Si Photonic Foundry Component Engineer

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…