Job Overview

At TE Connectivity, we help build the technologies that keep the world connected. As a global leader in connectivity and sensor solutions, we partner with customers across industries to develop innovative products that power transportation, industrial, medical, energy, aerospace, and data infrastructure applications.

The Digital Data Networks department is seeking an experienced Staff R&D Product Development Engineer to lead the development of next-generation high-speed connector and interconnect solutions for data center, AI, compute, storage, and networking applications. This role is responsible for driving product development from concept through production release, translating customer requirements into innovative engineering solutions, and collaborating across multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-performance products.

The ideal candidate combines deep expertise in connector design and new product development with a strong understanding of Signal Integrity (SI) principles and high-speed interconnect technologies.

Role and Responsibilities

Product Development & Technical Leadership

• Lead new connector development projects from concept through prototyping, validation, qualification, and production release.
• Translate customer and system requirements into product specifications, connector architectures, and engineering solutions.
• Design and optimize connector systems, including contacts, housings, grounding structures, materials, and tolerance requirements.
• Evaluate design tradeoffs related to electrical performance, mechanical performance, reliability, manufacturability, scalability, and cost.
• Conduct design reviews, DFMEA activities, design verification, qualification testing, and technical problem-solving.
• Identify technical risks and implement corrective actions and design improvements.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineering team members.

High-Speed Connector & Signal Integrity Development

• Apply Signal Integrity fundamentals, including impedance control, insertion loss, return loss, crosstalk, grounding, and shielding considerations.
• Optimize connector performance through understanding of contact geometry, dielectric materials, PCB interfaces, and pin assignments.
• Partner with Signal Integrity engineers to review simulation data, measurement results, and electrical performance requirements.
• Balance SI performance requirements with manufacturing, reliability, and cost objectives.
• Support development of products aligned with emerging industry standards, including PCIe, CXL, Ethernet, and other next-generation interfaces.

Design Validation & Manufacturing Support

• Develop and execute design verification and qualification plans.
• Lead prototype builds, testing activities, failure analysis, root-cause investigations, and design optimization efforts.
• Collaborate with manufacturing and tooling teams to ensure robust designs suitable for high-volume production.
• Apply knowledge of connector manufacturing processes, including stamping, injection molding, plating, assembly, and automation.
• Support product industrialization, qualification, and production ramp-up activities.

Customer & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work directly with customers and internal stakeholders to understand technical requirements and future interconnect needs.
• Recommend and develop connector solutions based on application and system requirements.
• Collaborate closely with Signal Integrity, Manufacturing, Tooling, Quality, Product Management, Operations, and Supplier Engineering teams.
• Support customer design reviews, prototype evaluations, qualification efforts, and issue resolution.
• Communicate technical decisions, project status, risks, and development progress to stakeholders.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related engineering discipline.
• Minimum 7 years of engineering experience, preferably in connector, interconnect, or electromechanical product development.
• Proven experience leading new product development projects from concept through production release.
• Strong background in connector design for high-speed data communication, data center, server, storage, networking, or AI infrastructure applications.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional engineering and manufacturing teams throughout the product lifecycle.

Skills

Technical Skills

• Connector architecture and mechanical design.
• GD&T, tolerance analysis, material selection, and Design for Manufacturability (DFM).
• Understanding of connector components, contact systems, housing structures, grounding concepts, and PCB interfaces.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes including stamping, molding, plating, assembly, and automation.
• Signal Integrity fundamentals, including:
• Impedance
• Insertion loss
• Return loss
• Crosstalk
• Dk/Df
• Grounding and shielding
• Familiarity with high-speed interconnect technologies such as PCIe, CXL, Ethernet, and related standards.
• Experience working with engineering design and analysis tools such as Creo, SolidWorks, ANSYS, or equivalent.

Professional Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple complex technical projects independently.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to mentor and guide other engineers.

Other Information

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing high-speed board-to-board, board-to-cable, card-edge, backplane, or internal I/O connectors.
• Experience with 112G/224G PAM4 and next-generation high-speed interconnect technologies.
• Experience optimizing contact geometry, grounding structures, dielectric materials, and pin assignments for electrical performance.
• Proven success taking products through the full development lifecycle, from concept and prototype through tooling and mass production.
• Experience working directly with customers in data center, server, storage, networking, or AI infrastructure markets.
• Patents, invention disclosures, or demonstrated innovation in connector and interconnect technologies are highly desirable.

Travel Requirements

• Ability to travel approximately 10% to 25% as needed.