Global Innovation & Technology Manager

AFL manufactures industry-leading fiber optic cable, connectivity and accessories and provides engineering and installation services for some of the largest telecom customers in the world. Founded in 1984, AFL now manufactures thousands of products, generates over $3B in revenue, and employs approximately 12,000 associates worldwide. We invest in our employees to ensure success in their careers and offer opportunities for professional development and growth.

What We Offer

• Flexible time off policy
• 401K company match (up to 4% - dollar for dollar)
• Professional development, training, and tuition reimbursement programs
• Excellent medical, dental, vision, and life insurance policy options
• Opportunities for career advancement with an industry-leading company

About the Role

The Global Innovation and Technology Manager is a highly seasoned, global technical leader responsible for engaging with advanced customer engineering teams and translating emerging technologies into scalable, differentiated solutions. This role operates at the intersection of innovation, customer engagement, and ecosystem development—driving adoption of next-generation connectivity, optical, and networking technologies across AFL’s strategic accounts and partners. The position requires deep technical credibility, strong consultative engagement skills, and the ability to rapidly conceptualize and position solutions aligned to customer pain points and future-state architectures within a 3–5 year innovation horizon.

Responsibilities

• Advanced Customer Technical Engagement
  • Build trust and technical credibility quickly within target accounts
  • Engage directly with highly technical customer stakeholders (engineering, architecture, R&D) to understand complex system requirements
  • Uncover key pain points, performance gaps, and future-state needs through strong listening and probing skills
  • Rapidly conceptualize and translate customer requirements into viable solution concepts
• Solutions Architecture & Ecosystem Integration
  • Lead customer engagement across AFL’s emerging technology ecosystem including: Connectors (EBO, MMC, SN-MT, ganged solutions), Fiber & cable technologies (MCF, HCF, advanced fiber designs), Networking & switching architectures
  • Provide expertise in: Transceiver technologies and protocol evolution, High-speed data transmission standards, UEC, InfiniBand (IB), LPO, and optical circuit switching
  • Design integrated solutions that align with evolving data center and AI infrastructure demands
• Strategic Technical Partnerships
  • Develop and support strategic partnerships with key ecosystem players (e.g., NVIDIA, Polatis, CPO/OBO initiatives)
  • Collaborate with partners to co-develop and position joint solutions
  • Maintain strong awareness of partner roadmaps and alignment opportunities
• Global Solutions Engineering Enablement
  • Act as a senior technical resource and escalation point for regional Solution Engineers
  • Support complex opportunities, customer workshops, and technical validations
  • Enable field teams with solution frameworks, messaging, and technical guidance
• Technology Thought Leadership
  • Establish AFL as a leader in emerging technologies through white papers, blogs, and technical publications
  • Develop solution guides and reference architectures
  • Represent AFL at industry forums, customer briefings, and technical discussions
  • Provide forward-looking insights on technology trends and adoption pathways
• Innovation & Market Alignment
  • Support alignment of emerging technologies within a 3–5 year adoption window
  • Provide feedback to product management and innovation teams based on customer engagement
  • Help shape solution strategy based on real-world customer demand and ecosystem evolution

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent experience; advanced degree is a plus
• 10+ years of experience in solutions engineering, systems architecture, or advanced technical sales within a highly technical data center environment
• Demonstrated expertise in optical networking, data center infrastructure, or high-speed connectivity solutions
• Strong understanding of emerging technologies including AI data center architectures and next-generation interconnects
• Proven ability to engage and influence highly technical customer audiences
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and consultative problem-solving skills
• Experience working across global teams and regions

Working Conditions

• Environment: Office-based or remote work environment
• Travel: Moderate travel (domestic and international) as needed