycle from design recommendations to foundry qualification.
• Develop and optimize photonic process flows leveraging CMOS capabilities for high yield.
• Lead development and validation of optical/electrical PCMs and automated test plans.
• Perform root-cause analysis and DOE to address failure mechanisms in PIC/EIC devices.
• Apply DFR frameworks to anticipate failures and drive qualification in development.

Skills

Chip development

Foundry management

Process qualification

DFM/DFR/DFT concepts

Education

PhD or MS in Electrical Engineering, Optics, Photonics

Tools

Cadence Virtuoso

Synopsys

Klayout

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 11/02/2026

Meet the Team

We are seeking an accomplished Engineer to join the Optics group within Cisco's Component Quality and Technology (CQT) organization, driving the development and mass production of next-generation Silicon Photonics (SiPh) ICs. In this role, you will serve as the primary interface between Cisco engineering and high-volume manufacturing (HVM) foundries, owning end-to-end process integration, device qualification, and bring-up of Si Photonic ICs. You will translate design intent into manufacturable, reliable, and testable solutions that power the future of global networking.

Your Impact

Manage the end-to-end PIC tape-out lifecycle, from device-level design recommendations and PDK engagement through DRC sign-off, process integration, and foundry qualification.

Develop, modify, and optimize photonic process flows for SiPh platforms by leveraging CMOS fabrication capabilities, ensuring robust process windows and high yield.

Lead the development and validation of optical and electrical Process Control Monitors (PCMs) and automated test plans for passive and active PIC components.

Execute root-cause analysis and Design of Experiments (DOE) to address failure mechanisms in discrete and integrated components.

Apply design-for-reliability (DFR) frameworks to anticipate and eliminate failure modes early in the development cycle, and drive qualification.

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD or MS in Electrical Engineering, Optics, Photonics, or a related field with 5+ years of industry experience in chip development, foundry management, and process qualification.
• Direct experience working with external foundries on process bring-up and qualification in high-volume production environments.
• Knowledge of design-for-manufacturing (DFM), design-for-reliability (DFR), and design-for-test (DFT) principles applied to the fabrication, integration, and characterization of PIC and EIC devices.
• Proficiency in IC design tools including Cadence Virtuoso, Synopsys, and Klayout.
• Hands-on experience with wafer-level testing, lab automation, and bring-up and debugging of photonic and electronic ICs within high-volume production environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity or hands-on experience with near-package optics (NPO) or co-packaged optics (CPO) architectures.
• Prior experience in volume manufacturing within a silicon photonics foundry environment.
• Proficiency with advanced simulation tools for photonic and electronic IC design, such as ANSYS Lumerical.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to and lead projects within matrixed, geographically distributed technical teams.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional technical teams and manage complex vendor/foundry relationships, including process roadmap negotiations and qualification milestone ownership.

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 $154,900.00 to $225,300.00 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 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:

$154,900.00 - $259,100.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$136,500.00 - $228,300.00

* 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.