SR MGR R&D/PRODUCT DVL ENGINEERING

Job Overview

Data communications applications change at an exponential pace, and TE Connectivity’s Digital Data Networks Business Unit (DDN BU) is at the heart of a continuously expanding connected life. We provide responsive, iterative, and fundamentally agile capabilities to support today's demands. Our customers are building the devices and the infrastructure that is redefining what information technology means. Our products drive market innovation and meet the ever-changing needs of an increasingly connected, data-driven world. We are enhancing the way we do business, focusing on the most important things and staying agile and responsive to the needs of a faster, more connected world.

As the R&D Product Development Engineer – Optical System Architect (SA), you will drive the next generation of Technology innovations in the Optical connectivity area. You will be focused on pluggable optical transceivers, near/co-package optical transceivers, optical interconnects for advanced AI/HPC environment, compute, storage, and networking hardware markets. 

You will apply your technical expertise and industry knowledge to influence the BU strategy and contribute to key product/technology decisions. You will collaborate closely with the Business Development and Strategy teams on M&A scenarios and projects, performing technical evaluations and assessing how the technology will intersect with future product/technology trends and the needs of our customers and industry. This role reports to the Director, leading the broader SA organization.

What your background should look like:

Key Responsibilities: 

1. Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of optical system architects and technical experts.
• Set clear goals, prioritize initiatives, and foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous learning.
• Attract top optical engineering talent and grow internal capability to support advanced development initiatives.
• Proactively identify and assess technology disruptors, translating emerging trends into strategic R&D initiatives and product development roadmaps to maintain TE’s industry leadership.
• Cultivate and strengthen customer partnerships, fostering co-development opportunities and collaborative innovation to accelerate next-gen infrastructure advancements.
• Drive thought leadership by educating and influencing internal and external stakeholders, from executives and product teams to key decision-makers in customer organizations, on emerging industry trends, TE’s technical capabilities, and high-value engineering solutions.

2. Technical Strategy & System Architecture

• Guide the team in defining and delivering system-level architectures for pluggable, co-packaged (CPO), and near-packaged optics (NPO) across electrical, optical, thermal, and mechanical domains.
• Oversee technical assessments, modeling, and optimization of next-gen interconnects for performance, scalability, power efficiency, and manufacturability.
• Ensure alignment between TE’s product portfolio and evolving standards such as PCIe, CXL, Ethernet, and InfiniBand, especially as they relate to AI/ML workloads.
• Drive technical due diligence for potential partnerships, acquisitions, and ecosystem collaborations, ensuring TE stays at the forefront of innovation.

3. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Program Execution

• Collaborate across ASIC, packaging, SI/PI, photonics, and manufacturing teams to deliver manufacturable, scalable optical solutions.
• Ensure team alignment with product management, marketing, and commercial teams to position technical innovations in support of business growth.
• Oversee execution of high-impact technical programs, balancing innovation with time-to-market and commercial feasibility.

4. Strategic Impact & Innovation Leadership

• Translate long-term industry and technology trends into actionable architectural strategies for TE’s optical portfolio.
• Lead technical due diligence in support of M&A and strategic partnership opportunities.
• Drive IP generation and support technical publications, reinforcing TE’s reputation as a leader in optical interconnects.
• Represent TE in customer discussions and industry forums as a subject matter expert in co-packaged optics.

Requirements

1. 15+ years’ experience in the optical transceiver market (supplier or specifier role)-
2. In depth knowledge of the key optical technologies servicing the different optical interconnect distances inside a datacenter.
3. Hands on experience in design & testing of optical transceivers and optical components.  Silicon Photonics background HIGHLY desired.
4. In-depth knowledge of compute, networking, AI / ML, and storage architectures.
5. Have and build strong industry relationships with key senior architects at TE’s most important customers and standard organizations.  Participate in and be recognized by key technical forums.  MUST be recognized as a creditable optical market professional
6. Strategic minded with a proven ability to translate industry and technical trends into meaningful strategies for the business.
7. Bachelor’s degree in Optical Engineering or Electrical Engineering

Competencies