The application window is expected to close on: 11/30/2026
Meet the Team
The Optical Systems and Coherent Optics group is at the forefront of Cisco’s optical strategy, driving innovation for data center interconnects, service providers and enterprises. Our team functions as the bridge between innovative technology and market reality, managing the full lifecycle of optical products within a dynamic framework. We are a collaborative, high-impact group that works across teams to shape how the world connects.
Joining this team offers a unique opportunity to influence the evolution of optical networking and work on technologies that power the internet.
Your Impact
- Lead collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, and Sales teams to translate complex customer needs into innovative, high-impact solutions.
- Lead the development of compelling customer proof of concepts and high-impact demonstrations that showcase the value, performance, and differentiation of Cisco optical systems and coherent optics.
- Architect tailored customer network solutions and sophisticated lab environments, partnering with Sales throughout the pre-sales lifecycle to validate end-to-end designs, interoperability, scalability, and real-world deployment scenarios, while providing expert technical guidance through evaluation and deployment.
- Develop comprehensive training and technical documentation to empower global sales and partner teams, ensuring successful product adoption and sustained revenue growth.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelors + 8 years, Masters + 6 years or PhD + 3 years of related experience in the design, development, or technical marketing of optical systems and coherent optics.
- Proven record of managing end-to-end technical lifecycles for complex platform or product portfolios.
- Demonstrated hands-on experience with optical systems and coherent optics, including field engagements, system configuration, and the design and implementation of complex, scalable lab environments
- Documented experience in creating technical training materials or product specifications for internal and external stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications
- Working knowledge of core networking protocols, including routing and switching.
- Proficiency in network automation and software skills, specifically Linux, VMware, and Python.
- Experience presenting complex technical architectures to internal executive leadership or at public industry conferences.
- Strong ability to facilitate cross-functional collaboration across Product Design (UX), Customer Experience (CX), and Engineering teams.
- Proven ability to manage technical stakeholder engagement in a global, multicultural environment.
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 $139,200.00 to $201,400.00 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.