Associate Director, AI Connect Solutions Architecture

Verizon•Irvine, CA

About The Position

Verizon is building AI Connect as an intelligent fabric for the AI economy, connecting AI campuses, power-advantaged regions, and cloud on-ramps through dark fiber, long-haul routes, and metro rings. The Associate Director leads the experts responsible for turning strategic customer opportunities into signed, buildable, and profitable designs. This leader oversees architects and senior sales engineers who own customer designs end to end, from discovery and solution architecture through contracting, engineering hand-off, construction, and service turn-up. The role is accountable for design integrity, scope control, delivery readiness, and the customer's technical experience across AI Connect, Dark Fiber, Lit Fiber/Wave, and Edge Data Centers. It includes setting the customer-design ownership model, supporting top strategic customers across a multi-billion-dollar portfolio, and coordinating with Sales, Network Planning, Construction, Right-of-Way, and Operations. The Associate Director establishes design and hand-off standards, manages delivery readiness and customer health, develops stakeholder alignment and executive-level customer presentations, and applies financial discipline to business cases, ROI, and cost models. The role also improves efficiency through automation, hires and develops architects and engineers, maintains team certifications, and represents Verizon at industry events and customer advisory boards. This is a mobile role primarily performed at customer or field locations, with occasional visits to a Verizon location for training and meetings.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline or directly related equivalent experience.
10+ years of experience engineering and architecting telecom, IT, or network infrastructure.
Deep expertise in dark fiber and the intersection of physical assets with AI/ML digital transformation.
3+ years leading senior architects or sales engineers, including workforce planning, coaching, and performance management.
Experience owning complex customer solutions from design through delivery, including scope, change, and contract management.
Experience engaging senior executives and delivering effective customer presentations.
Demonstrated financial analysis skills, including P&L, ROI, cost analysis, and business-case development.

Nice To Haves

MS or MBA.
Direct experience with hyperscalers, neoclouds, or carriers.
OSP engineering, construction, or delivery background, including ULH or metro fiber programs and contractor management.
Knowledge of AI and GPU cluster networking and how topology drives requirements on the fiber layer.
Experience with IRUs, swaps, anchor-tenant builds, SLAs, and MSAs.
Relevant certifications, such as CCIE/CCNP, optical vendor certifications, PMP, or FOA CFOS.

Responsibilities

Set the vision and build and execute the model for end-to-end customer design ownership in AI Connect, Dark Fiber, Lit Fiber/Wave, and Edge Data Centers.
Lead architects and sales engineers supporting Verizon's top strategic customers across a multi-billion-dollar portfolio, driving bookings and quota attainment.
Ensure one accountable technical owner manages each customer design from discovery through order, hand-off, build tracking, and service turn-up.
Set design and hand-off standards that align sold scope, schedule, and cost with delivered scope, while reducing rework, change orders, and time to revenue.
Run customer-health and delivery-readiness cadences, escalating issues early across Sales, Network Planning, Construction, Right-of-Way, and Operations.
Lead opportunity teams to create a holistic view of customer strategy, processes, and IT assets.
Coach teams in executive presentations, technical storytelling, competitive positioning, and multi-stakeholder account strategy.
Develop business cases, ROI analyses, and cost models, ensuring designs align with pricing and delivery capability.
Introduce automation and off-load low-value work so senior talent can focus on customer outcomes.
Hire, coach, motivate, and retain architects and engineers, maintain certifications, and represent Verizon at events and customer advisory boards.
Build a culture of empowerment, collaboration, innovation, and integrity.

Benefits

Base salary, annual incentive, and long-term incentive.
Medical, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability, basic life insurance, supplemental life insurance, and AD&D insurance.
Identity theft protection, pet insurance, and group home and auto insurance.
Matched 401(k) savings plan.
Up to 8 company-paid holidays per year and up to 6 personal days per year.
Paid parental leave.
Adoption assistance.
Tuition assistance.
Newly hired employees receive up to 15 days of vacation per year, increasing with additional service.
Potential premium pay, such as overtime, shift differential, holiday pay, and allowances, depending on the role.