Principal Product Leader, Data Center Networks

Lumen Technologies; United States; Remote; USD 160,000 - 223,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Life insurance

Lifestyle perks

Job summary

Lumen Technologies is seeking a Principal Product Manager to shape architecture and expansion strategy for its data center metro networks. You will own the roadmap for internal network products enabling external services, evaluating expansions, and leading cross-functional delivery. The role requires deep metro network expertise and strong financial judgment.

Remote opportunity across the U.S. with collaboration across Product, Planning, Engineering, Finance, Operations, and Sales teams to

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years in product/ program management, network planning, or network engineering.
• 3+ years supporting metro, data center, optical, or related network infra.
• Deep metro network architecture knowledge including ring/mesh topologies and POI siting.
• Proven leadership of complex, cross-functional technical programs.
• Ability to build and defend quantitative demand, investment, and ROI models.
• Understanding of capital economics and trade-offs (capex/opex, payback, IRR).
• Experience translating complex tech/financial analysis into exec-ready recommendations.
• Ability to influence across Product, Engineering, Planning, Finance, Operations, and Sales.

Responsibilities

• Own the product strategy, requirements, and multi-year architecture roadmap for data center metro networks.
• Translate topology, capacity, and design decisions into repeatable configurations and designs.
• Lead cross-functional expansion programs from evaluation through delivery.
• Evaluate network investments using demand, utilization, and ROI analysis.
• Establish a framework for prioritizing metro network upgrades and expansions.
• Build demand models combining contracted demand, pipeline, and forecasts.
• Assess whether existing products remain right platforms for growth, including trade-offs.
• Partner with Product, Network Planning, Engineering, Finance, Operations, and Sales to drive decisions.

Skills

Product management

Program management

Network planning

Network engineering

Metro network

Data center

ROI modeling

Executive communication

Stakeholder influence

Education

MBA

Engineering degree

Tools

Power BI

SQL

Python

Excel

Job description

Lumen Technologies is seeking a Principal Product Manager to shape architecture and expansion strategy for its data center metro networks. You will own the roadmap for internal network products enabling external services, evaluating expansions, and leading cross-functional delivery. The role requires deep metro network expertise and strong financial judgment.

Remote opportunity across the U.S. with collaboration across Product, Planning, Engineering, Finance, Operations, and Sales teams to