Fiber Alignment Process Engineer

Location: Taiwan

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 to move each product from prototype to sustained volume.

Your Impact

Own the process and automation strategy for fiber alignment in optical product manufacturing — define process flows, equipment requirements, and alignment approaches for fiber attach, detachable and permanent fiber bundles, and aligner development.
Drive early engagement for design-for-manufacturing and design-for-cost on fiber alignment processes — work with engineering, operations, suppliers, and manufacturing partners to influence platform decisions early and improve manufacturability, automation feasibility, and scalable cost structures for fiber attach steps.
Develop and refine fiber alignment manufacturing processes for scale — improve yield, cycle time, repeatability, and operational adaptability for aligner and fiber attach steps across new and existing optical product platforms, ensuring processes support ramp and long-term manufacturing needs. Identify choke points, solve equipment and process gaps, and ensure capability supports delivery.
Identify and qualify fiber alignment equipment for Cisco products — evaluate and select capital equipment for fiber-array attach and aligner development. Collaborate with vendors to develop equipment solutions 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 fiber alignment equipment, process flows, documentation, and operating knowledge to internal operations teams and contract manufacturing partners so that transfers are balanced and repeatable.

Minimum Qualifications

7+ years experience in process, equipment, and/or test engineering in optics, opto-electronics, or semiconductor packaging, with direct experience in fiber attach or optical alignment, 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 fiber alignment or fiber attach 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.
Skills in fiber handling and routing, including fiber harness design, strain relief, connector termination (MPO/MTP, LC), and management of bend radius and routing constraints within a dense optical package.
Understanding of active optical alignment processes — real-time optical power feedback, multi-axis sub-micron positioning (X/Y/Z, pitch/yaw/roll), and the material handling required to fixture and move fiber arrays and photonic die without inducing stress or misalignment.
Understanding of epoxy systems used in optical coupling, including UV-cure and thermal-cure adhesive selection, dispense volume and placement control, cure-shrinkage effects on alignment stability, and long-term bond-line reliability under temperature cycling and humidity.
Proficient in root cause analysis methodologies (FMEA, 8D, DMAIC) and DOE-based process characterization — structuring experiments to isolate alignment and attach process variables, analyzing yield and performance data, and translating results into process windows and control limits.

Preferred Skills

Master's degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field.
Experience with fiber attach, optical alignment systems, or automated optical assembly process development and qualification (DOE, SPC, PFMEA, capability studies).
Exposure to next-generation optics manufacturing concepts, including pluggable transceivers, CPO/NPO, and related process development.
Background in optics and optical components — familiarity with laser diodes, photodetectors, lenses, and fiber array units (FAUs), and how their tolerances drive alignment and attach process requirements.

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.