VP, Optical Engineering & Manufacturing

The Sr. Director / Vice President, Optical Engineering will be a senior engineering leader responsible for strategy, execution and NPI scale for Nokia’s Product and Solutions Engineering organization within the optical networking portfolio. With a strong focus on high-volume pluggable optical and line system products, this leader will enable the business to scale complex technologies from development into reliable, cost-effective, high-quality volume production.
The role will serve as the senior operational interface between engineering, supply chain, manufacturing partners, and business leadership, ensuring manufacturing readiness, production scalability, yield performance, quality, delivery, and cost competitiveness across a global footprint. The successful candidate will bring deep credibility in optical networking or adjacent high-tech manufacturing environments, combined with the executive presence and influencing capability required to lead through a complex global matrix.
Senior manufacturing and operations leader with extensive experience (15+ years) in optical networking, photonics, telecommunications hardware, semiconductor-adjacent technologies, or comparable high-tech manufacturing environments.
Strong industry credibility and technical depth in optical components, pluggable technologies, and complex electro-optical systems
Proven record of scaling complex products from new product introduction, engineering validation, and pre-GA ramp through high-volume global production.
Deep expertise across manufacturing engineering, product industrialization, supplier strategy, quality systems, operational excellence, and production governance.
Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional global programs involving hardware, PV&T, firmware, OSG, supply chain, quality, and contract manufacturing partners.
Exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills with the ability to operate effectively in a global matrix environment.
Ability to align senior leaders, create clear governance mechanisms, and hold stakeholders accountable for delivering manufacturing, quality, cost, and launch outcomes.
High levels of resilience, credibility, executive presence, and leadership maturity.
Experience working across geographically distributed teams and manufacturing ecosystems in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Success Factors
Deliver scalable manufacturing operations capable of supporting significant growth in optical pluggables volumes, from pre-GA ramp through post-GA sustained production.
Establish trusted partnerships with internal engineering organizations and external manufacturing partners.
Drive operational efficiency, yield performance, test-time optimization, quality, cost, and delivery performance across the entire manufacturing value chain.
Serve as a respected cross-functional leader who can align diverse stakeholders, enforce governance discipline, and execute complex global manufacturing programs with speed and accountability.
Set the global manufacturing and operations strategy for optical networking products, with emphasis on high-volume pluggable solutions and complex optical systems.

Work arrangement
Hybrid