Director of Product Management - Datacenter Switches

Sanmina-SCI

$200K — $230K *
Telecommunications & Hardware
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field; MBA preferred.
  • 7+ years of experience in Product Management, Systems Engineering, or Technical Marketing focused on datacenter networking.
  • In-depth understanding of datacenter switch architecture and associated hardware components like switching silicon.
  • Experience with open networking standards and disaggregated hardware/software systems like SONiC.
  • Strong knowledge of designing high-speed hardware with an emphasis on signal integrity and thermal management.
  • Proven track record of launching complex hardware products from concept to mass production.
  • Excellent communication skills for engaging technical teams and C-level executives.

Responsibilities

  • Define the long-term product vision and roadmap for cutting-edge datacenter switches.
  • Identify market trends and emerging requirements in AI/ML networking to maintain competitive advantage.
  • Conduct competitive analysis to uncover market gaps and opportunities.
  • Convert customer needs into detailed Product Requirement Documents for engineering.
  • Coordinate closely with key partners, suppliers, and internal teams throughout the product lifecycle.
  • Lead the product lifecycle from New Product Introduction to End-of-Life stages.
  • Collaborate with sales teams on RFIs/RFPs and communicate product strategies to high-profile clients.
  • Optimize product pricing and manage gross margin targets for profitability.

Benefits

  • Health insurance coverage
  • Life and disability insurance
  • Savings plan
  • Company-paid holidays and PTO
  • Eligibility for restricted stock unit awards
  • Participation in a discretionary bonus program
Full Job Description
Job Purpose:

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.

Nature of Duties/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.
  • 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).
  • 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.

Education and Experience:
  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field. An MBA or equivalent business experience is highly desirable.
  • Minimum 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.
  • 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.

Salary Range(annual): $200,000 - $230,000

Actual base pay within this range (determined at the offer stage) will be based on a candidate's years of relevant work experience, education, certifications, and skills, and is just one element of our total rewards package. The total rewards package also includes a variety of benefits, including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business and, depending on the role, may include eligibility for restricted stock unit awards and participation in a discretionary bonus program.

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