Market Innovation Research Manager

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 $3B in revenue, and employ approximately 12,000 associates worldwide. At AFL, we recognize that our employees are our greatest asset. We hire and train each individual, 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:

• A hybrid in office schedule for qualifying employees
• Flexible time off policy
• 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 advancement with an industry leading company!

The Market Innovation Research Manager leads deep-domain innovation research and technology scouting to inform AFL's strategic direction as part of the Innovation and Emerging technologies function. This role identifies emerging technologies, evaluates adjacent market opportunities, and delivers actionable insights that strengthen AFL's portfolio, partnerships, and thought leadership across the fiber optics and connectivity ecosystem.

Responsibilities:

Technology Scouting & Market Intelligence

• Conduct continuous technology scouting across optical fiber, photonics, CPO, AI data center infrastructure, and adjacent domains
• Track technology maturity and evolution to inform structured innovation roadmaps
• Develop forward-looking scenario analyses mapping technology trajectories to AFL's portfolio using different frameworks (e.g. "Four Future" positioning)
• Represents AFL at Key Industry events and conferences as well as lead AFL's participation in different forums such as MSA, IEEE, etc.

Innovation Road Mapping & Strategic Insights

• Develop and maintain innovation roadmaps with quarterly refresh cycles
• Translate research findings into strategic recommendations on technology positioning and investment prioritization
• Deliver executive-ready insights to guide long-term portfolio development
• Align long term innovation plans with immediate Product/solution development initiatives
• Own the long-term technology development pipeline, maintaining a multi-horizon view (3-5+ years) of technologies advancing toward strategic and commercial relevance for AFL

Adjacent Market Opportunity Assessment

• Identify and evaluate adjacent market opportunities aligned to AFL capabilities
• Conduct market sizing, competitive analysis, and strategic fit assessments for specific technologies
• Produce structured opportunity assessments to support investment decisions
• Define and apply screening criteria (strategic fit, market timing, technology readiness, profit pool potential) to ensure the Innovation and Emerging Technologies and Scale-Up resources concentrate on the highest-value opportunities

Thought Leadership & Research Publications

• Author white papers, trend briefs, ESG-aligned insights, and market analyses
• Establish AFL as an industry thought leader through research-driven content

Strategic Partnerships & Ecosystem Development

• Build and manage strategic technical partnerships including MSAs, JDAs, and academic collaborations
• Maintain partnership pipeline visibility and engagement tracking
• Collaborate internally and externally to expand the innovation ecosystem

Innovation Pipeline Development

• Feed the discovery process with qualified innovation candidates supported by business case summaries
• Maintain a pipeline aligned to strategic priorities and readiness
• Partner cross-functionally to transition insights into execution pathways
• Maintain funnel health metrics and visibility - pipeline volume, conversion rates by stage, and time-in-stage - reported through the IET operating cadence

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred
• 7+ years in market research, innovation strategy, technology scouting, or related roles
• Strong analytical skills including market sizing and competitive analysis
• Ability to translate technical insights into business strategy
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Domain knowledge in optical communications, photonics, data center infrastructure, or adjacent technology markets strongly preferred
• Familiarity with industry standards bodies, MSAs, or multi-party technical collaborations a plus

Working Conditions:

• Environment: Office-based, Hybrid or Remote work environment flexibility possible
• Travel: Moderate travel (domestic and international) as needed.