VP Customer Engineering

Role Description

JOB DESCRIPTION

The VP Customer Engineering is a critical executive leadership role responsible for ensuring world-class service delivery, seamless customer solution deployment, and highly efficient field operations for Harmonic's global broadband customer base. This leader will drive operational excellence, strategic planning, and continuous improvement across three core functions: Global Customer Support, Lab Integration & Field Trials, and Field Application Engineering.

This position reports directly to the VP of R&D.

Location:

Remote – this position is 100% Remote anywhere on the East cost.

What You Will Be Doing

• Strategic Leadership & Management
• Define and execute a unified, global strategy for customer support, integration services, and field engineering that aligns with company revenue and customer satisfaction goals
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs) across all teams, ensuring high standards of quality, responsiveness, and operational efficiency
• Manage operational budgets, optimizing resource allocation, headcount, and vendor/tooling expenditures
• Foster a high-performance, collaborative culture focused on continuous learning, accountability, and the voice of the customer
• Customer Success & Complex Situation Management
• Serve as the senior executive escalation point for mission-critical, high-visibility customer issues and complex network outages
• Lead cross-functional "tiger teams" (comprising Engineering, Product, and Sales) to rapidly diagnose, communicate, and resolve customer crises, ensuring stakeholder alignment
• Proactively manage customer relationships to ensure sustained high satisfaction (CSAT/NPS), particularly following major incidents or during complex integration projects
• Develop and implement customer risk mitigation and communication strategies to manage expectations and preserve long-term partnerships during challenging operational periods
• Global Customer Support (Technical & Operations)
• Oversee Tier 1/2/3 Technical Support for Harmonic's broadband access solutions (e.g., cOS Platform, Remote OLTs/PHYs) globally, ensuring rapid and effective resolution of complex customer issues
• Develop and implement strategies for proactive support, root cause analysis (RCA), and continuous service improvement to minimize service interruptions and optimize network performance for MSO/Telco customers
• Manage the 24/7/365 support infrastructure, including tools, processes, and knowledge base, to maximize team efficiency and customer satisfaction
• Solutions Integration & Engineering Services
• Lead the Lab Integration & Field Trial (LIFT) Team responsible for successful planning, configuration, testing, and deployment of complex broadband solutions within customer network environments
• Collaborate closely with Product Management and R&D to transition new products from development to customer deployment and support readiness
• Establish best practices and standardized methodologies for system integration, reducing deployment time and enhancing solution stability
• Field Application Engineering
• Direct the Field Application Engineering (FAE) Team responsible for on-site activities, including network audits, system turn-up, advanced troubleshooting, and localized customer engagement
• Act as the primary executive-level technical gatekeeper and escalation authority between customer operations and internal R&D/Core Engineering teams
• Ensure the Field Engineering team accurately vets and validates complex issues before escalating to R&D, providing comprehensive data and root cause analysis (RCA) to drive faster resolution and product fixes
• Collaborate with R&D leadership to prioritize defect resolution, define maintenance releases, and ensure field experience is continuously fed back into the product development lifecycle
• Ensure the team maintains deep, current knowledge of DOCSIS, FTTH/PON, SDN/NFV, and cloud-native architecture as they relate to Harmonic's product line
  
  

What You Should Have

• 7+ years of experience in technical roles within the telecommunications, cable, or networking industry, with proven experience in senior leadership roles overseeing global technical support, professional services, or field operations
• Extensive, verifiable experience managing complex, high-stakes customer situations and crises with a proven track record of restoring and maintaining high customer satisfaction (CSAT/NPS)
• Proven experience scaling and leading large, geographically dispersed technical organizations
• Exceptional executive-level communication, presentation, and negotiation skills
  
  

Preferred

• Deep understanding of Broadband Access Technologies (DOCSIS 3.1/4.0, CCAP, Remote PHY/MACPHY, PON/Fiber-to-the-Home)
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field
• Demonstrated ability to influence product strategy by translating customer support and field feedback into actionable product requirements
  
  

Travel: You are required to travel about 30% percent

Pay & Benefits

For this role, the estimated base salary is $250,000. The actual base salary will vary based on various factors, including market, location, and individual qualifications objectively assessed during the interview process. This position may also be eligible for incentive compensation: bonus, equity and benefits. Sales positions are generally offered a competitive on Target Earning (OTE) incentive compensation structure.

Diversity, Equality, And & Inclusion At Harmonic Inc

At Harmonic, we believe that building and nurturing a global team with diverse backgrounds and voices is critical to our success. Together, we achieve excellence through creativity and innovation , build relationships based on integrity and mutual respect, and deliver the highest quality in every aspect of our business for the benefit of our employees, business partners and shareholders.

Additional Equal Opportunity Statement

Harmonic is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of gender, race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, religion, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, veteran status, or marital status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, we will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. Additionally, we will make reasonable accommodation to assist a person with a disability in the application process. If you need an accommodation in order to apply for a position, please contact hrhelp.nam@harmonicinc.com

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About Us

Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT), the worldwide leader in virtualized broadband and video delivery solutions, enables media companies and service providers to deliver ultra-high-quality video streaming and broadcast services to consumers globally. The company revolutionized broadband networking via the industry’s first virtualized broadband solution, enabling operators to more flexibly deploy gigabit internet services to consumers’ homes and mobile devices. Whether simplifying OTT video delivery via innovative cloud and software platforms, or powering the delivery of gigabit internet services, Harmonic is changing the way media companies and service providers monetize live and on-demand content on every screen. More information is available at www.harmonicinc.com.

About The Team

Join the broadband revolution at Harmonic, where we're pioneering the future of multigigabit connectivity! As the worldwide leader in virtualized broadband solutions, we're transforming the way people live, work, and connect. Our groundbreaking technologies, including Unified DOCSIS 4.0, Remote OLT, and AI-Ops solutions, are empowering operators to deliver lightning-fast internet services to homes and businesses across the globe. With our industry-first virtualized broadband solution and cOS platform, we're simplifying operations, reducing costs, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible. We're proud to power next-gen broadband services for leading operators across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

At Harmonic, you'll be part of a dynamic team that's shaping the future of connectivity. You'll have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge projects, collaborate with top talent, and be part of a company that's making a real impact.

Join our mission to empower a more connected world and discover a career that's fast, innovative, and full of possibilities!