Principal Technology Strategist

About the role

The successful candidate will operate at the intersection of IP networking, Optical networking, AI infrastructure, automation, silicon photonics, and next-generation interconnect technologies. As AI workloads drive unprecedented demand for scale, performance, efficiency, and connectivity, this individual will help Nokia define how architectures evolve and where new opportunities emerge across packet, optical, compute, component, and software ecosystems. This role is intended for a recognized industry leader who can influence customers, partners, product organizations, research teams, and executive stakeholders while helping position Nokia as a trusted advisor to hyperscalers, cloud providers, AI infrastructure operators, and digital infrastructure leaders.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Technology Leadership: Serve as the senior technology strategist for Nokia’s Americas AI & Cloud business. Partner with executive leadership to define long-term technology strategy, market positioning, investment priorities, and differentiated value propositions. Shape Nokia’s vision for converged architectures supporting AI factories, hyperscale cloud infrastructure, distributed inferencing, and next-generation data center ecosystems. Identify emerging market transitions and technology inflection points that can create new value for Nokia and its customers.
• IP + Optical Convergence Strategy: Drive strategic thinking around the evolution and convergence of IP and Optical networking technologies. Develop architectural frameworks that maximize the combined value of Nokia’s IP, Optical, data center networking, components, and automation capabilities.
• Future Architecture & Innovation: Evaluate emerging technologies and architecture transitions, including co-packaged optics (CPO), linear pluggable optics (LPO), near-packaged optics (NPO), silicon photonics, coherent pluggables, optical circuit switching, AI fabrics, scale-up and scale-out connectivity, high-performance data center interconnect, and next-generation interconnect architectures. Assess where value and control points may shift across systems, components, photonics, silicon, software, and operations, and translate those shifts into strategic recommendations. Influence internal technology roadmaps, strategic partnerships, ecosystem engagement, research priorities, and investment decisions.
• Executive Customer & Ecosystem Engagement: Build trusted relationships with customer CTOs, Distinguished Engineers, Fellows, Chief Architects, and executive/key decision‑makers. Lead strategic discussions on network evolution, AI infrastructure, architecture strategy, component and interconnect choices, and future technology adoption. Facilitate executive briefings, architecture workshops, innovation sessions, and joint technology roadmaps with priority customers. Engage relevant silicon, photonics, compute, systems, and software ecosystem partners to inform Nokia’s strategy and customer value proposition.
• Business & Portfolio Strategy: Develop customer-specific technology strategies that connect long-term business objectives with Nokia’s current and future capabilities. Support transformational opportunities across hyperscale, cloud, AI infrastructure, colocation, and digital infrastructure accounts. Identify opportunities for new offerings, reference architectures, partnerships, and go‑to‑market models.
• Organizational Leadership: Mentor technical leaders, architects, systems engineers, and sales teams without duplicating existing CTO, architecture, or Systems Engineering management responsibilities.

Qualifications

• Required: 12+ years of senior technical leadership experience in networking, cloud infrastructure, telecommunications, optical networking, semiconductors, photonics, data center systems, or a related technology field.