Sr Director, Systems Engineering - Strategic SME

Job Location

Americas, USA, California, San Jose

Summary

The role is for a highly accomplished and forward‑thinking Sr Director Technical Engineer for a leading role in a critical customer engagement. This role demands a unique blend of technical expertise, customer‑centricity, and a passion for emerging technologies to drive innovation and deliver exceptional results. This role is accountable for a strategic customer engagement – this includes regular engagement with the customer’s engineering teams on technical advances, product quality, engineering metrics, etc. To be successful in the role, the individual will need to work closely with internal and external stakeholders globally. The candidate will regularly interact with executives and / or major customers and product marketing. Interactions may involve readouts, technical direction setting or responding professionally and proactively to any potential escalations. The individual may also represent the organization in public speaking venues and / or community events. Engagement in technical forums is highly desired, but not required.

Responsibilities

Lead Technical Engagement

Serve as the principal technical advisor and leader for a key customer, fostering a deep understanding of their business needs and technical challenges.

Collaborate closely with the customer to define project scope, technical requirements, and success criteria, ensuring alignment with their strategic objectives.

Architect and design innovative solutions that leverage emerging technologies (e.g., AI / ML) to address the customer's unique needs.

Effectively communicate complex technical concepts and solutions to both technical and non‑technical audiences at the customer, building trust and confidence.

Drive Engineering Excellence

Lead and mentor a high‑performing engineering team, providing technical guidance and fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning.

Oversee the full software development lifecycle, from design and development to testing and deployment, ensuring adherence to the highest quality standards.

Champion engineering best practices, including code reviews, automated testing, GenAI‑based toolsets and comprehensive documentation.

Drive continuous improvement in engineering processes and methodologies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

Ensure Quality Outcomes

Define and implement robust quality assurance processes and metrics to ensure that deliverables consistently meet or exceed customer expectations.

Proactively identify and mitigate risks to project success and product quality.

Champion a culture of quality throughout the engineering team and the customer engagement.

Knowledge / Skills / Competencies

Deep Expertise : 20+ years of experience in product architecture and engineering, with a proven track record of designing, developing, and delivering complex solutions.

Technical Mastery : Expert‑level understanding of software and hardware engineering principles, design patterns, and architectural best practices. Solid understanding on the interdependencies and system limits within power, thermal, electrical, mechanical, and both FW control systems as well as performant workload systems SW.

Emerging Tech Focus : Strong experience with and passion for emerging technologies, with the ability to apply them creatively to solve real‑world problems.

Customer‑Centric Approach : Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills, with a demonstrated ability to build strong customer relationships and understand their needs.

Quality Advocate : Deep understanding of quality assurance methodologies and a commitment to delivering high‑quality solutions.

Strategic Thinker : Able to translate customer needs into technical solutions and align engineering efforts with business goals.

Leadership and Mentorship : Proven ability to lead and mentor engineering teams, fostering a collaborative and high‑performing environment.

Domain : Must have hands‑on experience, in C / C++, python, Linux kernel, Platform drivers, open source development, Networking switching chipsets.

Typical Experience

Fifteen plus years’ relevant experience.

Physical Demands

Incumbent will perform the duties of this position in a normal office environment.

Typical Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field, or consideration of an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Salary

$229,000–$404,000 / year

EEO Statement

Celestica is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws. This policy applies to hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral and other aspects of employment and also states that retaliation against a person who files a charge of discrimination, participates in a discrimination proceeding, or otherwise opposes an unlawful employment practice will not be tolerated. All information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines. Celestica is an E‑Verify employer.

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