Technical Director

LIGHTERA has one of the longest and most respectable corporate lineages in American business, which goes back to Alexander Graham Bell and the invention of the telephone more than a century ago. We have a proven track record of being first in the industry with application specific fibers, optical connectors, ribbon cables, erbium doped fibers, Raman fiber lasers, fiber gratings and more. Our mission is to provide leading optical innovations and solutions by designing, manufacturing and supplying the best optical fibers, fiber cable and components and devices for our customers, with exceptional service that creates value for our shareholders, customers and employees. To do so, we must continue shaping the future of communications by applying the best minds to the challenges our customers will continually face.

Technical Director

Are you our new Technical leader driving in R&D, product development and commercialization in fiber optics, bridging innovation, production, scale-up and lifecycle management?

About Lightera Denmark

We are a global leader in developing and manufacturing top-tier optical fiber solutions for a diverse range of applications. From ultra-low loss transmission fibers for ocean cables to cutting-edge rare-earth doped fibers used in lasers, lidar systems, and amplifiers, our innovations shape industries worldwide. We are a front-runner in the work towards creating a more connected future, where data and knowledge is shared rapidly across the globe. With in-house production, we manage the full value chain, and our R&D team has a unique opportunity for a swift transition from ideation to production.

Position purpose:

To provide overall technical leadership across Product Development/R&D and Technical Product Management, creating one clear point of accountability across research, innovation, product and proces development, production transfer, scale-up, and lifecycle ownership.

The position bridges research, product development, production, and marketing/commercial stakeholders by combining a strong foundation in Physics / Applied Physics with specialization in Photonics / Optical Engineering, strong process understanding, portfolio knowledge, execution capability, and commercial understanding of the fiber optics market.

Organizational Scope:

The role spans two existing departments: Product Development/R&D, responsible for research and development of fiber optic products, and Technical Product Management, responsible for technical ownership of products in production.

The appointment ensures that product decisions reflect process capability, scalability, customer needs, market priorities, and business objectives.

The Technical Director will report directly to the General Manager of Lightera Denmark.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Product Development/R&D and Technical Product Management across the fiber optics portfolio of Lightera Denmark.
• Ensure alignment between research, product development, product management, operations, commercial teams, customers, and business leadership.
• Own the technical roadmap and balance research and innovation priorities with product development, process capability, scalability, production support, market needs, and business value.
• Drive disciplined execution of research-driven innovation, product development programs, product improvements, cost reductions, quality improvements, and technical issue resolution in order to meet market demands in a timely fashion.
• Ensure structured handover from development to production, including process readiness, documentation, manufacturability, robustness, and scale-up capability.
• Strengthen product governance by clarifying ownership, decision rights, technical standards, risk management, and lifecycle responsibilities.
• Participate in strategic portfolio discussions, customer-facing engagements, and key business decisions.
• Develop people, collaboration models, and technical excellence across both departments.

Required Capabilities and Experience

• Master’s degree or PhD in Physics / Applied Physics, with specialization in Photonics / Optical Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline.
• Strong technical foundation with the ability to guide technical decisions across fiber optic technologies and applications.
• Strong process understanding and practical process experience across development, manufacturing, transfer, scale-up, and lifecycle processes.
• Proven execution track record in successful product development from concept and validation through production transfer and lifecycle ownership.
• Deep product and process understanding across the full portfolio, including performance drivers, limitations, applications, and improvement opportunities.
• Commercial insight into the fiber optics market, including customer needs, profitability, prioritization, risk, investment decisions, and long-term portfolio value, with knowledge of telecommunications, data centers, medical, aerospace, and defence applications.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to explain complex technical matters clearly to technical, operational, commercial, and executive stakeholders.
• High personal integrity, credibility, and respect across the existing organization.

Leadership Expectations

The Technical Director is expected to lead with clarity, structure, and credibility.

The role requires a leader who can use existing organizational knowledge, strong technical depth, process understanding, and commercial market insight to balance research and innovation with product execution, production support, customer relevance, and business performance.

Personal characteristics

The ideal candidate is approachable and inspiring, combining strong technical credibility with humility, curiosity, and a genuine passion for developing people. They build trust through openness and consistency.

The ideal candidate empowers people with meaningful responsibility, encourages constructive technical debate and creates an environment where talents feel challenged, recognized and able to grow.

Success Measures

• Clear technical ownership across the full product lifecycle.
• Improved collaboration and handover between Product Development/R&D, Technical Product Management, and production.
• New products developed with robust process readiness, manufacturability, and scale-up capability to support customer demand.
• Balanced investment and execution across research, innovation, product development, and production support.
• Strong delivery performance on development programs, product improvements, and technical initiatives.
• Long term development of technologies that successfully align with the future needs of the business
• Portfolio decisions aligned with technical expertise, customer needs, market requirements, process capability, and business priorities.
• Recognized credibility and trust as the senior technical leader across the organization.

Join Our Team

If you are excited about the opportunity to work with advanced technologies and grow your career in a positive, collaborative and dynamic workplace, we encourage you to apply today. Please submit your CV, cover letter, and academic transcripts. Applications are welcome in either Danish or English.

We look forward to hearing from you

Note: Only those candidates selected for the interview process will be contacted.

About Lightera

Lightera is a global leader in optical fiber and connectivity solutions, delivering innovative technologies that drive communication networks, data centers, and specialty photonics applications. With a deep legacy of expertise in optical science, we provide high-performance solutions that enable faster, more reliable, and more sustainable connections for businesses, communities, and industries worldwide.

Headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, U.S.A., Lightera operates with a global footprint, serving customers across telecommunications, enterprise, industrial, generative AI, data centers, 5G/6G, utilities, medical, aerospace, defense, and sensing markets. Lightera is part of Furukawa Electric Group, a multi-billion-dollar leader in optical communications.

Lightera 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, protected veteran status or status as an individual with a disability.