Global Innovation & Technology Manager

AFL Telecommunications•Dallas, TX

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

AFL manufactures industry-leading fiber optic cable, connectivity and accessories and provides engineering and installation services for some of the largest telecom customers in the world. Our company was founded in 1984 with a single fiber optic cable and today, we manufacture thousands of products, generate an excess of $3B in revenue, and employ approximately 12,000 associates worldwide. At AFL, we recognize that our employees are our greatest asset. We hire and train each individual, investing in them to ensure success in their careers. With a commitment to professional development and growth, let us connect you to your next career opportunity. The Global Innovation and Technology Manager is a highly seasoned, global technical leader responsible for engaging with advanced customer engineering teams and translating emerging technologies into scalable, differentiated solutions. This role operates at the intersection of innovation, customer engagement, and ecosystem development-driving adoption of next-generation connectivity, optical, and networking technologies across AFL’s strategic accounts and partners. The position requires deep technical credibility, strong consultative engagement skills, and the ability to rapidly conceptualize and position solutions aligned to customer pain points and future-state architectures within a 3–5 year innovation horizon.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent experience; advanced degree is a plus
10+ years of experience in solutions engineering, systems architecture, or advanced technical sales within a highly technical data center environment
Demonstrated expertise in optical networking, data center infrastructure, or high-speed connectivity solutions
Strong understanding of emerging technologies including AI data center architectures and next-generation interconnects
Proven ability to engage and influence highly technical customer audiences
Exceptional communication, presentation, and consultative problem-solving skills
Experience working across global teams and regions

Responsibilities

Build trust and technical credibility quickly within target accounts
Engage directly with highly technical customer stakeholders (engineering, architecture, R&D) to understand complex system requirements
Uncover key pain points, performance gaps, and future-state needs through strong listening and probing skills
Rapidly conceptualize and translate customer requirements into viable solution concepts
Lead customer engagement across AFL’s emerging technology ecosystem including; Connectors (EBO, MMC, SN-MT, ganged solutions), Fiber & cable technologies (MCF, HCF, advanced fiber designs), Networking & switching architectures.
Provide expertise in: Transceiver technologies and protocol evolution, High-speed data transmission standards UEC, InfiniBand (IB), LPO, and optical circuit switching.
Design integrated solutions that align with evolving data center and AI infrastructure demands.
Develop and support strategic partnerships with key ecosystem players (e.g., NVIDIA, Polatis, CPO/OBO initiatives)
Collaborate with partners to co-develop and position joint solutions
Maintain strong awareness of partner roadmaps and alignment opportunities
Act as a senior technical resource and escalation point for regional Solution Engineers
Support complex opportunities, customer workshops, and technical validations
Enable field teams with solution frameworks, messaging, and technical guidance
Establish AFL as a leader in emerging technologies through: White papers, blogs, and technical publications, Solution guides and reference architectures.
Represent AFL at industry forums, customer briefings, and technical discussions
Provide forward-looking insights on technology trends and adoption pathways
Support alignment of emerging technologies within a 3–5 year adoption window
Provide feedback to product management and innovation teams based on customer engagement
Help shape solution strategy based on real-world customer demand and ecosystem evolution