Control Systems & Embedded Software Technical Leader, Acacia

Cisco•Maynard, MA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Acacia, part of Cisco, develops high-speed coherent optical transceivers and pluggable optical interconnects used in data centers and telecommunications networks. The role is part of Acacia’s Software team in Maynard, Massachusetts, and focuses on control systems and embedded software for high-performance optical modules and transceivers. The Technical Leader is a hands-on engineering specialist responsible for designing and implementing high-speed closed-loop control systems, PID algorithms, and real-time embedded firmware. The position involves developing control algorithms and compact embedded C/C++ firmware, working with hardware and optics teams to bring up and characterize new boards, and owning firmware features through production release. The role is 100% onsite during the initial one-year onboarding period, with hybrid flexibility available thereafter.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Electronics, or Computer Engineering, or a related field, with 8+ years of professional experience.
6+ years of low-level embedded C and C++ programming for physical hardware control.
5+ years developing embedded firmware on bare-metal systems and real-time operating systems such as VxWorks, FreeRTOS, ThreadX, or similar.
Experience designing, implementing, and tuning real-time control systems, such as closed-loop feedback, PID algorithms, or motion/thermal control loops, on embedded microcontrollers such as ARM Cortex-M or Cortex-R.
Ability to work 100% onsite during the initial one-year onboarding period.

Nice To Haves

Experience developing control firmware for optical transceivers, laser controllers, optical amplifiers, or telecommunications hardware.
Expertise in schematic reading, board bring-up, and lab instrumentation such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and optical spectrum analyzers.
Experience developing multithreaded control-plane firmware, interrupt handlers, and complex finite state machines.
Proficiency with version control tools such as Git, Jira, and Perforce, and test automation or data analysis scripting with Python or MATLAB.
Background in semiconductor devices, hardware startups, sensor integration, or automated test platforms.

Responsibilities

Design, tune, and optimize real-time closed-loop control algorithms, including PID, motion control, temperature control, and optical power stabilization, on bare-metal and RTOS microcontroller platforms.
Develop efficient, compact embedded C/C++ firmware to configure, monitor, and calibrate hardware subsystems across ARM Cortex-M and Cortex-R cores.
Collaborate with Hardware, Optics, and Calibration teams to bring up new boards, characterize feedback loops, and debug electro-optical interactions.
Implement firmware state machines, low-level peripheral drivers, and high-reliability data and control paths.
Own critical firmware features from algorithm simulation through production release, ensuring reliability under demanding optical conditions.

Benefits

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
401(k) plan with Cisco matching contribution
Paid parental leave
Short- and long-term disability coverage
Basic life insurance
10 paid holidays per full calendar year
One floating holiday for non-exempt employees
One paid day off for employees’ birthdays
Paid year-end holiday shutdown
Four paid personal wellness days
Paid vacation: non-exempt employees receive 16 days per full calendar year; exempt employees participate in a flexible vacation program with no defined limit, subject to availability and business limitations
80 hours of sick time provided on hire and each January 1, with up to 80 unused hours carried forward
Additional paid time away may be requested for critical or emergency family issues
Optional 10 paid volunteer days per full calendar year
Annual bonuses may be available for non-sales roles, subject to Cisco policies
Employees may be eligible for Cisco restricted stock unit grants, subject to continued employment and vesting terms