Senior Director, Platform Engineering

About the role

The Senior Director of Platform Engineering will lead a world-class engineering organization responsible for delivering complete accelerated compute systems that power customized hyperscale datacenter solutions. This executive will oversee a multidisciplinary team including Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Thermal Design, Firmware Engineering, Board and Hardware Development. This leader will be instrumental in driving the development and sustainment of accelerated compute and standard server platforms from concept through volume production. They will work across a highly collaborative environment, partnering with key stakeholders to ensure alignment with strategic goals. The Senior Director will build and scale a high-performing team known for technical excellence, rapid time to market, and operational rigor. They will set aggressive yet achievable development schedules, monitor progress closely, balance resources effectively, and drive cross-functional engineering efforts to deliver innovative, high-quality products.

Responsibilities

• Build and mentor a highly motivated, enthusiastic, and skilled engineering team.
• Provide strong leadership by encouraging creative problem solving, focusing on employee development and performance, and ensuring that teams continually acquire new technology & management skills.
• Enable ZT with new product designs by understanding server architectures and driving design requirements to meet customer use cases, standards, and specifications.
• Ensure that the system level elements of next generation platform solutions are optimized and tradeoffs are well thought through.
• Bridge FAE, Sales, R&D and third parties from an engineering perspective.
• Drive the development of standard engineering practices and product lifecycle management.
• Implement processes and metrics to ensure that the engineering organization is extremely efficient and focused, and that the product is market ready.

Candidate Profile

This executive must be a seasoned engineer and manager with experience developing and shipping a portfolio of innovative products. A technical expert, they will be knowledgeable across all facets of hardware engineering and have proven experience working across functions in an engineering organization. A hands-on leader, this executive must be able to harness creativity and passion, building rapport with and guiding a team of high-performing engineers. They will have demonstrated the ability to implement, manage, and execute scalable processes that result in a high level of performance against schedules and deliverables. This leader will thrive in a fast-paced atmosphere where everyone is pushing toward a shared ambitious vision. Strong communication skills are essential, as this executive will need to collaborate with technical and business professionals within and outside the company.

Knowledge and Skills

• Excellent strategic acumen and ability to take ideas to reality by working with execution teams.
• Leadership in selecting, building and developing strong innovation driven teams.
• Understand the entire system development lifecycle, including integration, test and validation.
• Understanding of the manufacturing process and can work with leading design and manufacturing teams.
• Excellent communication, social, and leadership skills.
• Strong knowledge of English; both oral and written skills.
• Experience and a very good understanding of system hardware, firmware and software as well as strength in system architecture, integration and validation.
• A BSEE or similar technical degree.
• 15 years of System Design and Development experience or equivalent.
• Proven track record of leading global system development teams.

Setting Strategy

• Create and articulate an inspiring vision for the organization, not only for the areas s/he is directly responsible for, but the enterprise.
• Seek and analyze data from a variety of sources to support decisions and to align others with the organization's overall strategy.
• Develop new, innovative ideas that will stretch the organization and push the boundaries within the industry.
• Balance the desire/need for broad change with an understanding of how much change the organization is capable of handling; create realistic goals and implementation plans that are achievable and successful.

Executing for Results

• Set clear and challenging goals while committing the organization to improved performance.
• Adapt nimbly and lead others through complex situations.
• Take smart risks.
• Act in a transparent and consistent manner while always considering what is best for the organization.

Leading Teams

• Attract and recruit top talent, motivate the team, delegate effectively, celebrate diversity within the team, and manage performance.
• Persevere in the face of challenges and exhibit a steadfast resolve and relentless commitment to higher standards, which commands respect from followers.
• Be self-reflective and aware of his/her own limitations; lead by example and drive the organization's performance with an attitude of continuous improvement by being open to feedback and self-improvement.

Relationships and Influence

• Naturally connect and build strong relationships with others, demonstrating strong emotional intelligence and an ability to communicate clearly and persuasively.
• Inspire trust and followership in others through compelling influence, powerful charisma, passion in his/her beliefs, and active drive.
• Create a sense of purpose/meaning for the team that generates followership beyond his/her own personality and engages others to the greater purpose for the organization as a whole.

Driving Sustainability

• Firmly believe that both sustainability and profit are in the organization’s best long-term interest.
• Integrate economic, societal, and environmental factors into a purpose-driven strategy, turning sustainability into a competitive advantage.
• Understand and incorporate viewpoints from all key stakeholders to drive decision making and share the benefits.
• Deliver breakthrough innovations and business models that create value for all stakeholders, continually challenging traditional approaches.
• Set audacious business and sustainability goals, driving concerted action and investments, and stay the course in the face of setbacks or push-back from short-term oriented stakeholders.

About ZT Systems

ZT Systems, a Sanmina Company, is dedicated to designing, building, and delivering impactful solutions to world-class customers. Our culture is built around our values: we work hard and think fast. We view challenges as opportunities to do better, push harder, and be faster than we were the day before. When we fail, we learn from it and move on together. And when we succeed, we use the momentum to go even further. We create value with everything we do, building the foundation of today and transforming the future of tomorrow.

What We Offer

At ZT Systems, a Sanmina Company, we believe that investing in our people is key to our continued growth and innovation. When you join our team, you'll gain access to a comprehensive and inclusive benefits package designed to support your well-being, financial security, and professional development—both now and in the future. Compensation & Financial Security: Competitive base salary, Performance-based annual bonus eligibility, 401(k) retirement savings plan, Tuition reimbursement for eligible education programs. Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with access to leading providers - Mental health resources and employee wellness support programs - Company-paid life and disability insurance. Time Away & Work-Life Balance: Paid time off (PTO) and company-paid holidays, Parental leave and family care support programs. Growth & Purpose: Structured training programs and on-the-job learning opportunities, Matching gifts and volunteer programs to support causes you care about. These benefits are available to eligible employees and are designed to grow with you as your career evolves. Full benefits and eligibility vary by work location. Learn more about our benefits here.

EEO Statement

ZT Systems is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Please be aware that certain positions may require the applicant to either 1) be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C.1158, or 2) be eligible to obtain an export control license or license exception from the Bureau of Industry and Science & U.S. Department of Commerce. All offers of employment will be conditional subject to the foregoing.