Director, Product Manager, Data Center Switches

Sanmina; San Jose (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Sanmina seeks a Director of Product Management for Datacenter Switches to own strategy, roadmap, and execution for high‑performance Ethernet and InfiniBand platforms. You will align customer needs with engineering and supply chain to deliver cost-optimized, reliable switching solutions powering AI clusters and cloud datacenters.

You will define multi‑year vision, manage PRD creation, and coordinate with JDM/ODM partners while driving pricing and capacity planning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science or related technical field.
• 7+ years in Product Management, Systems Engineering, or Technical Marketing in datacenter networking.
• Deep understanding of datacenter switch architectures and high-speed hardware design constraints.
• Familiarity with NOS like SONiC and open networking standards.
• Strong business acumen with pricing and supply chain experience.

Responsibilities

• Define multi-year product vision, strategy, and roadmap for next-gen datacenter switches.
• Translate requirements into PRDs and specs for engineering.
• Collaborate with JDM/ODM partners and suppliers.
• Manage end-to-end lifecycle from NPI to EOL.
• Partner with sales for RFIs/RFPs and present roadmaps to CSPs and enterprise clients.
• Drive pricing strategies and COGS optimization.
• Coordinate with supply chain to align capacity with demand.

Skills

Datacenter networking

Product management

Systems engineering

Technical marketing

Pricing strategy

Supply chain negotiation

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science

MBA desirable

Tools

SONiC

Job description

Director, Product Manager – Datacenter Switches

Role Summary

As the Product Manager for Datacenter Switches, you will own the product strategy, roadmap, and execution for Sanmina’s high-performance Ethernet and InfiniBand switching platforms. You will bridge the gap between our global hyperscale/enterprise customers, engineering teams, and supply chain partners. Your mission is to deliver cutting-edge, cost-optimized, and highly reliable switching solutions that power massive AI clusters and cloud datacenters

Location

• Location: US (Hybrid is ok but prefer the person to be at one of our locations)

Key Responsibilities

• Define the multi-year product vision, strategy, and roadmap for next-generation datacenter switches (e.g., 400G, 800G, and 1.6T platforms). Identify market trends, hardware-software disaggregation shifts (SONiC, ONIE), and emerging AI/ML networking requirements to position Sanmina ahead of the competition. Conduct competitive analysis and market research to identify gaps and new business opportunities.

Lifecycle & Execution Management

• Translate customer requirements into detailed Product Requirement Documents (PRDs) and technical specifications for engineering teams
• Collaborate closely with Joint Development Manufacturing (JDM) and Original Design Manufacturing (ODM) partners, component suppliers (silicon, optics, connectors), and internal engineering.
• Manage the end-to-end product lifecycle from NPI (New Product Introduction) through mass production and End-of-Life (EOL).

Business & Customer Enablement

• Partner with the sales and account management teams to support RFIs/RFPs and present product roadmaps to Tier-1 cloud service providers (CSPs) and enterprise clients.
• Own product pricing strategies, Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) optimization, and gross margin targets to ensure maximum profitability.
• Work with supply chain and manufacturing operations to ensure capacity planning aligns with demand forecasting.

Qualifications & Skills

Education & Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field. An MBA or equivalent business experience is highly desirable.
• Experience: 7+ years of Product Management, Systems Engineering, or Technical Marketing experience specifically in datacenter networking, switching, or routing hardware.
• Deep understanding of datacenter switch architecture, including network switching silicon (e.g., Broadcom, Marvell, NVIDIA/Mellanox), SerDes, and optical transceivers. Familiarity with open networking standards, disaggregated hardware/software systems, and NOS (Network Operating Systems) like SONiC. Strong knowledge of high-speed hardware design constraints, signal integrity, and thermal/power management in 1U/2U chassis.

Professional Skills

• Proven track record of launching complex hardware products from concept to high-volume manufacturing.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence both deeply technical engineers and C-level executives.
• Strong financial acumen, including experience with P&L management, pricing strategies, and supply chain negotiation.