VP – Optical Engineering & Manufacturing
Nokia
VP – Optical Engineering & Manufacturing
Nokia
Makes network gear for carriers and data centers
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.
Success Factors
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 seamless 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 strong leadership and governance across a complex matrix organization, ensuring accountability, driving timely decision-making, and influencing senior stakeholders to achieve critical business outcomes.
Salary Range: Canada Annual Base Salary Range: $181190-$298000 CAD *Plus, potential incentive/variable compensation for eligible roles.
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.
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