Senior Principal, Product Manager - Data Center and AI Networking Hardware Architecture
This role has been designed as 'Hybrid' with a requirement that you will work on average 2 days per week from an HPE office.
Job Description:Senior Principal, Product Manager - Data Center & AI Networking HardwareLocation (Hybrid): Sunnyvale, CA
HPE Networking is seeking a Senior Principal Product Manager to shape the hardware architecture and product direction of next-generation data center switching platforms, with a strong focus on networking for AI clusters and high-performance Ethernet fabrics. This person will translate technology choices into customer & NPI decisions and shape next-generation switching hardware platform direction.
This senior individual contributor will evaluate emerging technologies and competing architectures, translate customer and market requirements into product choices, and drive alignment across product management, engineering, operations, partners, and executive leadership. The role combines deep technical expertise with product judgment to turn complex trade-offs into clear portfolio, investment, and new product introduction (NPI) decisions. Leads and connects others across functions to unite around a common goal. Actively mentors others and contributes to the HPE technical community.
Responsibilities:- Independently lead and drive the end-to-end product strategy and operational product roadmap for many complex products or product portfolios.
- Shape the multi-generation architecture and product direction for data center switching, including AI scale-up, scale-out, front-end, and data center interconnect networks.
- Define platform requirements across bandwidth, radix, topology, latency, congestion management, power, cooling, optics, cabling, form factor, and rack integration.
- Evaluate emerging technologies including switching silicon and SerDes, high-speed electrical interconnects, OSFP, LPO, LRO, XPO, NPO, CPO, silicon photonics, liquid cooling, power delivery, and rack-scale architectures.
- Lead fact-based trade-off analyses across customer value, performance, power, density, reliability, serviceability, manufacturability, cost, ecosystem readiness, supply availability, and time to market.
- Translate technical analyses into platform definitions, product requirements, business cases, investment priorities, and NPI recommendations, including when to adopt one architecture or support multiple options for different use cases.
- Partner with AI infrastructure, hyperscale, cloud, and enterprise customers to anticipate requirements and validate product and architecture choices.
- Drive cross-functional and executive alignment through clear, decision-oriented recommendations that articulate benefits, risks, assumptions, dependencies, and commercial implications.
- Engage silicon, optics, connectivity, cooling, compute, accelerator, and manufacturing partners to understand roadmaps, maturity, and opportunities for differentiation.
- When needed, serve as Product Line Manager (PLM) for selected NPI programs by defining product requirements, leading cross-functional execution, and managing the product lifecycle across engineering, supply chain, and marketing, including product development, SKU and inventory management, pricing, go-to-market strategy, and adoption.
- Represent HPE Networking in strategic customer discussions, partner engagements, executive briefings, and relevant industry forums.
- Acts as a leader, providing guidance and mentoring to less-experienced team members and influences them to build effective requirements and roadmaps.
Basic Qualifications:- Bachelor's degree or equivalent in computer science, engineering, or related field of study; MBA or advanced degree in computer science or engineering preferred.
- 12+ years of work experience in related field
- Technical understanding and knowledge of the relevant industry.
- Translation of technical requirements/functions into business value for the customer.
- Strong team skills and ability to cross functionally drive/influence work through others.
- Communicates effectively and can tailor message to various audiences.
- Extensive experience in data center networking, Ethernet switching, high-speed hardware systems, optical networking, semiconductor products, or related infrastructure technologies.
- Deep understanding of switching system architecture, including ASICs, SerDes, PHYs, high-speed interfaces, optics, signal integrity, power, thermal design, packaging, and system reliability.
- Strong understanding of networking for AI clusters and how GPU and accelerator roadmaps affect bandwidth, radix, topology, latency, congestion management, power density, cooling, optics, and rack design.
- Experience with relevant technologies such as 800GbE, 1.6TbE and beyond, OSFP, LPO, LRO, XPO, NPO, CPO, silicon photonics, high-speed copper, liquid cooling, or rack-scale architecture.
- Proven ability to convert complex technology evaluations into clear customer, product, portfolio, and NPI decisions.
- Strong product and business judgment, including assessment of differentiation, customer readiness, cost, reliability, ecosystem maturity, development risk, and time to market.
- Ability to influence senior executives and drive consequential cross-functional decisions without direct organizational authority.
- Willingness and ability to take hands-on PLM ownership of selected NPI programs as needed.
- Excellent customer engagement, communication, and executive presentation skills.
What We Can Offer You:Health & WellbeingWe strive to provide our team members and their loved ones with a comprehensive suite of benefits that supports their physical, financial and emotional wellbeing.
Personal & Professional DevelopmentWe also invest in your career because the better you are, the better we all are. We have specific programs catered to helping you reach any career goals you have - whether you want to become a knowledge expert in your field or apply your skills to another division.
Unconditional InclusionWe are unconditionally inclusive in the way we work and celebrate individual uniqueness. We know varied backgrounds are valued and succeed here. We have the flexibility to manage our work and personal needs. We make bold moves, together, and are a force for good.
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Job:Engineering
Job Level:TCP_06
"The expected salary/wage range for this position is provided below. Actual offer may vary from this range based upon geographic location, work experience, education/training, and/or skill level.
- United States of America: Annual Salary USD 187,000 - 377,500 in California
The listed salary range reflects base salary. Variable incentives may also be offered."
Information about employee benefits offered in the US can be found at https://myhperewards.com/main/new-hire-enrollment.html
