Account Executive - Optical and Photonics Solutions

VIAVI Solutions; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 168,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Health insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

401(k) plan

Bonus program

Job summary

VIAVI Solutions is seeking a Bay Area-based Account Executive to develop and grow optical/photonics business across the Bay Area and broader Western United States. You will build customer relationships, identify opportunities, manage the sales process, and coordinate VIAVI resources for design, validation, and manufacturing-test requirements.

The role reports to a Senior Director and involves travel across North America to support customer visits, industry events, and cross-functional planning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, photonics, optics, business or equivalent.
• 1–3 years in technical sales or related roles; recent grads welcome.
• Foundational understanding of fiber optics and photonics (wavelength, optical power, dB/dBm, insertion loss).

Responsibilities

• Develop territory and account plans for photonic components and telecom hardware.
• Build relationships with engineering, operations, procurement, and management teams.
• Qualify and manage opportunities through closure with accurate forecasts and CRM records.
• Coordinate technical discovery, demonstrations, and post-sale handoffs.

Skills

Fiber optics

Technical sales

Account management

Communication

Presentations

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering/physics/photonics/optics/business or related

Tools

CRM platforms

Job description

Summary:

VIAVI (NASDAQ: VIAV) is a global provider of network test, monitoring and assurance solutions for telecommunications, cloud, enterprises, first responders, military, aerospace, and railway. VIAVI is also a leader in light management technologies for 3D sensing, anti-counterfeiting, consumer electronics, industrial, automotive, government and aerospace applications.

We are the people behind the products that help keep the world connected at home, school, work, at play, and everywhere in between. VIAVI employees are passionate about supporting customer success and we welcome people who bring their best every day to the company - to question, to collaborate and to push for solutions that will delight our customers.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Position Summary

VIAVI Solutions is seeking a Bay Area-based Account Executive to develop and grow optical and photonics business across the Bay Area and broader Western United States, including but not limited to key photonics, semiconductor, datacenter, optical-component and communications accounts throughout the region. This position reports to John Winans, Senior Director, VIAVI Solutions.

The Account Executive will build customer relationships, identify and qualify new opportunities, manage the sales process and coordinate VIAVI technical resources to support customer design, validation and manufacturing-test requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute territory and account plans for photonic component and telecommunications/compute hardware related companies. Identify and develop new business while expanding VIAVI's position within existing accounts.
• Build relationships with engineering, operations, procurement, management and executive stakeholders.
• Prospect, qualify and manage opportunities through closure while maintaining accurate forecasts, CRM records, quotations and follow-up actions.
• Position VIAVI's photonic portfolio for optical development and manufacturing applications.
• Understand customer requirements involving optical system design, automation, repeatability and production throughput.
• Work closely with VIAVI applications engineering, product management, business development and customer-support teams to develop technically and commercially appropriate solutions.
• Coordinate technical discovery, demonstrations, product evaluations, proof-of-concept activities, proposals and post-sale handoffs.
• Participate in customer visits, industry events, forecast reviews and cross-functional business-planning activities.
• Travel throughout North America as required.

Pre-Requisites / Skills / Experience Requirements:

Qualifications And Experience

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, photonics, optics, business or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Typically, one to three years of experience in technical sales, applications engineering, inside sales, business development, optical testing or a customer-facing technical role.
• Recent graduates may be considered when they have relevant coursework, internships, laboratory experience, industry exposure or demonstrated sales aptitude.
• Foundational understanding of fiber optics and photonics, including wavelength, optical power, dB/dBm, insertion loss, return loss, attenuation, switching and basic optical-test methodology.
• Ability and willingness to develop working proficiency with VIAVI MAP products, configurations, applications and customer test workflows.
• Strong written, verbal and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with both engineers and business decision-makers.
• Demonstrated curiosity, organization, initiative, follow-through and willingness to learn.
• Ability to manage multiple accounts and opportunities while working collaboratively across geographically distributed organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with optical communications, electro-optical design and test, laboratory automation, CRM platforms or complex capital-equipment sales is preferred but not required.

VIAVI Solutions is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer - minorities/females/veterans/persons with disabilities.

Job Posting Pay Range:

90,300

to

167,700

Exceptional qualifications, experience and location may impact salary. VIAVI offers a competitive benefits package that includes paid time off, health, life and disability insurance, 401(k), and a bonus program.