Director, Advanced Development - Copper Solutions Business Unit

Overview

Are you looking to make a connection to your career? Come to Molex where we create connections for life. We use innovation, engineering excellence, commitment to quality and reliability, and superior customer experience to improve communication, elevate experiences, and engage and inspire people everywhere.

Molex's Copper Solutions Business Unit (CSBU) is a global team that works together to deliver exceptional products to worldwide telecommunication and data center customers. CSBU is one of the most highly technically advanced business units within Molex.

The Director of Advanced Development Engineering will lead a strategic group of innovators focused on advanced/future engineering technologies that align with Molex's long-term business and technology goals. This role is responsible for driving the development and execution of cutting-edge technologies that are delivered in advance of customer needs. The Director will identify and evaluate emerging technologies, foster external partnerships, and guide cross-functional collaboration to ensure seamless integration of R&D into product development.

This position requires a visionary leader with deep technical expertise in high-speed connectivity products and a strong understanding of commercialization processes. The ideal candidate will possess a proven track record in technology development, stakeholder engagement, and risk management, along with the ability to mentor engineering teams. A high degree of initiative, creativity, and strategic thinking is essential to succeed in this role.

• Effectively lead a global team (both U.S. and Asia) of engineers managing individuals with diverse backgrounds, experience levels, and cultural perspectives to successfully develop next generation high-speed connectors and cable solutions.
• Develop strong front-end customer and product management relationships to help understand their future design technology needs and future technical challenges.
• Collaborate with internal peers and stakeholders to drive/influence the Advanced Development Group technology roadmap.
• Drive team to develop new technology ideas, patents, and patent strategies that protect the intellectual property of Molex.
• Help prioritize R&D technology projects based on long term value, alignment with Molex strategies/goals, and anticipated future customer needs.
• Foster collaboration between R&D, Product Development Engineering, and other departments to ensure seamless integration of R&D initiatives into product development cycles.
• Identify potential risks and challenges in R&D projects and develop mitigation strategies to address them proactively.
• Provide technical mentorship, training, and guidance to the engineering team.
• Present innovative concepts and technology development activities to both internal stakeholders and customers.
• Utilize and drive Principle Based Management to help deliver long-term value for our customer, Molex, and our employees.

• Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering or a related field, or equivalent relevant work experience.
• At least 10 years' experience with electro-mechanical products and solutions.
• At least 5 years of progressive leadership and people management experience, including proven ability to lead and develop global, multi-disciplinary engineering teams with diverse cultures, backgrounds, and experience levels
• Experienced in coaching, employee development, driving accountability, and fostering high-performing teams
• General industry knowledge related to high-speed connectivity and datacenter architecture
• Proven experience leading teams to deliver high-speed products while managing the full product lifecycle from customer requirements through concept development, prototyping, NPI, and full transition to production
• Deep understanding of the interdependencies among engineering, operations, plant manufacturing, and product management functions
• Demonstrates sound judgment in navigating complex technical challenges, with the ability to clearly communicate actions and impacts to stakeholders including executive leadership, customers, and the technical community
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally between 15% - 25%

For this role, we anticipate paying $150,000 - $230,000 per year. This role is eligible for variable pay, issued as a monetary bonus or in another form.

At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location.

If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy.

All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences,…