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Nokia

Makes network gear for carriers and data centers

VP – Optical Engineering & Manufacturing

Engineering LeadershipConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Full-timeIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

  • At least 15 years of experience 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.
  • A 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.
  • Experience working across geographically distributed teams and manufacturing ecosystems in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Responsibilities

  • 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 cross-functional leader who aligns stakeholders, enforces governance discipline, and executes 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.
  • Own strategic engagement with global contract manufacturing partners, including key partners across Southeast Asia, to ensure scalable capacity, quality discipline, cost competitiveness, and supply continuity.
  • Lead and coordinate all pre-GA ramp activities across R&D functions, including hardware, PV&T, firmware, and OSG, ensuring manufacturing readiness for successful product launches.
  • Drive design for Manufacturing (DfM) strategies across hardware, firmware, test, calibration, supply chain, quality, and manufacturing engineering teams to optimize scalability, quality, cost, and speed to volume.
  • Define and influence manufacturing CAPEX investments to maximize operational efficiency, support scalable production capacity, and minimize long-term impact on COGS.
  • Establish manufacturing processes, operating mechanisms, test infrastructure, and governance frameworks capable of supporting production volumes in the millions of units annually.
  • Own the CP-to-C5 manufacturing lifecycle, leading post-GA manufacturing performance, yield improvement initiatives, FMA activities, workforce training, test-time optimization, QRBs, binning strategies, and continuous process improvement.
  • Oversee a global manufacturing ecosystem spanning development, testing, qualification, and production sites across North America, Europe, and Asia.
  • Build executive-level relationships with external suppliers, contract manufacturers, and ecosystem partners while maintaining rigorous standards of operational performance and accountability.
  • Provide leadership and governance across a complex matrix organization, ensuring accountability, driving timely decision-making, and influencing senior stakeholders to achieve critical business outcomes.

About the Company

Nokia

Makes network gear for carriers and data centers

Nokia makes the equipment and software that mobile carriers, cloud companies, and businesses use to run networks, from cell-tower radios to fiber links between AI data centers. From 1998 to 2011 it was the world's largest mobile phone maker; it sold that business to Microsoft in 2014, and HMD Global, a separate company, makes Nokia-branded phones under license. Its network unit sells optical systems that send data over fiber, internet routers, and broadband gear, and its mobile unit sells radios and the core software that runs 5G networks. Nokia earns money from equipment and service contracts and from licensing its patents to phone makers and carmakers. It was founded in 1865 as a wood pulp mill and is based in Espoo, Finland.

Company size
10,001+
Company stage
IPO
Headquarters
Espoo, Finland
Founded
1865

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