Integrated Photonics Technical Leader - Acacia (Hybrid)

Posted 6 Days Ago
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Holmdel, NJ, USA
Hybrid
151K-282K Annually
Senior level
Cloud • Information Technology • Internet of Things • Professional Services • Software
The Role
Design, simulate, lay out, and characterize integrated photonic components and circuits for high-speed optical communication products. Develop multiphysics models, generate GDS layouts, support foundry processes and tapeouts, analyze measurement data and process variation, and transition PIC designs from prototypes through qualification and high-volume manufacturing. Collaborate with packaging, electronics, software, and optical test teams across silicon photonics, TFLN, and III-V platforms.
Summary Generated by Built In

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 with three days per week at our Holmdel, NJ office.Meet the TeamAcacia, part of Cisco, is a market leader in high-speed coherent optical transceivers and a pioneer in coherent pluggable technology. Acacia’s coherent products are deployed by leading hyperscale cloud providers to connect data centers over distances ranging from a few kilometers to thousands of kilometers, including subsea networks.The rapid growth of artificial intelligence infrastructure is substantially increasing demand for high-capacity optical interconnects. Acacia’s coherent technology is also being developed for space-based applications and, as interconnect speeds continue to increase, for emerging applications within data centers. In parallel, Acacia is expanding into the PAM4 client-optics market, including the development of 1.6 Tb/s PAM4 DSP solutions.The Photonic Integrated Circuit, or PIC, team develops advanced photonic chips for optical communication products. The team works across silicon photonics, thin-film lithium niobate, or TFLN, and III–V material platforms, taking products from initial concepts through design, fabrication, characterization, qualification, and volume production.Your ImpactAs a member of the PIC team, you will design, simulate, lay out, and characterize integrated photonic components and circuits for high-speed optical communication systems.You will collaborate closely with engineers working in silicon photonics, TFLN, and III–V technologies. Your responsibilities will span numerical modeling, foundry process development, production tapeouts, PIC characterization, failure analysis, design improvement, and production support.This role provides exposure to the complete commercial PIC development cycle—from device concepts and first prototypes to product qualification and high-volume manufacturing. You will also collaborate with millimeter-wave circuit designers, packaging engineers, module hardware and software teams, and optical test engineers to develop complete optical communication products.
  • Design passive and active integrated photonic components and circuits, including high-speed optoelectronic devices.
  • Develop and validate numerical models using electromagnetic, optical, electrical, thermal, and multiphysics simulation methods.
  • Create parameterized and script-based GDS layouts for photonic components, integrated circuits, and full product chips.
  • Support photonic design reviews, foundry process development, mask preparation, design-rule verification, and production tapeouts.
  • Plan and perform hands-on characterization of photonic components and circuits at the die, wafer, and assembled-device levels.
  • Analyze measurement data and correlate experimental results with device models, process variations, packaging effects, and system-level performance.
  • Work with cross-functional teams to transition PIC designs from prototype development into qualified commercial products.
  • Provide technical support during product integration, qualification, manufacturing ramp, and volume production.
Minimum Qualifications:
  • Bachelors + 8 years of related experience, or Masters + 6 years of related experience, or PhD + 3 years of related work experience, or equivalent related work experience.
  • Experience in solid-state physics, integrated photonics, optoelectronics, and electromagnetic theory.
  • Experience with the principles and practical application of numerical methods for photonic-device simulation.
  • Experience using simulation tools such as FDTD, HFSS, COMSOL Multiphysics, or equivalent electromagnetic and multiphysics platforms.
  • Experience with photonic-device fabrication processes and the relationship between fabrication tolerances and device performance.
  • Experience with photonic-device layout, GDS generation, design-rule compliance, and tapeout.
Preferred Qualifications:
  • PhD with at least 5 years of relevant industry or applied research experience.
  • Experience executing large-scale photonic integrated circuit tapeouts through commercial foundries.
  • Experience designing and testing PICs for optical transceivers or high-speed optical interconnect systems.
  • Experience designing, simulating, and characterizing high-speed optical modulators, photodetectors, or related optoelectronic devices.
  • Experience with high-speed electronic-photonic co-design, including the interaction among device bandwidth, impedance, parasitics, packaging, and signal integrity.
  • Experience integrating multiple material platforms, including silicon photonics, TFLN, III–V semiconductors, or other hybrid photonic technologies.
  • Hands-on experience with optical component characterization, including wafer-level and die-level testing.
  • Experience analyzing device yield, process variation, reliability, and manufacturing-test data.
  • Experience with scripting or programming languages used for simulation automation, layout generation, test automation, and data analysis.
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 $171,600.00 to $245,000.00 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.

