Customer-Facing Quality Leader – Coherent Optical Pluggable Products

Cisco•Maynard, MA

About The Position

This role is a critical technical liaison between Cisco and its customers, specializing in the quality assurance, failure analysis, and standards compliance of coherent optical pluggable transceivers. This role demands deep expertise in coherent optical technologies, including digital coherent optics (DCO), and a thorough understanding of industry standards such as 400ZR, OpenZR+, and related optical networking protocols. The engineer will work closely with customers, product teams, and supply chain partners to ensure product reliability, optimize performance, and support Cisco’s leadership in coherent pluggable optics.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Telecommunications, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
Extensive experience (7+ years) in failure analysis and quality engineering focused on coherent optical pluggable products or digital coherent optics.
Strong understanding of coherent optical networking standards and protocols, including 400ZR, OpenZR+, OpenROADM, and OTN.
Hands-on experience with coherent optical transceiver technologies, including QSFP-DD, OSFP, and CFP2 form factors.
Proficiency in analyzing coherent optics performance parameters such as BER, OSNR, Q Factor, FEC, and chromatic dispersion.
Proven ability to analyze complex failure data and develop actionable insights to improve product quality and network performance.
Excellent customer-facing communication skills with the ability to explain complex coherent optical concepts clearly.
Experience working with Cisco’s coherent optical product portfolio and routed optical networking solutions is highly desirable.
Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and a proactive approach to quality improvement.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred.
Experience working with Cisco’s coherent optical product portfolio and routed optical networking solutions is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary technical contact for customers on quality and failure analysis issues related to Cisco’s coherent optical pluggable products (e.g., QSFP-DD, OSFP form factors).
Conduct detailed failure analysis using advanced diagnostic tools focused on coherent optics, including metrics such as BER, OSNR, Q Factor, and Forward Error Correction (FEC).
Apply deep knowledge of coherent optical standards and protocols (400ZR, OpenZR+, OpenROADM, OTN) to troubleshoot and resolve complex customer issues.
Collaborate with product development, manufacturing, and supply chain teams to communicate customer feedback and drive corrective and preventive actions.
Support customer escalations with timely, clear, and technically accurate updates, emphasizing the unique aspects of coherent pluggable technology.
Develop and deliver technical presentations and reports on failure trends, quality metrics, and improvement plans specific to coherent pluggable optics.
Stay current with evolving coherent optical technologies, including Cisco’s vertically integrated DSP, photonic integrated circuits, and pluggable module innovations.
Review ORM/ORT failures and driver necessary corrective actions

Benefits

medical, dental and vision insurance
a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution
paid parental leave
short and long-term disability coverage
basic life insurance
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
16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees (non-exempt)
flexible vacation time off program (exempt)
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
annual bonuses (for non-sales roles)
performance-based incentive pay (for sales roles)
grants of Cisco restricted stock units