Hardware Engineering Technical Leader - Acacia; hybrid

Position: Hardware Engineering Technical Leader - Acacia (hybrid)
The application window is expected to close on: 09/25/2026

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

This position is required to be onsite in Maynard, MA and in office three days a week. Meet the Team Acacia, now a part of Cisco, is a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-speed coherent optical interconnect products. We are the architects behind the technology that transforms how data centers, cloud providers, and service providers connect. By pioneering breakthroughs in Silicon Photonics and Digital Signal Processing (DSP), Acacia is shrinking complex, power-hungry optical systems into high-performance, pluggable modules that scale the internet for the future.

As part of the Acacia team, you will contribute to innovation on the cutting edge of 400G, 800G, and 1.2T technologies. We are a group of innovators dedicated to solving the world’s most difficult bandwidth and power-efficiency challenges. If you are passionate about pushing the boundaries of physics and engineering to build a faster, more connected world, Acacia is where you belong.

Your Impact You will be key member of Acacia’s Hardware team and lead the hardware life cycle of our products.  You will work within a multi-disciplinary Hardware, Software, Optics, and DSP engineering organization. The ideal candidate has strong relevant and recent technical and hands-on experience, is able to hit the ground running as an individual contributor, and has experience either directly or indirectly leading teams, mentoring peers, and leading large programs.  

In this role, you will:

You will champion the innovation, architecture, specification, design, and validation of new hardware

You will apply your strong depth and breadth of expertise in telecommunications and high-speed electro-optical transmission systems to resolve complex business problems.

You will serve as a technical expert on verification, and issue resolution approach and coordinate with appropriate stakeholders to integrate changes into hardware design lifecycle.

You will lead, mentor, and influences other engineers within the HW and other organization

Minimum Qualifications Bachelor’s degree to include a minimum of 12+ years of relevant industry experience

Experience with transmission line theory and effects (micro strip, strip line, CPW, etc.)Experience with high-efficiency DC-DC power converters

Experience with analog/RF simulation tools (e.g. LTSpice, ADS)

Experience with VxDesigner, Allegro PCB and/or SiP Layout tools

Experience with PCB layout and constraint management tools to guide layout for high speed signaling (above 50+ GHz)

Experience with debugging and lab skills including working with innovative test equipment

Preferred Qualifications Masters or advanced degree

Experience with Power Integrity (PI) simulations and tools

Knowledge of optical components (lasers, modulators, detectors, DWDM technologies, etc.)Understanding and implementing digital control loops and DSP functions

Knowledge of Python 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…