VP, Optical Engineering & Manufacturing

Role overview

Responsibilities

• Set global manufacturing and operations strategy for optical networking products and high-volume pluggable solutions.
• Manage global contract manufacturer relationships, capacity, quality, cost competitiveness, and supply continuity.
• Lead pre-GA ramp and manufacturing readiness across R&D for successful product launches.
• Drive design-for-manufacturing strategies across engineering, test, supply chain, quality, and manufacturing teams.
• Influence CAPEX; establish processes, test infrastructure, and governance for production at millions of units annually.
• Lead post-GA performance, yield improvement, workforce training, test optimization, QRBs, binning, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee global development, testing, qualification, and production sites; build supplier and partner relationships.
• Provide matrix leadership, accountability, governance, and timely decision-making.

Qualifications

• At least 15 years in optical networking, photonics, telecommunications hardware, semiconductor-adjacent technology, or comparable high-tech manufacturing.
• Technical depth in optical components, pluggable technologies, and complex electro-optical systems.
• Track record scaling products from NPI and engineering validation through pre-GA ramp and high-volume global production.
• Expertise in manufacturing engineering, industrialization, supplier strategy, quality systems, operational excellence, and production governance.
• Experience leading global cross-functional programs with engineering, hardware, firmware, supply chain, quality, and manufacturing partners.
• Strong communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills in a global matrix; able to align senior leaders and ensure accountability.
• Experience with geographically distributed manufacturing ecosystems in North America, Europe, and Asia; executive presence, resilience, credibility, and leadership maturity.

Success factors

• Scale optical pluggable operations from pre-GA ramp through sustained post-GA production.
• Build trusted internal engineering and external manufacturing partnerships.
• Improve operational efficiency, yield, test time, quality, cost, and delivery across the manufacturing value chain.