Director, Product Development & External Manufacturing

Role Overview We are seeking a strategic, technically capable, and hands-on Director, Product Development & External Manufacturing to lead the execution of Corinex's hardware and semiconductor product development programs and the external manufacturing ecosystem that brings those products to market. This role combines product development leadership with global foundry, Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT), contract manufacturing, and strategic sourcing responsibilities. Working closely with the C-suite, Engineering, and Finance, you will drive cross-functional programs from product requirements, design coordination, prototyping, and validation through New Product Introduction (NPI), manufacturing qualification, scale-up, and sustaining improvements. You will translate technical designs into manufacturable, reliable, cost-effective solutions for Corinex's Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) and smart-grid portfolio. You will manage and expand relationships with semiconductor foundries, OSAT providers, electronics manufacturing services (EMS) partners, and critical suppliers; negotiate strategic manufacturing and IP agreements; and build resilient capacity and sourcing plans. This is an execution-focused leadership role requiring strong technical judgment, commercial discipline, and direct ownership of delivery outcomes. Key Responsibilities Product Development & Engineering Execution - Lead cross-functional execution of hardware and custom silicon development programs from requirements and design planning through prototypes, engineering verification, design validation, and production release. - Partner with Silicon Engineering, Hardware, Firmware, Mechanical, Test, and Product teams to translate product requirements into practical development milestones, deliverables, resource plans, and manufacturing-readiness criteria. - Manage technical dependencies, schedule risks, design reviews, and issue resolution to keep development activities aligned with product roadmaps, launch priorities, and commercial requirements. - Drive early engagement with manufacturing partners on design for manufacturability, assembly, testability, reliability, and cost (DFM/DFA/DFT), supporting production scalability without compromising product performance. - Coordinate prototype builds, engineering and design validation, qualification testing, and resolution of design or component issues prior to manufacturing release. - Oversee design transfer, bills of materials (BOMs), approved production documentation, engineering change orders (ECO/ECN), and product revisions; incorporate production and field feedback into continuous product improvement. New Product Introduction (NPI) & External Manufacturing - Own the manufacturing transition of new hardware and semiconductor products, including prototype and pilot builds, process validation, production test readiness, and ramp-up to high-volume manufacturing (HVM), as applicable. - Establish and manage operating relationships with external contract manufacturers, EMS providers, and other production partners; set clear commitments for quality, delivery, cost, capacity, and technical support. - Ensure manufacturing packages, test procedures, tooling, work instructions, component approvals, and traceability requirements are complete and controlled before production launch. - Partner with Engineering and manufacturers to improve first-pass yield, test coverage, cycle time, throughput, reliability, and on-time delivery; resolve critical manufacturing issues and production interruptions. Foundry & OSAT Management - Lead commercial and operational engagement with semiconductor foundries and OSAT partners, building productive relationships with existing partners and qualifying additional providers for future technology and capacity needs. - Proactively identify, contact, and evaluate leading and alternative global foundries, potentially including TSMC, GlobalFoundries, Samsung, UMC, and specialized providers, based on process capabilities, technology fit, cost, capacity, and geopolitical exposure. - Lead negotiations on wafer supply agreements (WSAs), non-recurring engineering (NRE), assembly and test services, capacity commitments, and long-term agreements (LTAs) with favorable commercial terms and practical delivery protections. - Coordinate wafer allocation, packaging and test capacity, forecasts, lead times, fab yields, and manufacturing excursions with Silicon Engineering and external partners; drive root-cause analysis and corrective actions. Strategic Sourcing & Procurement - Develop sourcing strategies for custom silicon, memory, active and passive electronic components, substrates, PCBAs, specialized packaging materials, and other critical hardware inputs. - Lead commercial evaluation, procurement, and negotiation of third-party semiconductor IP licenses and technical services required for ASIC/SoC development, working closely with Engineering and appropriate internal stakeholders. - Identify, evaluate, and qualify suppliers and alternative technologies to support product specifications, development schedules, cost competitiveness, and continuity of supply. - Use should-cost analysis, BOM reviews, supplier benchmarking, value engineering, and total-cost-of-ownership analysis to improve margins without compromising quality, functionality, or reliability. Quality, Supply Chain & Cross-Functional Leadership - Work with Engineering, Quality, and suppliers on component qualification, production acceptance criteria, supplier quality issues, failure analysis, corrective actions, and applicable product compliance requirements. - Develop dual-sourcing, geographic diversification, lifecycle/obsolescence, and business-continuity strategies to reduce single-source exposure, shortages, and delivery disruptions. - Coordinate planning for wafers, raw materials, work in progress (WIP), components, and finished goods, balancing manufacturing demand, working capital, and supply security. - Align Engineering, Product Development, Operations, Finance, and external partners on timelines, decisions, and escalations; monitor key metrics including development milestones, NPI readiness, yield, cost, supplier performance, and on-time delivery. Qualifications & Experience Required - Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related technical discipline; equivalent relevant experience will be considered. - 10+ years of progressive experience across hardware or semiconductor product development, NPI, external manufacturing, strategic sourcing, or related technical operations, including demonstrated ownership across both product development and manufacturing execution. - Proven experience supporting complex hardware or semiconductor products from design and validation through NPI, production qualification, and stable commercial manufacturing. - Strong understanding of semiconductor manufacturing processes, including wafer fabrication, assembly/packaging, OSAT operations, production testing, capacity planning, and yield management. - Hands-on experience managing or negotiating with foundries, OSAT providers, contract manufacturers/EMS partners, and technically complex suppliers. - Working knowledge of development reviews, technical specifications, BOM management, design transfer, engineering change control, manufacturing quality, and DFM/DFT principles. - Excellent supplier negotiation, financial and commercial judgment, including experience with NRE, IP licensing, capacity arrangements, and significant manufacturing or sourcing contracts. - Ability to influence multidisciplinary engineering and commercial teams, prioritize competing demands, and deliver results in a fast-paced, evolving technology environment. - Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with willingness to travel internationally up to approximately 30% as business needs require. Preferred - Experience with custom ASIC/SoC development programs and the transition of silicon products from NPI into high-volume manufacturing. - Background in smart-grid, power-line communications, networking hardware, telecommunications, industrial IoT, utility technology, or other reliability-critical electronics. - Established relationships with major or specialized semiconductor foundries, OSAT providers, and global electronics manufacturing partners. - Master's degree or MBA, and experience working across manufacturing or supplier networks in Europe, Asia, and North America. What Success Looks Like - Product development and manufacturing milestones are consistently achieved, with clear technical ownership, timely decisions, and smooth handoffs to production. - New products reach production with validated designs, qualified suppliers, reliable test processes, and measurable quality and yield performance. - External manufacturing and sourcing partnerships support competitive cost, dependable capacity, and resilient global supply.