Chief Solutions Engineer

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

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Technical ownership

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Own the end-to-end technical solution for the deployment of assigned strategic customer.

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Establish and maintain the approved system architecture, technical baseline, configuration standards, and interface definitions.

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Ensure alignment across hardware, software, control systems, deployment processes, and operational procedures.

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Translate Customer's technical and operational requirements into an executable Coherent solution.

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Make or approve design decisions affecting multiple product, engineering, or deployment teams.

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Control technical changes, deviations, exceptions, and configuration decisions throughout the engagement.

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Engineering and deployment management

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Lead the integrated engineering and deployment plan from design through staging, site installation, system bring-up, acceptance, and operational handoff.

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Coordinate internally across architecture/hardware/software teams to resolve system-level technical issues.

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Direct Tier 3 hardware and software support for complex deployment and integration problems.

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Coordinate staging, pre-configuration, material readiness, logistics, and shipment sequencing.

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Ensure Field Application Engineering has the information, tools, configurations, and support required for successful system bring-up.

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Establish deployment-readiness reviews, technical checkpoints, acceptance criteria, and escalation paths.

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Maintain visibility to schedule risks, technical blockers, resource constraints, and dependencies.

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Customer and stakeholder engagement

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Serve as Coherent’s senior technical authority for the assigned strategic customer.

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Lead technical design reviews, deployment-readiness reviews, issue-resolution meetings, and escalation discussions.

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Present clear recommendations and trade-offs when requirements, schedules, or technical decisions conflict.

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Maintain a single, accurate view of technical status and communicate risks and decisions to internal and external stakeholders.

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Build confidence with Customer's engineering and operations teams through disciplined execution and timely issue resolution.

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Documentation and operational readiness

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Ensure that system designs, configurations, test plans, installation procedures, MOPs, troubleshooting guides, and acceptance documentation are complete and current.

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Ensure technical documentation reflects the deployed system and supports repeatable deployment in the network of assigned strategic customer.

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Establish the required operational handoff package for Customer's network and support organizations.

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Capture deployment lessons and drive improvements into products, software, documentation, and internal processes.

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Internal coordination

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Coordinate across Product Management, R&D, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Field Application Engineering, and Field Services functions.

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Escalate resource, material, quality, and schedule issues through the appropriate internal leadership channels.

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Maintain disciplined reporting on progress, risks, decisions, actions, and unresolved issues.

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Ensure that technical commitments remain aligned with Coherent’s available resources, product capabilities, and delivery plans.

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Decision authority

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Approve the technical baseline and integrated solution architecture.

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Establish technical acceptance and deployment-readiness criteria.

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Require resolution of cross-functional technical gaps before deployment milestones.

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Approve or escalate technical deviations from the standard solution.

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Assign technical ownership for issues and drive closure across functional teams.

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Escalate schedule, resource, supply-chain, and quality risks that could affect Customer's deployment.

Education & Experience

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Bachelor's degree in related engineering field.

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10 to 15 years of technical experience in optical line system and coherent modem/pluggable technologies.

Qualifications

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Strong technical expertise in optical line system and coherent modem/pluggable technologies is a must-have.

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Demonstrated experience leading complex system deployments involving engineering, software, staging, logistics, field support, documentation, and customer operations.

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Experience acting as a system architect, chief engineer, design authority, deployment leader, or equivalent technical authority.

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Strong understanding of system integration, configuration management, deployment readiness, system bring-up, acceptance testing, and operational handoff.

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Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams without relying solely on direct-line authority.

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Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and escalation-management skills.

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Ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving customer deployment environment with competing technical and schedule priorities.

Working Conditions

• Hybrid role. Remote work is possible but on site is preferred.
• Travel up to 20% is anticipated.

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May require occasional overtime and flexibility in work hours to accommodate global cross-functional team over different geographic areas.

Culture Commitment

Ensure adherence to company’s values (ICARE) in all aspects of your position at Coherent Corp.:

Integrity – Create an Environment of Trust

Collaboration – Innovate Through the Sharing of Ideas

Accountability – Own the Process and the Outcome

Respect – Recognize the Value in Everyone

Enthusiasm – Find a Sense of Purpose in Work

Coherent Corp. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at talentacquisition@coherent.com.

Coherent is a global leader in lasers, engineered materials and networking components. We are a vertically integrated manufacturing company that develops innovative products for diversified applications in the industrial, optical communications, military, life sciences, semiconductor equipment, and consumer markets. Coherent provides a comprehensive career development platform within an environment that challenges employees to perform at their best, while rewarding excellence and hard-work through a competitive compensation program. It's an exciting opportunity to work for a company that offers stability, longevity and growth. Come Join Us!

Note to recruiters and employment agencies: We will not pay for unsolicited resumes from recruiters and employment agencies unless we have a signed agreement and have required assistance, in writing, for a specific opening.