Solutions Engineer, Advanced - Dallas, Texas (Remote or Hybrid)

AFL manufactures industry-leading fiber optic cable, connectivity and accessories and provides engineering and installation services for some of the largest telecom customers in the world. Our company was founded in 1984 with a single fiber optic cable and today, we manufacture thousands of products, generate an excess of $1B in revenue, and employ more than 7,000 associates worldwide. At AFL, we recognize that our employees are our greatest asset. We hire and train everyone, investing in them to ensure success in their careers. With a commitment to professional development and growth, let us connect you to your next career opportunity.

What We Offer:

• Flexible time off policy
• Remote Office Schedule (outside of Dallas/Fort Worth area)
• A hybrid office schedule for local employees
• 401K Company match (up to 4% - dollar for dollar)
• Professional development, training, and tuition reimbursement programs
• Excellent medical, dental, vision, and life insurance policy options
• Opportunities for career advance with an industry leading company!

Responsibilities

Business Alignment:

• Understands and aligns with business needs of the customers
• Understands and aligns with business needs of Sales and Product teams
• Suggests product changes to customer/s aligning with business goals
• Provides monthly updates on customer NPD, technical innovation, and business outlook

Tactical Engagement:

• Owns new product requirements and engages with customer to create product requirements
• Categorizes product requirements by product hierarchy and assigns product priority
• Works closely with Product Line Managers and Engineering teams to action new product development
• Builds an end-to-end solution connectivity diagram
• Develops Product mock-up plans for end-to-end connectivity working closely with applications engineering
• Develops a test plan to ensure solution meets link requirements
• Works closely with Engineering to implement and test the solution link
• Resolves any technical issues before and during deployment of products at customer sites
• Ensures customer success in product reception and deployment

Networks:

• Develops an understanding of the customer's current and near-term network topology for fiber connectivity
• Supports customer site visits for new product testing, deployment, and operationalizing
• Owns and guides technical product development timelines based on customer network needs
• Participates in technical demos and prepares technical content
• Prepares current and near-term customer network topologies

Specifications and Standards:

• Participates in industry conferences to learn trends affecting product development
• Works with Fujikura team to align on technology and development priorities
• Guides technical specs development with the customer and product team
• Sets NPD priorities with project and program management based on trends and standard needs
• Owns a product category and participates in standards development
• Engages partners for near term NPD working closely with product teams

Organizational:

• Aligns with sales team on identifying key sales accounts needing Solutions Engineering (SE) support
• Aligns with PLM team on gaps and providing SE support on strategic accounts
• Creates and keeps updated front end and back-end process flows for SEs engagement
• Create and maintains basic documentation to enable customer and internal team engagements
• Continuously identifies gaps in customer engagement and works to setup and execute on mitigation strategies

Personal Qualities

• Excellent communication skills in both written and verbal form with external and internal
• Excellent organizational skills, detail-oriented approach and thorough in completing
• Flexible and adaptable to work in a rapidly changing, fast-paced
• Must be highly motivated with a strong sense of urgency and desire to meet customer
• Ability to collaborate with other departments to ensure a stellar customer
• Ability to comment on engineering drawings of physical infrastructure layouts on different data center architectures.
• Innovative and creative with problem solving
• Demonstrated ability to work at peak performance in keeping the team focus, goals and forecast in the forefront.
• Ability to sense and relate observations into business
• Ability to work independently and as a team
• Ability to manage multiple customers and motivate and support team members

Qualifications

• Engineering degree, RCDD/CNIDP/CDCD or other networking design certification
• 5+ years of data center, cabling, and fiber optic connectivity solutions experience

Working Conditions

• Primary work environment is an office environment
• Periodic travel required, domestic and global
• Ability to work extended hours to accommodate global operations may be required

Minimum Education

Minimum Education

Preferred Degree or Type

Bachelor's Degree: BS or BA

Engineering, related Technical Field, or Business