Director, New Product Development - Optical Solutions

Molex is a global leader in the optical industry, renowned for delivering high-performance, field-proven wavelength management solutions. Our expertise spans components, modules, and integrated line-cards, with a strong focus on innovation, miniaturization, and manufacturing automation. Our advanced optical, mechanical, electrical, and software design capabilities support the evolving needs of high-density, high-bandwidth, and flexible optical networks across telecom, datacom, hyperscale datacenters, artificial intelligence, and supercomputing.

Our Optical Solutions team based in Fremont, CA is looking for a Director of New Product Development to help accelerate programs to rapidly expand our capabilities. This person will be responsible for leading cross functional engineering teams on ROADM, coherent transponder sub system products.

What You Will Do

• Lead and inspire a cross functional engineering team on ROADM, coherent transponder sub system products development
• Drive industry partnership and manage relationships with key technology and components partners
• Lead a team supporting marketing and Product Line Management with proposals and customer RFP/RFQ responses, specification negotiation, and customer technical support
• Partner closely with sourcing team in drive key technology and component partnership development and management
• Develop new product development (NPD) from feasibility concept design, strategic sourcing planning, to development execution with globally distributed, multidiscipline design team
• Drive qualification to NPI and flawless production launching in offshore manufacturing site for full completion of product life cycle
• Responsible for leading New Product Development (NPD) operations and program management: budget and scheduling, product configuration management, schedule, milestone and spending tracking, stakeholder updates and presentations
• Mentor, develop and grow a strong NPD team, foster a collaborative environment, encouraging teamwork and high performance while leveraging our PBM culture
• Travel both domestic and international is required, about 30%

Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)

• Masters Degree in Electrical Engineer, Optical communication or related technical discipline
• At least 10+ years experience industry experience with proven technical leadership
• Expertise in product development and commercializing products in telecommunications or related industry
• Experience in Optical communication, coherent technology, Laser, silicon photonics and planar light-wave circuits (PLC), etc.
• Experience with optical transport or metro access products, such as ROADM/WSS, Coherent Transponder, etc.
• Experience running large scale programs
• Analytical skills and critical thinking
• Experience with component vendor interaction
• Experience with design for manufacturability /reliability (DFx), yield/cost analysis, statistics and quality tools (SPC, FMEA, DOE, etc) and Telcordia qualification

What Will Put You Ahead

• PhD
• Mandarin speaking skills

For this role, we anticipate paying $200,000- $250,000 per year. This role is eligible for variable pay, issued as a monetary bonus or in another form.

At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy.

Hiring Philosophy

All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here.

Who We Are

At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how our business philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company.

Our Benefits

Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region. If you have questions on what benefits apply to you, please speak to your recruiter.

Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results.

Equal Opportunities

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, some offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify. Please click here for additional information. (For Illinois E-Verify information click here, aqui, or tu).