Wafer Test Engineer

This role will be based out of our Holmdel, NJ office.

Meet the Team 

Join Cisco’s Supply Chain Product Operations as part of our dynamic Test Development team, where innovation and collaboration drive the success of our optical transceiver products. As a Wafer Test Development Engineer, you’ll work closely with cross-functional teams—including design, product engineering, quality, and applications—to develop, validate, and optimize production testing of our silicon wafers from NPI through the product lifecycle.

Your Impact 

As the Wafer Test Engineer, you will play a key role in ensuring the quality, performance, and manufacturability of optical transceiver products. You will lead test development, validation, and characterization efforts from NPI through production, driving design-for-test decisions and optimizing test coverage. By analyzing test data, setting product limits, and collaborating with cross-functional teams—including product engineering, manufacturing, design, and applications—you will influence product performance, yield, and cost while supporting continuous improvement and failure analysis initiatives.

Responsibilities include (but not limited to):

• Develop, validate, and troubleshoot ATE wafer production testing for optical transceiver products.
• Influence NPI/design process to optimize DFT/DFM, test coverage, calibration, and architecture.
• Monitor and sustain product flow in offshore production manufacturing to meet cost, delivery, and yield targets.
• Analyze characterization, qualification, and production data to set test limits, optimize yield, and improve test efficiency.
• Provide cross-functional support for product debug, failure analysis, and continuous test improvement.

Minimum Qualifications

• BS Electrical Engineering or similar degree
• At least 7 years of proven experience with semiconductor processes, silicon/optical/photonic wafers, and familiarity with QSFP MSA standards; overseas production experience preferred.
• Hands-on knowledge of ATE platforms (such as Advantest 93k, Tel, Teradyne uFlex, Chroma), automated test programming (Python), and experience with instruments such as optical switches, oscilloscopes, power meters, OSAs.
• Strong understanding of PCB design and review, configuration management systems (Agile/Omnify), and general FAB/semiconductor process fundamentals.
• Proficiency with statistical analysis methods and tools (such as JMP, Data Conductor, DataPower, Power BI), including GR&R, CpK, correlation, and SPC process control.

MS Electical Engineering or similar degree

5+ years relative semiconductor industry experience working with silicon/optical/photonic wafers

Ability to solve complex problems, influence cross-functional teams, and foster a collaborative, productive working environment.

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. 

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:

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

* 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.