Principal Software Engineer | Optical Solutions LeadOptical Solutions Lead (DWDM/ROADM)
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Before you apply
LocationBangalore, India
Work modeon-site
SeniorityLead
Experience15+ yrs
DepartmentEngineering
Company size10,000+ people
PostedOct 29, 2026 · 6d ago
Verified live1d ago
At a glanceSummarised by Seekless from the posting.
Bachelors + 15+ years of related experience, or Masters + 12+ years, or PhD + 9+ years in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, Telecommunications, or a related technical rigor
15+ years of hands-on experience in Optical DWDM Systems: DWDM line system design, ROADM architectures, coherent optics, optical amplification, optical link budget/impairment modeling
Experience crafting technical strategy, making critical architectural decisions, and developing product roadmaps for sophisticated optical transport platforms
Experience integrating hardware, embedded software, optical planning tools, and optical physical-layer control into carrier-grade and hyperscale production environments
Prior experience guiding engineering teams and interacting directly with Tier-1 Service Provider and Hyperscaler optical architects to tackle large-scale DWDM deployment challenges
Consistent track record leading end-to-end delivery of complex optical line systems, transponders/muxponders, or open optical platforms from concept to commercial deployment
Deep knowledge of modern optical network modeling, automated power/gain equalization algorithms, and optical performance monitoring
Active contributor to or recognized leadership in optical standards bodies and consortia (Open ROADM MSA, OIF, ITU-T SG15, or TIP Open Optical)
Strong multitasking, multi-functional communication, and technical leadership skills in a fast-paced product development environment
Skills
DWDM
ROADM
WSS
coherent optics
optical amplification
EDFA
Raman
optical link budget modeling
OSNR
CD
PMD
nonlinearities
optical planning tools
embedded software
optical physical-layer control
network modeling
automated power/gain equalization algorithms
optical performance monitoring
Meet the Team
At Cisco, you’ll join a diverse and collaborative team of innovators dedicated to crafting the future of optical technology. As a Principal engineer here, you’ll have the opportunity to solve complex challenges in high-capacity optical transmission and make a significant impact at a global scale. We value creativity, continuous learning, and a passion for building reliable, high-performance, and ground-breaking DWDM systems. Together, we’re driving the next generation of optical connectivity and digital infrastructure.
Your Impact
About the role
As a Principal Engineer - Optical Solutions Lead, you will serve as a authority and advisor to Cisco’s engineering business and management. You will guide the direction of DWDM optical line systems, ROADM platforms, and high-speed coherent transponders. You will define and drive the adoption of ground breaking optical transport technologies, represent Cisco in key industry standards bodies, and guide the development and customer delivery of new DWDM products. You will:
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Guide engineering leaders and teams through the orchestration of DWDM projects and the architecture of optical transport systems.
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Advise senior management on sophisticated and physical-layer challenges, providing insights for product and portfolio decisions.
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Lead the definition, design, and integration of innovative DWDM line systems, open optical line systems (OOLS), ROADM architectures (CDC/Flex-Grid), controllers and coherent transponder platforms.
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Work closely with PLM, Eng, Architecture team to Bridget the hyperscaler requirements to engineering deliverable and take accountability for the final outcome,
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Define technical vision, system specifications, and multi-year roadmaps for DWDM solutions that drive market leadership across Service Provider and Hyperscaler networks.
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Mentor and develop senior engineering talent, encouraging a culture of technical rigor, patent creation, and optical engineering excellence.
Minimum Qualifications
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Bachelors + 15+ years of related experience, or Masters + 12+ years of related experience, or PhD + 9+ years of related experience in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, Telecommunications, or a related technical rigor.
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15+ years of hands-on experience in Optical DWDM Systems: Extensive domain expertise in DWDM line system design, ROADM architectures (CDC, Flex-Grid, WSS), coherent optics, optical amplification (EDFA, Raman), and optical link budget/impairment modeling (OSNR, CD, PMD, nonlinearities).
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Experience crafting technical strategy, making critical architectural decisions, and developing product roadmaps for sophisticated optical transport platforms.
•
Experience integrating hardware, embedded software, optical planning tools, and optical physical-layer control into carrier-grade and hyperscale production environments.
Preferred Qualifications
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Prior experience guiding engineering teams and interacting directly with Tier-1 Service Provider and Hyperscaler optical architects to tackle large-scale DWDM deployment challenges.
•
Consistent track record leading end-to-end delivery of complex optical line systems, transponders/muxponders, or open optical platforms from concept to commercial deployment.
•
Deep knowledge of modern optical network modeling, automated power/gain equalization algorithms, and optical performance monitoring.
•
Active contributor to or recognized leadership in optical standards bodies and consortia (Open ROADM MSA, OIF, ITU-T SG15, or TIP Open Optical).
•
Strong multitasking, multi-functional communication, and technical leadership skills in a fast-paced product development environment.
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.
Disclaimer
To ensure that we hire the best talent in the right way, we follow a strict hiring process and recently, Cisco has been made aware of fraudulent recruiters claiming to be from the company. Please be advised that any communication from Cisco about careers will:
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be in direct response to an application you have submitted through the company career site
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begin with screening or an interview
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originate from a Cisco email address, and
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be conducted across email, phone, or WebEx
Cisco will never make a job offer without conducting an interview process or ask you for money in any way. If you have been requested to apply for a role or have received an offer from a site other than https://careers.cisco.com or cisco.wd5.myworkday.com, do not provide any personal identifying information, including your Aadhaar or other personal identifying number, birth certificate, banking information, driver’s license, or passport.
If you are the target of a recruiting scam, consider filing a report with your local law enforcement authorities. Cisco bears no responsibility, and cannot be held liable, for any claims, damages, expenses, or other inconvenience resulting from or in any way connected to recruiting scams.