Senior Program Manager-Client Optics

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  • Location:
    Carlsbad, California, US
  • Area of Interest
    Engineer - Hardware
  • Compensation Range
    167800 USD - 234600 USD
  • Job Type
    Professional
  • Technology Interest
    AI or Artificial Intelligence, Cloud & AI (DCN & Compute), Internet & Mass Scale Infrastructure, Internet of Everything
  • Job Id
    1446662
New

The application window is expected to close on: 8/30/2025

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Meet the team

We are a close-knit team focused on developing high-speed optical transceivers and silicon photonics within a larger hardware engineering organization which designs, implements, and delivers leading Switching and Routing products. The Common Hardware Group (CHG) delivers the silicon, optics, and hardware platforms for Cisco's core Switching, Routing, and Wireless products. We design the networking hardware for Enterprises and Service Providers of various sizes, the Public Sector, and Non-Profit Organizations across the world. Cisco Silicon One (#CiscoSiliconOne) is the only unifying silicon architecture in the market that enables customers to deploy the best-of-breed silicon from Top of Rack (TOR) switches all the way through web scale data centers and across service providers, enterprise networks, and data centers with a fully unified routing and switching portfolio. Your Impact

Your Impact

A Cisco Program Manager oversees and leads the planning, execution, and delivery of complex, cross-functional programs aligned with Cisco's business objectives. They manage multiple projects, ensure timely and budget-compliant delivery, and drive program-level planning, resource management, and customer engagement.

The Senior Program Manager-Client Optics manages optical transceiver product developments through the full product life cycle, from product definition through development to launch, sampling, volume production and end-of-life. They work closely with R&D, operations and Product Management to define and track the product development details, ensuring risks are tracked and managed, milestones are hit and deliverables are completed on time.

Specific Responsibilities Include:

  • Develop and manage program plans, timelines, and budgets.
  • Managing Optical Transceiver and Chipset Programs through the Cisco NPI process and entire product life cycle, from kick-off through to end of life
  • Working cross-functionally to coordinate program execution and ensure program milestones are hit with Predictability, Quality and Velocity
  • Coordinating all weekly program syncs, bug scrubs and progress check-ins with internal teams
  • Provide regular updates on program status, progress, performance, and potential risks to management and key stakeholders

Minimum Qualifications 

  • Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering or related degree with 10+ years of work experience or Master of Science in Electrical Engineering or related degree with 7+ years of work experience
  • Prior expertise with electronics development.
  • Prior experience in Program Management
  • Experience using relevant tools such as JIRA, Confluence or SharePoint.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Prior experience working with optics.
  • Experience working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while managing multiple priorities.

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. Simply put – we power the future.

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:

When available, the salary range posted for this position reflects the projected hiring range for new hire, full-time salaries in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including equity or benefits. For non-sales roles the hiring ranges reflect base salary only; employees are also eligible to receive annual bonuses. Hiring ranges for sales positions include base and incentive compensation target. Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location and additional factors, including but not limited to skillset, experience, and relevant education, certifications, or training. Applicants may not be eligible for the full salary range based on their U.S. or Canada hiring location. The recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees have access to quality medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, short and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance and numerous wellbeing offerings.

Employees receive up to twelve paid holidays per calendar year, which includes one floating holiday (for non-exempt employees), plus a day off for their birthday. Non-Exempt new hires accrue up to 16 days of vacation time off each year, at a rate of 4.92 hours per pay period. Exempt new hires participate in Cisco’s flexible Vacation Time Off policy, which does not place a defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use, but is subject to availability and some business limitations. All new hires are eligible for Sick Time Off subject to Cisco’s Sick Time Off Policy and will have eighty (80) hours of sick time off provided on their hire date and on January 1st of each year thereafter.  Up to 80 hours of unused sick time will be carried forward from one calendar year to the next such that the maximum number of sick time hours an employee may have available is 160 hours. Employees in Illinois have a unique time off program designed specifically with local requirements in mind. All employees also have access to paid time away to deal with critical or emergency issues. We offer additional paid time to volunteer and give back to the community.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components. 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 up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

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