Director, Emerging Tech Hub San Jose

Analog Devices•San Jose, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Emerging Tech Hub (ETH) expands ADI’s ability to identify, shape, and de-risk emerging opportunities in physical AI systems, with an initial focus on robotics. Working closely with new and emerging customers, including their advanced R&D teams and startup partners, ETH helps define promising opportunities earlier through direct customer engagement, rapid prototyping, and iterative system learning. The Director will lead ADI's San Jose Emerging Tech Hub and serve as both a people leader for the Hub team and an external-facing innovation leader across the Bay Area robotics ecosystem. This role will shape how emerging technology concepts are translated into customer-relevant solutions, internal technology de-risking, and cross-functional innovation programs. The Director will lead a multidisciplinary team while also representing ADI with customers, startups, ecosystem partners, and technical collaborators to identify, develop, and prioritize high-value opportunities. Internally, this leader will work across business units, sales, Analog Garage, and adjacent technical teams to align stakeholders, influence priorities, and convert strategic intent into executable programs. The role requires strong technical credibility, organizational judgment, external presence, and the ability to lead through influence as well as direct management. Success in the role will be measured not only through team execution, but through the Hub's contribution to innovation outcomes, strategic partnerships, customer engagement, and future growth opportunities for ADI.

Requirements

People Leadership: Proven experience hiring, developing, and leading high-performing multidisciplinary technical teams.
External Ecosystem Presence: Strong connections within the Bay Area robotics, automation, or emerging technology ecosystem, with demonstrated ability to build productive partnerships.
Innovation Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead customer-facing or partner-facing innovation programs from opportunity definition through execution.
Organizational Navigation: Strong track record of working effectively across complex matrixed organizations and aligning diverse stakeholders around shared outcomes.
Technical Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead complex engineering or advanced technology programs in robotics, automation, AI-enabled systems, embedded platforms, or related domains.
Customer Engagement: Experience working directly with customers or strategic partners to identify technical needs, shape joint initiatives, and build long-term relationships.
Cross-Functional Influence: Strong ability to influence engineering, business, and commercial stakeholders without relying solely on formal authority.
Systems Thinking: Ability to connect application needs, technical architecture, business value, and organizational constraints when making decisions.
Strategic Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to influence both technical and executive audiences.
Program Leadership: Experience balancing multiple parallel initiatives, evolving priorities, and resource constraints in a fast-moving environment.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in engineering, robotics, computer science, physics, or a related technical field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
Significant experience in advanced R&D, systems engineering, robotics, automation, AI, or related emerging technology environments.
Experience leading programs that bridge research, prototyping, customer engagement, and early-stage product or platform development.
Experience working with startups, research labs, universities, or strategic ecosystem partners.
Experience in semiconductor, industrial automation, robotics, healthcare automation, or adjacent technology sectors.
Experience building or scaling new technical teams, innovation centers, or cross-functional incubation environments.

Responsibilities

Hub and Team Leadership: Lead the San Jose Emerging Tech Hub, including people management, team development, operating cadence, planning, and execution against strategic priorities. Accountable for the overall effectiveness of the Hub, the development of team capabilities, and the Hub's contribution to broader innovation objectives.
External Innovation Leadership: Represent ADI across the Bay Area robotics and emerging technology ecosystem, building relationships with startups, customers, research organizations, and strategic partners. Identify emerging trends, technologies, and opportunities that can strengthen ADI's innovation pipeline and strategic positioning.
Customer Co-Innovation: Develop and lead customer-facing innovation programs that define problem statements, shape proof-of-capability work, and create future revenue pipeline opportunities. Assess and prioritize opportunities based on customer value, strategic alignment, and potential business impact.
Ecosystem Development: Build a robust external network that strengthens ADI's access to early signals, new use cases, talent, and partnership opportunities. Leverage ecosystem relationships to identify, evaluate, and advance opportunities that align with ADI's long-term innovation priorities.
Internal Navigation and Alignment: Work effectively across business units, sales teams, Analog Garage, and technical organizations to align priorities, manage complexity, and accelerate execution. Drive alignment across the organization around opportunity selection, resource focus, and execution priorities.
Strategy Execution: Own and evolve the Hub strategy and translate it into a clear portfolio of outreach, enablement, collaboration, and co-creation activities. Set priorities and focus areas based on customer needs, ecosystem insights, and strategic relevance.
Technical and Application Leadership: Guide the technical direction of programs spanning robotics, lab automation, AI-enabled systems, and related emerging technology applications. Ensure technical efforts remain aligned with customer needs, strategic objectives, and broader portfolio priorities.
Capability Development: Define and scale Hub capabilities including proof-of-capability work, BU technology de-risking activities, and reusable system or module concepts. Make prioritization decisions that maximize the impact of Hub resources and technical expertise.
Operational Scaling: Establish engagement models, governance mechanisms, and resource-planning approaches that support a more scalable innovation pipeline. Drive visibility into priorities, tradeoffs, and resource needs across multiple initiatives.
Executive Communication: Communicate strategy, progress, risks, recommendations, and resource needs clearly to senior stakeholders across ADI. Advise senior stakeholders and influence decisions regarding innovation priorities, partnerships, and future opportunities.