The application window is expected to close on: 09/11/2026
Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received .
Meet the Team
Join the Acacia team at Cisco, where we drive innovation in high-speed optical networking to power the world's most critical connectivity infrastructure. Our culture thrives on collaborative problem-solving and the diverse expertise of our team members as we tackle complex engineering challenges. You will have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology that directly shapes the future of global communications. We are looking for passionate individuals ready to contribute to a team that values both technical excellence and meaningful impact.
Your Impact
As a Senior Systems Applications Engineer (SAE) at Acacia, you will serve as the primary technical bridge between our premier customers and our internal product organizations. You are a technical authority who facilitates the "design-in" process, ensuring our cutting-edge coherent optical technology is seamlessly integrated into customer platforms.
This is a high-impact role that combines deep technical expertise with strategic business acumen. You will not only support existing products but also influence the future of the Acacia portfolio by collaborating with Product Management, Engineering, and Sales to define, validate, and launch the next generation of optical solutions.
Key Responsibilities
Customer Design-in & Technical Support: Lead the technical engagement for Acacia's premier customers. Provide expert guidance during the hardware and software integration phases to ensure successful product adoption and performance.
Strategic Product Influence: Leverage broader industry knowledge and technical expertise to contribute to portfolio development and technical product strategy. Partner with Product Management to align our roadmap with market drivers and technical trends.
Competitive Differentiation: Apply specialist knowledge of Acacia's products and the competitive landscape to differentiate our offerings. Support Sales teams in high-stakes customer engagements by articulating our unique value propositions.
Cross-Functional Product Refinement: Work closely with Product Development, UX Design, Customer Experience (CX), and Sales to refine products. Ensure that new features and functions are designed specifically to address evolving customer needs and expand market share.
Early-Stage Validation: Participate in early product development cycles by validating features and functions. Act as the "voice of the customer" during the NPI (New Product Introduction) process to ensure high-quality, executable results.
Trusted Advisor & Advocate: Build and maintain deep-rooted relationships with customer technical teams. Serve as a champion for the customer internally while acting as a trusted advisor externally on product functionality and roadmaps.
Technical Evangelism: Lead product demonstrations, participate in industry forums, and champion technical functionality throughout the entire product lifecycle-from launch to maturity.
Enablement & Documentation: Develop comprehensive training materials, product specifications, and technical documentation to empower partners, field engineers, and the global sales team.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelors + 12 years of experience, or Masters + 8 years of experience or related work experience.
Experience with one or more of the following, Coherent Optical Technology, Digital Signal Processing (DSP), and high-speed host/client interfaces (Ethernet/OTN).
Prior experience with standards organizations (OIF, IEEE, OpenZR+, OpenROADM) or the competitive landscape of the optical networking market.
Proven experience working across functional silos (Engineering, Marketing, Sales) to drive consensus and deliver measurable results.
Preferred Qualifications
Communication: Exceptional ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, executable requirements and compelling marketing narratives.
Problem Solving: A "roll-up-your-sleeves" approach to debugging and resolving complex system-level issues.
Prior experience working as an SAE or similar role.
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.
Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:
The starting salary range posted for this position is $194,600.00 to $285,700.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation*, equity, or benefits.
Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.
U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco's plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.
U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco's policies:
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
Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees
Exempt employees participate in Cisco's flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)
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
For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco's policies.
Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. 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 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.
The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:
New York City Metro Area:
$194,600.00 - $328,600.00
Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:
$179,000.00 - $294,000.00
For quota-based sales roles on Cisco's sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.
** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.
Cisco is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis.
Cisco will consider for employment, on a case by case basis, qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
