Silicon Photonics Senior Designer

Cisco Systems; Allentown (Lehigh County); On-site; USD 165,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems is seeking a Silicon Photonics Design Engineer to lead design, simulation, and characterization of silicon photonic devices for next‑generation optical platforms. You will drive waveguide designs from specs to solution, owning challenges end-to-end and impacting products shipped at scale.

Ideal candidates have strong experience in high‑speed photonics, optical testing, and data analysis, collaborating across teams to deliver robust silicon photonics solutions that power Cisco's

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 8+ years in silicon photonics device design
• Experience in simulation and design of integrated photonic components
• Experience with optical measurement and data analysis

Responsibilities

• Lead design, simulation, and characterization of silicon photonic devices and components for Cisco's platforms
• Convert raw product specs into cutting-edge waveguide designs and assess performance
• Own root-cause challenges in the lab and scale breakthroughs to global deployment

Skills

Silicon photonics

Waveguide modeling

Optical measurement

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

Photonic simulation tools

Optical measurement equipment

Waveguide design software

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 11/16/2026

Meet the Team:

The Silicon One team creates innovative hardware platforms central to the AI era, powering Cisco’s core Switching, Routing, and Wireless products for organizations globally. Our innovations in silicon, optics, and hardware platforms are shaping the technology industry. We're a global team of creative experts, bringing our unique backgrounds and bold ideas to push boundaries and help each other grow. Because full product development—from design to qualification to production—is within our team, we’re able to think differently, experiment more, and work quickly. Join us to power the future of the digital world.

Your Impact:

This isn't just about building chips—it's about shaping the optical foundation of next-generation AI and hyperscale infrastructure. As a Silicon Photonics Design Engineer, you'll lead the design, simulation, and characterization of silicon photonic devices and integrated components for Cisco's next-generation optical platforms supporting 100G/200G/400G per Lambda solutions.

You won't just solve complex technical problems; you’ll own them end-to-end. From converting raw product specs into cutting-edge waveguide designs to cracking root-cause challenges in the lab, you will hold accountability for critical optical subsystems. Here, your breakthroughs don't sit in a lab—they scale globally, define the industry baseline, and directly contribute to Cisco's expanding patent portfolio.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's + 8 years of related experience, OR Master's + 6 years of related experience, OR PhD + 3 years of related experience. (Post-doctoral candidates with some industry/company experience will also be considered.)
• Experience in silicon photonics device design, including simulation and design of integrated photonic components.
• Demonstrated experience with optical measurement and characterization of photonic devices, and data analysis.
• Demonstrated experience with advanced waveguide modeling, design analysis, and optical coupling.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Product-related experience—taking photonic devices or platforms from design through qualification and production.
• Familiarity with the patent process and a track record of contributing to intellectual property.
• Experience designing high-speed modulators and/or photodetectors.
• Experience with co-packaged optics (CPO) or pluggable optics architectures (e.g., 800G, 1.6T).
• Strong collaboration skills, with the ability to align engineering, product, and manufacturing partnersa.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex technical concepts for varied audiences.

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 $151,300.00 to $216,200.00 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 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 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:

$171,600.00 - $281,800.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$151,300.00 - $250,900.00

• 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.

Cisco is an Affiantive Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis.

Cisco will consider for employment, on a case by case basis, qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.