Cisco

Senior Process & Automation Engineer -Supply Chain(Hybrid)

Cisco$139K — $201K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10+ years in process, equipment, or test engineering in optics or semiconductor packaging, with experience in NPI and production transfer.
  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Optics/Photonics, Mechanical Engineering, Materials, or similar.
  • Proven ability to define and evaluate capital equipment in partnership with suppliers or manufacturers.
  • Strong communication, problem-solving, and execution skills in design-for-manufacturing and cost modeling.
  • Curiosity about utilizing AI or digital tools for manufacturing enhancements.

Responsibilities

  • Own process and automation strategy for optical product manufacturing.
  • Drive early engagement for design-for-manufacturing and cost decisions with stakeholders.
  • Develop and refine scalable manufacturing processes to improve yield and adaptability.
  • Identify and qualify equipment for optical product manufacturing, engaging with vendors.
  • Support the transition from NPI to production, ensuring handoffs are effective and repeatable.

Benefits

  • Flexible hybrid work model, requiring presence in the Cisco Office twice a week.
  • Opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team across multiple sites.
  • Engagement in cutting-edge optical product development and lifecycle management.
Full Job Description
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.

This is a hybrid role base twice a week in the Cisco Office.

Meet the team

You'll join NPI Operations for Co-Packaged Optics - a growing team spanning four functions and four sites that leads the product lifecycle from concept through end of life. We take photonic and optical products from build through qualification, transfer them to contract manufacturers, and sustain them in volume. This role sits within the Process & Automation Equipment function, which owns product bring-up at the contract manufacturer: defining the equipment needed to scale to production, structuring the manufacturing line, and handing off to regional operations after first customer ship before moving to the next program. Reporting into Process and Automation, you'll work alongside Program Management and the Center of Perfection move each product from prototype to sustained volume.

Your Impact
  • Own the process and automation strategy for optical product manufacturing - define process flows, equipment requirements, alignment approaches, and automation needs for critical assembly steps, with emphasis on fiber attach, detachable and permanent fiber bundles, aligner development, and product manufacturing readiness.
  • Drive early engagement for design-for-manufacturing and design-for-cost - work with engineering, operations, suppliers, and manufacturing partners to influence platform decisions early and improve manufacturability, automation feasibility, and scalable cost structures.
  • Develop and refine manufacturing processes for scale - improve yield, cycle time, repeatability, and operational adaptability for new and existing optical product platforms, ensuring processes can support ramp and long-term manufacturing needs. Identify choke points, solve equipment and process gaps and ensure capability supports delivery.
  • Identify and qualify the equipment for CPO/NPO - evaluate and select capital equipment across die and flip-chip attach, hybrid bonding, fiber-array attach, laser attach, encapsulation, laser burn-in, and wafer-, engine-, and module-level optical/electrical test. Collaborate and develop equipment solutions with vendors for scale on an immature, fast paced equipment landscape, and drive vendor development where the tools don't yet exist.
  • Support transfer from NPI to production - qualify and hand off validated equipment, process flows, documentation, and operating knowledge to internal operations teams and contract manufacturing partners so that transfers are balanced and repeatable.


Minimum qualifications
  • 10+ years' experience in process, equipment, and/or test engineering in optics, opto-electronics, or semiconductor packaging, including NPI and transfer to production.
  • BS in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Optics/Photonics, Mechanical Engineering, Materials, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
  • Demonstrated experience defining, specifying, evaluating, or qualifying capital equipment working directly with suppliers and/or contract manufacturers.
  • Strong technical communication, problem-solving, and multi-functional execution skills related to design-for-manufacturing, design-for-cost, or manufacturing cost modeling.
  • Curiosity about using AI or digital tools to improve manufacturing analysis, process monitoring, or operational decision-making.


Preferred skills
  • Master's degree or equivalent experience in relevant field.
  • Experience with fiber attach, optical alignment systems, or automated optical assembly processes development and qualification (DOE, SPC, PFMEA, capability studies).
  • Exposure to next-generation optics manufacturing concepts, including CPO/NPO or related sophisticated process development.


About Cisco

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Size
79,500 employees
Market Cap
$194.5 billion
Industry
Net Income
$10.1 billion
Founded
2014
5 Year Trend
+1.4%
Revenue
$48 billion
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