Si Photonic Foundry Component Engineer

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

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. seeks an accomplished Engineer to join the Optics group in Cisco’s Component Quality and Technology (CQT) organization, driving Si Photonics IC development and mass production. You’ll bridge Cisco engineering with HVM foundries, owning end-to-end integration, qualification, and bring-up of Si Photonic ICs.

You will lead PIC tape-out, develop photonic process flows, and drive robust testing, DOE analyses, and reliability programs across a global, matrixed team.

Qualifications

• PhD or MS in Electrical Engineering, Optics, Photonics or 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 DFM, DFR and DFT principles applied to PIC/EIC fabrication, integration and characterization.
• Proficiency in IC design tools including Cadence Virtuoso, Synopsys and Klayout.
• Hands-on experience with wafer-level testing, lab automation, and bring-up of photonic and electronic ICs in high-volume production environments.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end PIC tape-out lifecycle from device-level design to DRC sign-off and foundry qualification.
• Develop, modify and optimize photonic process flows leveraging CMOS fabrication to ensure wide process windows and high yield.
• Lead the development and validation of optical and electrical PCMs and automated test plans for PIC components.
• Execute root-cause analysis and DOE to address failure mechanisms in discrete and integrated components.
• Apply design-for-reliability frameworks to anticipate and prevent failures during development and qualification.

Skills

Chip development

Foundry management

DFM/DFR/DFT

Wafer‑level testing

Lab automation

Education

MS/PhD in Electrical Engineering, Optics, Photonics

Tools

Cadence Virtuoso

Synopsys

Klayout

Job description

Application Window

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.
• U.S. employees are eligible for grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.
• 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 January1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to 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 each1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota; 1.5% of incentive target for each1% of attainment between 50% and 75%; 1% of incentive target for each1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each1% 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 does 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:

• NewYorkCityMetroArea: $154,900.00 - $259,100.00
• Non‑Metro NewYork 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.

Cisconians power the future. We make impact as a team, innovating fast and fearlessly to create meaningful solutions on a large scale. The depth and breadth of our technology doesn't just benefit our customers – it also means limitless opportunities for us to experiment and learn. We understand the power each of our unique backgrounds bring when we work together. Because of that, we have a global network of thinkers, doers, experts, and curious creators who help one another do their life’s best work.