Sr. Technical Product Manager, Networking and Switches

Black Box; Plano (TX); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Black Box is looking for a Senior Technical Product Manager, Networking and Switches, to define and optimize the technical portfolio, align hardware and firmware validation, and drive NPI initiatives. You will partner with OEM/ODM teams, oversee regulatory verification, and serve as the escalation point for complex field issues.

The role requires hands-on leadership, deep networking knowledge, and the ability to translate market mandates into hardware and firmware requirements while supporting

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer science, telecommunications, or related field.
• CCNA, CCNP, CompTIA Network+ or equivalent industrial networking certifications preferred.
• Hands-on hardware validation and network engineering experience.
• Experience managing OEM/ODM relationships and performance expectations.

Responsibilities

• Technical Portfolio Strategy and Optimization: evaluate the networking, converter, and console server portfolio to drive SKU rationalization, BOM optimization, and margin improvement.
• OEM/ODM Vendor Architecture and Management: interface with global manufacturing partners, influence roadmaps, and drive supplier quality corrections.
• Rigorous Product Engineering and QA Leadership: own firmware and hardware validation gate, NPIs, and regulatory verification.
• Level 3 Escalation Authority: final technical escalation point for complex field failures; hands-on lab debugging.
• Lifecycle and Knowledge Execution: manage lifecycle from NPI through End-of-Life; create docs, training, and troubleshooting guides.
• Cross-Portfolio Technical Collaboration: act as networking SME to Sales and Product Marketing.

Skills

Networking expertise

Firmware debugging

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer science, telecommunications, or related field

Equivalent hands-on experience with hardware validation and network engineering

Job description

Senior Technical Product Manager, Networking and Switches

Reports To: VP of Products

Location: Plano, TX, Lawrence, PA, or India (preferred for direct access to our hardware labs), or Remote (US).

Travel: 20%

What You Will Do

• Technical Portfolio Strategy and Optimization: Evaluate the existing networking, converter, and console server portfolio to drive SKU rationalization, BOM optimization, and margin improvement. Identify which products to consolidate or sunset and which high-margin lines to scale.
• OEM/ODM Vendor Architecture and Management: Act as the primary technical interface with our global manufacturing partners. Influence their roadmaps, negotiate technical SLAs, and drive root-cause analysis and supplier quality corrections for field failures.
• Rigorous Product Engineering and QA Leadership: Own the firmware and hardware validation gate. Design and execute New Product Introduction testing, regulatory compliance verification, and automated test frameworks.
• Level 3 Escalation Authority: Serve as the final technical escalation point for complex field failures. Perform hands‑on debugging in the lab, translate field data into engineering requirements, and enforce corrective actions with vendors.
• Engineering Impact of Compliance and Certification: Partner with the Compliance Manager, who tracks market mandates and certification requirements. You translate those mandates into hardware and firmware requirements, evaluating vendor BOMs and architectures so that component or firmware changes do not silently invalidate FIPS, TAA, UL, NERC CIP, and other relevant standards.
• Lifecycle and Knowledge Execution: Manage the product lifecycle from NPI through End‑of‑Life. Build the technical documentation, training material, troubleshooting guides, firmware test checklists, and compatibility matrices that empower support, Product Ops, and adjacent product managers.
• Cross‑Portfolio Technical Collaboration: Act as the networking subject matter expert for the broader product organization, supporting Sales and Product Marketing with technical content.

Core Technical Expertise

• Layer 2 and Layer 3 Networking Standards: VLANs (802.1Q), Spanning Tree Protocols (STP/RSTP/MSTP), link aggregation (LACP), QoS/CoS prioritization, IP routing (Static, OSPF), IGMP snooping, and security mechanisms like 802.1X and ACLs.
• Media Conversion and Physical Layer Mechanics: Optical and copper interfaces (SFP/SFP+, RJ-45, single‑mode vs. multi‑mode fiber, wavelength specifications), Power over Ethernet standards, and rate‑matching mechanics.
• PoE System Engineering: PSE/PD classification and power budget validation across 802.3af, 802.3at, intelligent detection and backward‑compatibility behavior, and downstream device power profiling.
• Harsh‑Environment and Industrial Specifications: Industrial hardening, wide operating temperatures, high EMC/EMI immunity, redundant power inputs, ring redundancy protocols, and DIN-rail or panel‑mount deployment.
• Out‑of‑Band Management and Connectivity Protocols: Console server architectures, secure out‑of‑band access, terminal emulation, serial‑over‑IP encapsulation, and USB extension technology.
• Security, Authentication, and Compliance Implementation: How standards are physically and logically implemented in networking gear, including TPM 2.0, FIPS 140‑2/3 validated cryptographic modules, TAA‑compliant supply chains, and NERC CIP supporting features; AAA frameworks (TACACS+, RADIUS, Kerberos, 802.1X) and VPN technologies (OpenVPN, IPsec) as applied to secure out‑of‑band platforms; plus ZTP, RESTful API, and SNMP/LLDP/NTP integration.
• Serial and Signal Extension Technologies: Classic serial interfaces (RS-232, RS-422, RS-485) and V.35/Coax signal conversion, along with the electrical principles of signal attenuation, impedance matching, and long‑distance copper extension.
• OT and Industrial Serial Practice: Modbus ASCII/RTU over RS-422/485, and serial line conditioning including bias, termination, isolation (e.g., 2‑kV), and surge protection.

Who Will Succeed in This Role

• You are a hands‑on technical leader who is just as comfortable reading a market trend report as you are hooking up a serial cable to debug a spanning‑tree loop in the lab.
• You have experience managing OEM/ODM relationships and know how to hold external engineering teams accountable to strict quality and firmware standards.
• You understand that in an extensive hardware portfolio, strategy is realized through rigorous execution, BOM optimization, and reliable technical sustainment
• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Computer Science, Telecommunications, or a related technical field; OR equivalent hands‑on experience with a proven track record in hardware validation and network engineering.
• Industry certifications such as CCNA, CCNP, CompTIA Network+, or equivalent industrial networking certifications are highly preferred and can substitute for formal education requirements.

EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Computer Science, Telecommunications, or a related technical field; OR equivalent hands‑on experience with a proven track record in hardware validation and network engineering.
• Industry certifications such as CCNA, CCNP, CompTIA Network+, or equivalent industrial networking certifications are highly preferred and can substitute for formal education requirements.

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