Mechanical Engineer

The application window is expected to close on: 09/29/2026

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Application window is expected to close on 09/30/2024. However, the job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

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

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.

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.

• 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).

• 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.

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.

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The starting salary range…