Skills Required

  • Bachelor’s degree plus 8 years of related experience, or Master’s degree plus 6 years, or PhD plus 3 years, or equivalent related work experience.
  • Experience in solid-state physics, integrated photonics, optoelectronics, and electromagnetic theory.
  • Experience applying numerical methods for photonic-device simulation.
  • Experience using FDTD, HFSS, COMSOL Multiphysics, or equivalent electromagnetic and multiphysics simulation platforms.
  • Experience with photonic-device fabrication processes and fabrication-tolerance effects on device performance.
  • Experience with photonic-device layout, GDS generation, design-rule compliance, and tapeout.
  • PhD with at least 5 years of relevant industry or applied research experience.
  • Experience executing large-scale photonic integrated circuit tapeouts through commercial foundries.
  • Experience designing and testing PICs for optical transceivers or high-speed optical interconnect systems.
  • Experience designing, simulating, and characterizing high-speed optical modulators, photodetectors, or related optoelectronic devices.
  • Experience with high-speed electronic-photonic co-design, including bandwidth, impedance, parasitics, packaging, and signal integrity.
  • Experience integrating silicon photonics, TFLN, III-V semiconductors, or other hybrid photonic technologies.
  • Hands-on experience with wafer-level and die-level optical component characterization.
  • Experience analyzing device yield, process variation, reliability, and manufacturing-test data.
  • Experience with scripting or programming languages for simulation automation, layout generation, test automation, and data analysis.

Cisco Compensation & Benefits Highlights

The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Cisco and has not been reviewed or approved by Cisco.

  • Healthcare Strength Health coverage is described as robust with multiple plan options and access to onsite/virtual LifeConnections Health Centers on major campuses. Company materials also highlight mental-health resources and comprehensive preventive care, supporting strong core medical benefits.
  • Leave & Time Off Breadth Time away includes company‑wide recharge days, a paid birthday, a year‑end shutdown, and paid Critical Time Off for emergencies. Paid volunteer days further expand opportunities to step away and recharge.
  • Parental & Family Support Policies include a global minimum for paid parental leave for primary caregivers, caregiving concierge services, and on‑site children’s learning centers in select locations. In the U.S., family‑building support is consolidated under Carrot with a defined lifetime maximum, indicating structured assistance across fertility, preservation, adoption, and surrogacy.

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The Company
HQ: San Jose, CA
77,500 Employees
Year Founded: 1984

What We Do

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) enables people to make powerful connections--whether in business, education, philanthropy, or creativity. Cisco hardware, software, and service offerings are used to create the Internet solutions that make networks possible--providing easy access to information anywhere, at any time. Cisco was founded in 1984 by a small group of computer scientists from Stanford University. Since the company's inception, Cisco engineers have been leaders in the development of Internet Protocol (IP)-based networking technologies. Today, with more than 71,000 employees worldwide, this tradition of innovation continues with industry-leading products and solutions in the company's core development areas of routing and switching, as well as in advanced technologies such as home networking, IP telephony, optical networking, security, storage area networking, and wireless technology. In addition to its products, Cisco provides a broad range of service offerings, including technical support and advanced services. Cisco sells its products and services, both directly through its own sales force as well as through its channel partners, to large enterprises, commercial businesses, service providers, and consumers.

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