Commercial Technology Manager

Role Purpose

The objective of this Commercial Technology position is to collect information pertinent to the evolution of optical networking technology and market trends from external and internal sources and translate them into actionable insights for the Corning Optical Communications (COC) business. This position involves close collaboration with key COC organizations including Application Insight Research (AIR) Group, Product Line management (PLM), Market Development, Standards group, and COC Technology. In addition, this role will require close collaboration with the Science and Technology function (Research and Applied Research and Development (ARD) teams) to initiate technology projects with longer time horizons

Key Responsibilities

• This individual will manage information collection in the process known as the Event Map process and will be responsible for capturing critical technology, market, competitor, and standards events for the purpose of tracking the evolution of disruptive technologies that may change the architecture, operation, and deployment of optical networks. He/She will be working with select individuals from AIR, Market development, COC Technology and PLM groups in this activity

• This role will be responsible for organizing and assessing collected information (together with AIR and Market Development) that it is easily understood by the broader PLM and COC Technology organizations by extracting insights from the collected information that could lead to product development activities to differentiate Corning optical solutions

• The role will be responsible for communicating observed technology/market trends to the AIR and COC Technology organizations with the intent to formulate new research and development projects and involve S&T leaders where needed. In some cases, innovation may involve external partners, and this person will need to manage those external collaborations

• Use Corning’s Innovation Process to provide appropriate levels of support in Stage I and II Innovation projects. Use Innovation Tools e.g. Business Model Canvas to ensure rigorous project initiation and execution, keep track of critical assumptions and ensure alignment of the project objectives with the solution’s technical targets

Required Education 

• Master’s degree in physics, Applied Physics, Optics or Electrical Engineering

• 5+ years of prior experience in the telecommunications/computer/electronics industries

• Knowledge of fiber optic communications. The initial emphasis of the position will be hyperscale data centers (HSDC) and understanding of key passive components of optical networks in HSDC such as optical fiber, cable and connectors is a must

• Demonstrated communication, interpersonal, & influencing skills at all levels of an organization (team, peer, and executive levels) with a demonstrated ability to build relationships in a heavily matrixed, team environment.

• Demonstrated ability to learn and understand new technologies quickly. Sound technical judgment in ambiguous environments where all details may not yet be known

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to influence large groups of people that are not direct reports. Strong active listening and discussion mediation skills are essential

• Critical thinking and problem definition with strong attention to detail – ability to question, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information from multiple sources to provide a succinct description of a problem and recommend path forward to collect more information and solve the problem

Desired Experiences

• Advanced Technical degree (PhD) and/or Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a strong benefit for this position but not required with appropriate prior experience in the field of HSDC

• It is highly desirable to have knowledge about active equipment and network architectures. Understanding of other types of optical networks e.g. Access, Metro and Long-Haul networks is desired