Grid Solutions Strategy Manager - Energy (Hybrid Office Schedule)

The energy landscape is undergoing a structural transformation. Aging transmission and distribution infrastructure must absorb unprecedented load growth from electrification and AI-driven data centers, integrate variable renewable generation at scale, and harden against extreme weather and physical threats - all while operating reliably across a converging grid that no longer operates siloed between electric utility front-of-the-meter (FTM) and non-utility behind-the-meter (BTM) systems. AFL is seeking a "Grid Solutions Strategy Manager - Energy" to define and drive AFL's grid-wide technology strategy across this full FTM-to-BTM spectrum. This role serves as the Energy Business Unit's (BU) principal technology strategist within Market Development, translating macro grid trends, Utility, Independent Power Producer (IPP), and large load investment patterns, regulatory shifts, and emerging architectures into a coherent technology roadmap, intellectual property (IP) strategy, and brand position for AFL's portfolio of optical, electrical, and power-delivery solutions. This is a high-influence role with significant cross-functional reach. The successful candidate will shape what AFL builds, where to invest, how AFL's grid technology story is told, and how AFL's innovation is protected - directly informing and partnering with product line management, engineering, corporate strategy, and business leadership. Responsibilities Grid Solutions Strategy & Market Intelligence • Own AFL's grid-wide technology strategy & definitive view of FTM and BTM grids, spanning transmission, distribution, substation, renewables, distributed energy resources (DER), microgrids, and large load power delivery. • Translate utility, IPP, EPC, and large load trends into prioritized technology bets. • Monitor regulatory and standards activity (FERC, NERC, IEEE, IEC, ANSI, state PUCs, ISO/RTO interconnection queues, NESC) and assess strategic and product implications. • Build and maintain a competitive technology landscape map covering OEM competitors, emerging entrants, and adjacent-industry disruptors; identify opportunities & threats to action. • Establish and maintain key technology assumptions which influence AFL's market & demand modeling in AFL's Integrated Business Planning (IBP) processes. • Lead primary technology research through customer interviews, utility R&D engagements, lab partnerships, and conference intelligence. Intellectual Property & Innovation Strategy • Define and steward AFL's grid-technology IP strategy in partnership with engineering & legal - covering patents, trade secrets, defensive publications, and licensing posture. • Partner with engineering leadership to build & maintain Energy BU's invention pipeline; participate/lead invention disclosure reviews and prioritize filings against strategic technology themes. • Evaluate third-party IP, technology licensing opportunities, and standards-essential patent positions; recommend acquire/license/design-around strategies. • Track competitor patent activity and surface inflection signals to product and engineering leadership. Product Roadmap Inputs & Solution Definition • Provide the principal Market Development input into AFL Energy's product line roadmaps, grounded in grid architecture evolution rather than incremental product extensions. • Partner with Product Line Management (PLM) to develop technology requirement frameworks for both new & existing grid solutions - both FTM & BTM. • Partner with PLM to define solution architectures, system-level value propositions, and reference designs that span AFL's optical & electrical infrastructure portfolios. • Lead make/buy/partner recommendations for new technology capabilities, working with Engineering, PLMs, Strategy, and Finance. • Serve as the BU's voice in cross-portfolio architecture discussions where Energy use-cases intersect Broadband, Data Center, or Services. Technology Brand Positioning & Thought Leadership • Bolster AFL's position as a grid-technology authority focused on architecture, system-level value, and long-horizon credibility with utility CTOs, planning engineers, and grid strategists. • Author and direct technology thought leadership: white papers, technical position papers, standards body contributions, and analyst engagements. • Partner with the "Solutions Marketing Manager - Energy" to ensure technology messaging, branding, and positioning are consistent with the business strategy and market direction. • Represent AFL externally at industry forums (IEEE PES, CIGRE, DistribuTECH, RE+, EEI, EPRI working groups) and within certain standards bodies. • Build durable relationships with utility R&D and innovation leaders, EPRI program managers, national labs, and key academic partners. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Decision Support • Equip business leadership with technology investment recommendations, scenario analyses, and inorganic-growth opportunity assessments. • Brief executives on grid technology trends and emerging risks and opportunities. • Enable Sales and Application Engineering with deep technical narratives for strategic accounts - utilities, IPPs, EPCs, and data centers. • Coordinate with Solution Marketing, Product Line Management, Engineering, Corporate Branding, and Sales to ensure technology, product, and brand strategies stay aligned. Qualifications and Experience Required • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline. • 3 - 5 years of progressive experience in the electric power industry, with direct exposure to grid infrastructure, utility planning, or grid-edge technology. • 3+ years in technology, product, and/or market strategy, or grid infrastructure R&D. • Working knowledge of both FTM (transmission, distribution, substation, interconnection) and BTM (DERs, microgrids, commercial & industrial, large load power) systems. • Track record of shaping product roadmaps, defining technical requirements, or originating new solution categories that reached commercial success. • Experience working directly with electric utilities, IPPs, EPCs, or other power infrastructure builders in technical advisory, sales engineering, or strategy capacities. • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with proven ability to brief executives and author technical thought leadership content. • Comfort operating cross-functionally with engineering, product management, marketing, sales, legal, and corporate strategy. Preferred • Master's degree (MS in Transmission & Distribution, Power, or Electrical Engineering). • Experience with optical fiber, grid hardware, OPGW/ADSS, transmission, distribution and substation design - power & communications. • Prior contribution to standards bodies (IEEE, IEC, CIGRE) or active participation in EPRI programs. • Hands-on involvement with patent filings, IP strategy, or technology licensing transactions. • Prior experience inside a transmission & distribution manufacturer, grid-technology startup, or utility innovation organization. • Standards bodies: IEEE PES, IEC, ANSI, CIGRE, NESC committees • Industry analysts, trade publications, and conference programs Working Conditions • Approximately 25% travel, predominantly domestic - utility, IPP, EPC, and data center customer sites; AFL plants and offices; industry conferences and standards meetings. • Occasional international travel for global utility, data center, or technology-partner engagement