Vice President of Advanced Development

Molex; Lisle (IL); Hybrid; USD 275,000 - 325,000; Full time

Job summary

Molex seeks a seasoned leader to build and guide a global Advanced Development organization within the Optical Connectivity Group. The VP will recruit top talent, drive the technology roadmap for next-gen connectors and ferrule technologies, and scale manufacturing readiness from prototype stages to high-volume production.

This role demands deep optical interconnect and manufacturing expertise, cross-functional collaboration across product, process, optoelectronics, silicon photonics, MEMS, and

Qualifications

• Proven senior leadership in advanced development, product engineering, or manufacturing.
• Experience leading global teams (12+ years; 5+ years at senior/director/VP level).
• Deep expertise in fiber optic interconnects, connectors and termination for SMF/PMF/multi-core/hollow-core fiber.

Responsibilities

• Lead and build a global, multidisciplinary R&D and process engineering org.
• Define goals, KPIs, and career development for the advanced development team.
• Roadmap next-gen connectors/ferrule technologies and pivot to new approaches as needed.
• Advance multi-cavity precision molding, metrology, and scaled production.
• Collaborate across Molex functions to align roadmaps with product strategy.
• Engage hyperscale and OEM customers to translate requirements into design wins.
• Lead industry participation, standards, and white papers to raise Molex profile.
• Drive programs from concept through productization with cross-functional buy-in.

Skills

Global leadership

Advanced development

Fiber optic interconnects

Cross-functional collaboration

Manufacturing scale-up

Strategic roadmap

Customer engagement

Communication

Education

BS in Electrical/Optical/Mechanical Engineering

MS/PhD preferred

Tools

Precision molding equipment

Metrology equipment

Automation systems

Teramount/ferrule tech

Job description

Vice President, Advanced Development - Optical Connectivity Group (OCG)

Location- Flexible - based near Molex manufacturing facilities or development centers; frequent travel to global sites and customer locations expected

Job Summary

Molex is seeking a seasoned technology and people leader to build and lead a global Advanced Development organization within the Optical Connectivity Group. The VP will recruit and develop top engineering talent across product and process development, enable rapid technology pivots (connectors, ferrules, ferrule-less approaches), and scale manufacturing readiness from advanced prototypes through high-volume production (HVM). This role requires deep optical interconnect and manufacturing expertise, strong cross-functional collaboration with product, process, optoelectronics, silicon photonics, MEMS, med-tech and customer teams, and active industry engagement to convert customer requirements into design wins.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Building

• Recruit, develop, and lead a global, multidisciplinary R&D and process engineering organization supporting product and manufacturing development.
• Establish clear goals, KPIs, and career development plans to build a high-performing advanced development team.

Product & Process Development

• Lead advanced product and process engineering for next-generation connectors and ferrule technologies (including physical contact, lensed, fiber-to-chip, and novel ferrule approaches).
• Prepare the technology roadmap to pivot to alternative connector/ferrule technologies as market needs evolve.

Manufacturing, Scale & Metrology

• Improve organizational competence and capability for multi-cavity precision molding, metrology, and scaled production.
• Develop point-of-view (POV) and roadmap for HVM FAU manufacturing, including alternate manufacturing approaches and automated assembly technologies.

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Partner with OCG connector teams to align the advanced development roadmap with product strategy and deliverables.
• Collaborate across Molex: Teramount (fiber connector technology), optoelectronics (nextgen transceiver interfaces), silicon photonics (fiber-to-PIC), WLM (MEMS switching), and Med Tech (mixed-media connectivity for optics, power, sensing, fluids).

Customer & Market Engagement

• Engage directly with hyperscale and OEM customers to capture interconnect requirements, translate them into the advanced development roadmap, and convert opportunities into design wins.
• Provide technical leadership during customer engagements and design reviews.

Industry Leadership & Standards

• Lead and coordinate Molex participation in industry ecosystems, MSAs/standards groups, trade shows, and technical conferences.
• Develop and publish white papers and technical content to raise Molex's industry profile.

Program & Portfolio Management

• Drive cross-functional programs from technology concept through productization, ensuring alignment of engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and business objectives.
• Manage technology risk, IP strategy, and timelines to enable commercial launches.

Required Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience (typically 12+ years) in advanced development, product engineering, or manufacturing leadership roles; 5+ years managing global teams at senior/director/VP level.
• Deep technical expertise in fiber optic interconnects, connectors and termination technologies for SMF, PMF, multi-core and hollow-core fiber; familiarity with lensed, physical-contact, and fiber-to-chip interfaces.
• Hands-on experience with precision molding (multi-cavity), metrology, assembly automation, and scaling to high-volume production.
• Demonstrated experience working with hyperscale, cloud, or OEM customers and converting requirements into design wins.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills and experience coordinating product, process, optoelectronics, silicon photonics, MEMS and med-tech stakeholders.
• Technical degree (BS required; MS/PhD preferred) in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field.
• Excellent communication skills, demonstrated industry presence, and the ability to represent Molex at technical conferences and standards bodies.
• Willingness to travel internationally as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience with Silicon Photonics integration and PIC-to-fiber interfaces.
• Experience with MEMS switching technologies and mixed-media (optical/electrical/fluids) connectivity solutions.
• Track record of building manufacturing-ready technologies (HVM) from prototype stage.
• Experience with Teramount-style technologies, optical ferrule innovation, or other novel interconnect approaches.
• Established industry relationships with hyperscalers, OEMs, or standards organizations.

What Success Looks Like

• Global advanced development team recruited and operating with clear priorities and metrics.
• Roadmap defined and aligned with OCG product strategy covering nextgen connector/ferrule and fiber-to-chip technologies.
• Demonstrable improvements in precision molding and metrology capability and a validated POV for HVM FAU and automated assembly.
• Active customer engagements resulting in prioritized design-win opportunities.
• Visible Molex contributions to industry forums, standards work, and technical publications.

For this role, we anticipate paying $275,000 - $325,000 per year base salary. This role is eligible for variable pay, issued as a monetary bonus or in another form.

Hiring Philosophy

All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here.

Who We Are

At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how our business philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company.

Our Benefits

Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region.

Equal Opportunities

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, some offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify.