Market Development Manager, Data Center

Corning is vital to progress – in the industries we help shape and in the world we share.

We invent life-changing technologies using materials science. Our scientific and manufacturing expertise, boundless curiosity, and commitment to purposeful invention place us at the center of the way the world interacts, works, learns, and lives.

Our sustained investment in research, development, and invention means we’re always ready to solve the toughest challenges alongside our customers. 

Our Optical Communications segment has recently evolved from being a manufacturer of optical fiber and cable, hardware and equipment to being a comprehensive provider of industry-leading optical solutions across the broader communications industry.This segment is classified into two main product groupings – carrier network and enterprise network. The carrier network product group consists primarily of products and solutions for optical-based communications infrastructure for services such as video, data and voice communications. The enterprise network product group consists primarily of optical-based communication networks sold to businesses, governments and individuals for their own use.

Purpose of Position

The Market Development Manager role will be part of the newly formed Hyperscale Data Center (HSDC) Business Unit.  This position would be focused on end users within the region who are deploying GPUs, both existing hypers and regional based end users.  The primary function is driving new innovations within the target accounts which provide value to the end user through our value vectors of speed of deployment, labor savings, safety/risk reductions, and sustainability.  Working closely with the commercial leads, this role is the primary liaison between customer engagements and Corning’s technology organization.  The customer engagement activities would involve an in-depth understanding of network switch architecture along with cabling solutions deployed to support the architecture.  Routine engaged within the account is required to identify both current pain points with existing designs, along with inflection points in the architecture created from new applications or network speeds.  Those discussions will lead into the need for new products to support the account.  Working closely with the Product Line Management (PLM) organization, MktDev will spearhead activities required to support the account such as defining prototype request, issuing an IPP request (Market and Product requirements Documents along with NPV), and supporting validation field trials. 

Major Roles and Responsibilities

• Detailing customer specific network switch architecture and cabling solution leveraged to support those architectures.
• Identify and analyze customer problems and pain points through routine engagements within assigned accounts.
• Identify potential inflection points in network design which allow for innovation.
• Preparing and presenting & aligning the organization to create compelling customer-specific value-Props that leverage the full COC portfolio
• Working closely with sales and customers to drive adoption of new solutions to include supporting critical field-trials and customer qualification processes
• Work with AIR team to engage HSDC customers with innovation ideas which could be outside the immediate planning horizon of the end user.

Education and Experience

• A bachelor's or master's degree in a relevant field such as engineering, computer science, business, or a related discipline
• At least 5 years working in the Data Center Cabling infrastructure industry

Skills

• Customer-Centric Approach: Excellent customer engagement mindset with the goal of building trust through open conversation and a display of subject mastery.  Capability to identify and discuss customer needs and pain points effectively.
• Technical Curiosity and Aptitude: That desire to understand at a fundamental level and not willing to settle for surface level details. 
• Analytical Logic: Ability to take complex applications and break them down to smaller building blocks of logic which can be put back together to easily communicate the larger picture in a simplistic manner; not being overwhelmed by complexity.
• Driver Mentality: Proven ability to lead an engagement effort by taking leadership role to define problem, identification of next steps, and follow-through to conclusion.  Wired to look for engagement, rather than participate when engaged.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, including engineering, marketing, and sales, to drive innovation projects to success. 
• Communication: Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, to present ideas, project updates, and innovation strategies effectively.
• Problem-solving: Proficiency in identifying complex problems and devising effective solutions.