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# Control Systems & Embedded Software Technical Leader, Acacia

- **Company:** Cisco Systems, Inc.
- **Location:** Maynard, MA, United States
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Salary:** $166,300.0 - $238,300.0
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Board Bringup, Data Analysis, ARM Architecture, JIRA, Automation of Tests, C++ (Programming Language), Computer Engineering, Software Debugging, Embedded C, Embedded Software, Firmware, FreeRTOS, Python (Programming Language), MATLAB, PID Controllers, Perforce, Real-Time Operating Systems, VxWorks, Multithreading, State Machines, Git, Bare Metal, Software Version Control
- **Published:** October 23, 2026
- **Apply:** https://dejobs.org/x/x/7224829076D345E6B18B6F66E5C1AAEC/job/

## About the Role

* Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Electronics, or Computer Engineering or related field with 8+ years of professional experience.
 * 6+ years in low-level embedded C and C++ programming for physical hardware control.
 * 5+ years development of embedded firmware on bare-metal systems and real-time operating systems (RTOS such as VxWorks, FreeRTOS, ThreadX, or similar).
 * Design, implementation and tuning real-time control systems (e.g., closed-loop feedback, PID control algorithms, or motion/thermal control loops) on embedded microcontrollers (such as ARM Cortex-M or Cortex-R).
 * Ability to work 100% onsite during the initial one-year onboarding period, (with hybrid flexibility available thereafter)., * Development of control firmware for optical transceivers, laser controllers, optical amplifiers, or telecommunications hardware.
 * Expertise with schematic reading, board bring-up, and lab instrumentation (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, optical spectrum analyzers).
 * Development of multithreaded control-plane firmware, interrupt handlers, and complex finite state machines.
 * Proficiency with version control (Git, Jira, Perforce) and test automation/data analysis scripting (Python, MATLAB).
 * Background in semiconductor devices, hardware startups, sensor integration, or automated test platforms.

## Description

As a Control Systems & Embedded Software Technical Leader, you will be a vital technical specialist responsible for designing and implementing high-speed closed-loop control systems, PID algorithms, and real-time embedded firmware that govern Acacia's high-performance optical modules and transceivers.

In this hands-on engineering specialist role, you will:

 * Design, tune, and optimize real-time closed-loop control algorithms (PID, motion control, temperature, and optical power stabilization) operating directly on bare-metal and RTOS microcontroller platforms.
 * Develop highly efficient, compact embedded C/C++ firmware to configure, monitor, and calibrate hardware subsystems across ARM Cortex-M and Cortex-R cores.
 * Work closely with Hardware, Optics, and Calibration teams to bring up new boards, characterize feedback loops, and debug electro-optical interactions.
 * Implement firmware state machines, low-level peripheral drivers, and high-reliability data/control paths.
 * Own critical firmware features from algorithm simulation to production release, ensuring the highest reliability under demanding and optical conditions.