Principal Product Strategist, Wholesale Optical Infrastructure (Remote, US)

Lumen is the trusted network for the AI‑powered world, connecting people, data, and applications through our expansive fiber network and connected ecosystem. We enable secure, high‑performance connectivity across cloud, edge, and AI workloads for enterprises, governments, and communities.

At Lumen, you’ll work on infrastructure customers rely on today and build for what’s next, where performance, security, and resilience matter.

This is a high accountability environment where bold ideas drive real innovation for our customers, partners, and industry. The work is challenging, expectations are clear, and trust is built into how we operate. If you’re ready to take ownership, deliver meaningful impact, and help shape the future of AI‑ready connectivity, join us today.

The Role

As the Pricipal Product Strategist, this role defines and advances Lumen’s wholesale infrastructure portfolio across waves, dark fiber, dim fiber, managed optical fiber systems, and infrastructure on-demand constructs. This leader must bring a strong market vision for the future of wholesale optical and fiber infrastructure, serve as a trusted advisor to strategic customers, and translate customer demand, market signals, and competitive insights into differentiated product strategy, roadmap direction, and commercial outcomes.

Location

This is a remote opportunity open to candidates located anywhere in the U.S.

The Main Responsibilities

• Act as the wholesale infrastructure product visionary for strategic optical and fiber-based services, shaping portfolio direction across waves, dark fiber, dim fiber, managed optical fiber systems, and terabit-on-demand offers.
• Lead customer-facing engagement with Lumen’s most valued and strategic wholesale customers to understand network strategies, capacity requirements, commercial preferences, and long-term infrastructure needs.
• Consult with customers and sales teams to develop solution constructs using existing product lines, including hybrid and lifecycle-based solutions that combine lit, dim, dark, and managed infrastructure options.
• Identify market trends, customer preferences, competitive moves, and emerging infrastructure consumption models; convert those insights into recommendations for new products, enhancements, pricing approaches, and commercial frameworks.
• Partner closely with inbound product management, architecture, engineering, IT, operations, finance, and sales to define requirements, scope business cases, influence roadmap priorities, and align product investments to wholesale growth opportunities.
• Develop clear product requirements and shepherd initiatives through Lumen’s product introduction and governance processes from concept through launch, commercialization, and lifecycle management.
• Own and communicate product-level KPIs, including revenue performance, sales adoption, win rates, customer traction, usage trends, pricing realization, and strategic growth indicators.
• Provide deep market intelligence on wholesale infrastructure trends, route economics, technology evolution, pricing dynamics, and competitor positioning to support executive decisions, go-to-market planning, and product marketing strategy.
• Support GTM and product marketing efforts by helping define positioning, value propositions, use cases, sales enablement narratives, and customer-facing messaging for infrastructure solutions.
• Influence cross-functional teams without direct authority, bringing strategic clarity, disciplined execution, and strong leadership across highly visible, complex, and commercially important initiatives.

What We Look For in a Candidate

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent education and relevant experience; advanced business or technical education preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in product management, product strategy, or infrastructure solution leadership within telecommunications, optical networking, or wholesale infrastructure markets.
• Deep expertise in optical and fiber-based infrastructure services, including waves, dark fiber, dim fiber constructs, managed optical systems, and high-capacity on-demand bandwidth models
• