OPT Packaging Engineer Jobs
Packaging Engineer jobs are a strong fit for OPT work authorization, with roles spanning consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and food manufacturing. Most positions require a degree in packaging science, mechanical engineering, or materials science, and STEM OPT extension eligibility is common given the technical nature of the work.
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The application window is expected to close on: 02/25/2027
This position requires that you live within commuting distance of our San Jose, CA office and commute to the office at least 4-5 days per week.
Meet the Team
Cisco Silicon One (#CiscoSiliconOne) is a business organization with a long track record of building complex and high-performance Silicon ASICs. Our silicon devices drive the world’s most complex networks and carry over 90% of IP traffic. Cisco Silicon One is the only unifying silicon architecture in the market that enables customers to deploy the best-of-breed silicon from Top of Rack (TOR) switches all the way through web scale data centers and across service provider, enterprise networks, and data centers with a fully unified routing and switching portfolio.
We are a highly specialized ASIC team with experts in all aspects of advanced IC package design and heterogeneous system integration. Our substrates use the latest 2.5D fanout technologies for large-scale integration, using the latest signaling and data transfer technologies. Come join us and take part in shaping Cisco's ground-breaking solutions by designing, developing and testing some of the most complex ASICs being developed in the industry!
Your Impact
We are seeking a qualified Signal and Power Integrity Engineer to help us develop our next generation ASIC packaging to help define, design and verify ASIC packaging to be deployed in a range of Cisco platforms.
- Develop, document, and implement design rules for ultra-high-speed signaling, ensuring power, performance, and area goals are met for products.
- Analyze substrate signal integrity (SI) and power integrity (PI), providing feedback and collaborating with the layout team to develop optimal solutions across interposer, substrate, and PCB.
- Design, document, and develop ASIC packages for high-volume, high-quality release, including post-layout extraction and reporting.
- Collaborate with system partners, vendors, and design leads to achieve combined power and signal integrity and to resolve complex technical issues using advanced technology design rules.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelors + 2 years of related experience, or Masters + 0 years of related experience.
- High-Speed Design & Theory: Experience with high-speed design principles, including Transmission Line Theory, electromagnetics, scattering parameters, and impedance network analysis, specifically applied to 56G PAM4 SerDes architectures, channel modeling, and BER prediction.
- SI/PI Simulation and Validation: Experience in pre- and post-layout signal and power integrity (SI/PI) analysis. This includes experience with simulation using industry-standard EDA tools (e.g., Cadence Sigrity, Ansys HFSS, Keysight ADS) and/or physical validation through detailed layout reviews and design validation using tools such as Cadence APD and Ansys EM flows as well as lab measurements using VNA, TDR, and other relevant instruments to validate simulations to measurements correlations.
- Measurement Planning & Execution: Experience planning and executing comprehensive SI/PI measurements and laboratory characterization, including VNA measurements, TDR, impedance profiling, insertion/return loss analysis, and full channel characterization.
- Validation, Debug & Tooling: Experience performing SI/PI characterization, validation, and debug of high-speed systems and packages using advanced equipment such as high-bandwidth oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, and probe stations.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with articulating ideas and technical concepts to diverse audiences, both verbally and in writing.
- Experience with high-bandwidth memory (HBM) or high-speed memory interface SI.
- Experience with die-to-die interfaces (UCIe or proprietary).
- Experience with advanced packaging (CoWoS, EMIB, interposer-based designs), including SI/PI analysis of 2.5D ASIC packaging.
- Experience with developing and executing test plans for high-speed interfaces, correlate measurement results with simulations, and drive root-cause analysis of SI/PI issues.
- Experience with analyzing and interpreting S-parameters, channel characteristics, crosstalk, reflections, impedance discontinuities, and power delivery network performance.
- Experience with collaborating with ASIC, package, board design, and system engineering teams to optimize end-to-end signal and power integrity.
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 $125,700.00 to $176,600.00 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:
$125,700.00 - $203,100.00
Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:
$111,700.00 - $180,800.00
- 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.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Packaging Engineer
Target STEM-designated programs first
Packaging engineering roles often qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Confirm your degree program's CIP code is STEM-designated before applying, so you can honestly communicate your full three-year authorization window to employers.
Lead with your technical specialization
Employers hiring packaging engineers want specifics. Mention materials experience (rigid plastics, flexible films, corrugated), software proficiency (CAPE, ArtiosCAD, SolidWorks), and any sustainability or lightweighting projects. Generic resumes get filtered out quickly in this field.
Focus on industries with high sponsorship history
Consumer packaged goods companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and medical device firms sponsor OPT and H-1B visa workers regularly. Research company size and hiring patterns before applying to prioritize employers likely to support future visa sponsorship.
Highlight compliance and regulatory knowledge
Packaging engineers in pharma and medical devices work within FDA and ISO regulatory frameworks. Calling out familiarity with 21 CFR Part 11, ISTA testing standards, or GMP environments signals specialized value that justifies the OPT hiring process for employers.
Address OPT timing proactively in applications
Packaging engineering roles often involve multi-month product launch cycles. Reassure employers early that your OPT timeline accommodates a full project contribution, and clarify your STEM extension eligibility to remove uncertainty about authorization duration.
Build your portfolio around measurable outcomes
Packaging engineers are evaluated on cost reduction, material waste, line efficiency, and product protection results. Quantify your contributions from internships or capstone projects, as concrete numbers make OPT candidates significantly more competitive against domestic applicants.
Packaging Engineer OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Packaging Engineer on OPT?
Yes, packaging engineering is a qualifying field for OPT work authorization as long as the role is directly related to your degree in packaging science, mechanical engineering, materials science, or a closely related discipline. Most full-time packaging engineer positions at manufacturers, CPG companies, and contract packagers meet this standard. If your degree is STEM-designated, you may also qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving you up to three years of total work authorization.
Does a Packaging Engineer role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your specific degree program's CIP code, not the job title itself. Degrees in packaging science, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, materials science, and chemical engineering are frequently STEM-designated and support the extension. Your Designated School Official can confirm whether your program qualifies. If it does, you can work for up to three years on OPT total, which makes you a significantly more attractive hire for employers evaluating long-term sponsorship options.
What types of employers hire Packaging Engineers on OPT?
The broadest opportunities are in consumer packaged goods, pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturing, medical device companies, food and beverage producers, and contract packaging firms. Large CPG companies like those in personal care, household products, and food processing hire packaging engineers regularly and have established immigration compliance processes. Migrate Mate is a good starting point for finding packaging engineer roles at employers who actively consider OPT candidates.
What does a Packaging Engineer actually do day-to-day?
Packaging engineers design, test, and optimize packaging systems for physical protection, regulatory compliance, manufacturing efficiency, and sustainability goals. Day-to-day work typically involves materials selection, prototype development, ISTA or ASTM performance testing, supplier coordination, and cross-functional collaboration with product development and operations teams. In regulated industries like pharma and medical devices, engineers also maintain documentation for FDA submissions and ensure packaging meets GMP and ISO standards.
Do Packaging Engineer employers typically sponsor H-1B visas after OPT?
Sponsorship rates vary significantly by employer size and industry. Large pharmaceutical companies, major CPG brands, and medical device manufacturers tend to have more established sponsorship processes and HR infrastructure to support H-1B petitions. Smaller contract packagers or regional manufacturers may be less familiar with the process. Starting your OPT in a role at a large employer with documented sponsorship history gives you the best odds of transitioning from OPT to H-1B when your authorization period ends.