Principal DSP Engineer - Coherent Optical Transmission Systems - Acacia

Cisco Systems

  • Maynard, MA
  • Permanent
  • Full-time
  • 2 months ago
The application window is expected to close on 7/31/25Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.Meet the TeamJoin our team at Acacia, where we design advanced optical transceivers for high-speed fiber optic transmission in data centers and telecommunication networks. We're seeking enthusiastic, experienced individuals to work on the forefront of fiber optic technology. You'll be part of the team developing Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and Forward Error Correction (FEC) algorithms for our optical transceivers' Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs). Collaboration with colleagues from the DSP and ASIC teams is key to optimizing performance and power efficiency. You'll contribute to system design, develop architectures, and support ASIC design and verification. Work closely with colleagues across various fields and gain diverse knowledge in optical system testing, analog components, modeling, and more.Your ImpactWith your expertise in DSP for coherent optical transceivers, FEC, and modeling, you help the team to develop the next generation of low-power and high-performance coherent transceivers. Here are some examples of possible topics:
  • Invent, simulate and validate new DSP or FEC algorithms (both in floating-point and fixed-point precision) to improve performance and functionality or lower power consumption
  • Test and optimize these algorithms on actual hardware and correlate performance with previous simulations
  • Develop models of analog RF and optical components and evaluate system performance with these models
  • Analyze performance of developed transceiver modules and update models and simulation environments to accurately match the measured results
Minimum Qualifications:Typically: Bachelors + 15 years of related experience, or Masters + 12 years of related experience, or PhD + 8 years of related experience
  • + 10 years of industry experience in related fields.
  • Experience with Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and/or Forward Error Correction (FEC) for coherent optical communications.
  • Experience in modeling communication systems.
  • Programming experience in C/C++, Python, Matlab, or similar languages.
  • A master's or Ph.D. degree in mathematics, physics, or electrical engineering is highly recommended, although not strictly required.
Preferred Qualifications:A master's or Ph.D. degree in mathematics, physics, or electrical engineering is highly recommended, although not strictly required.
  • Experience with C++, Linux, and version control systems, specifically SVN and Perforce.
  • Experience with Verilog or VHDL, and/or collaboration with ASIC designers.
  • Experience presenting technical information to colleagues.
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.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 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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