Strategic Planner, Photonics - US-CA-Santa Rosa-Bldg 1, United States

Originally posted 27 October 2026 by the employer.

About the role

Keysight is seeking an experienced strategic planner to shape its growth strategy in photonics. You will evaluate opportunities for design, emulation, test, and measurement solutions in applications such as optical interconnects for AI data centers, automotive LiDAR, and quantum photonics.

What you'll do

- Identify and prioritize photonics growth opportunities by assessing customer needs, technology trends, market attractiveness, competitive dynamics, and alignment with internal capabilities. - Quantify total addressable market (TAM) and serviceable available market (SAM) across design, emulation, test, and measurement solutions. - Map the photonics ecosystem and value chain, including customers, suppliers, competitors, foundries, and potential partners, to identify entry points and sources of differentiation. - Build decision-ready business cases covering market potential, competitive differentiation, investment requirements, key assumptions, risks, and recommended actions. - Evaluate organic growth, partnership, and acquisition opportunities, articulating trade-offs, capability requirements, and strategic fit. - Present evidence-based recommendations to senior leadership and communicate objective assessments to C-Suite decision makers on SAM expansion opportunities.

What you'll need

- 10 or more years of relevant experience in strategic planning, business development, product management, or technology commercialization within photonics, optical communications, or related technology sectors. - Strong technical foundation in photonics, with depth in areas such as silicon photonics, photonic integrated circuits, optical interconnects, lasers, or optical sensing. - Demonstrated ability to size markets, assess competitive positioning, prioritize opportunities, and develop business cases supporting investment decisions. - Understanding of the photonics ecosystem and value chain to connect technical developments to customer needs and commercial opportunities. - Bachelor’s degree in a relevant technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.

Nice to have

- Experience with photonics applications or customers in AI data center interconnects, automotive LiDAR, or quantum photonics. - Familiarity with compound-semiconductor platforms, including GaN, InP, or GaAs, and their relevance to photonics design and test requirements. - Experience representing an organization in standards bodies, industry consortia, or other relevant technical and business forums. - Advanced degree (e.g. M.S., Ph.D.) in a relevant technical discipline or an MBA.

Skills: strategic planning, TAM/SAM, silicon photonics, optical interconnects, business cases