Mechanical Engineer

Optical Transceiver Manufacturing Technical Process Lead

This is a hybrid role based out of Holmdel, NJ or Allentown, PA.

Meet the Team

You will be part of a collaborative network working across Cisco Optics Operations, Engineering Design, and Operations teams. This role involves close engagement with Acacia, COG, and external vendors to define requirements, solve technical challenges, and improve manufacturability. You will also collaborate with contract manufacturers and supplier partners to develop automation capabilities and ensure smooth transfer of manufacturing solutions into stable production. The team is focused on advancing optical transceiver manufacturing with an emphasis on automation and scalability.

Your Impact

As a technical process lead, you will drive the automation and scalability of optical transceiver manufacturing. You will own the design of processes and automation for critical manufacturing equipment, focusing on active alignment and fiber attach methods. Your responsibilities include setting process and automation strategies, driving design-for-manufacturing and design-for-cost initiatives, refining manufacturing processes for scale, and identifying and deploying equipment for advanced optics manufacturing (CPO/NPO). You will support the transfer of processes from NPI to production, ensuring sustainable and repeatable operations. Your work will directly impact manufacturing readiness for volume and next-generation optical product development.

Minimum Qualifications

Significant experience in process engineering for optics, opto-electronics, or semiconductor packaging with a focus on equipment design, including hands-on NPI and transfer to production.

BS/MS in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, Optics/Photonics, Materials, Physics, or a related field.

Demonstrated experience defining, evaluating, and qualifying capital equipment working directly with suppliers and/or contract manufacturers.

Clear technical communication and problem-solving skills, including design-for-manufacturing, design-for-cost, and manufacturing cost modeling.

Experience with fiber attach and optical alignment systems, including automated optical assembly process development and qualification (DOE, SPC, PFMEA, capability studies).

Preferred Qualifications

Hands-on machine design skills using Solidworks, Autocad, or equivalent software.

Proven ability to develop automated manufacturing solutions that improve repeatability, efficiency, and scale.

Knowledge of machining and tool manufacturing methods with a strong background in tolerance analysis.

Exposure to next-generation optics manufacturing concepts, including CPO/NPO or related advanced process development.

Experience using AI or digital tools for manufacturing analysis, process monitoring, or operational decision-making.

Experience in cross-functional execution, aligning teams for manufacturability, cost, and delivery performance decisions.

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 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:

$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.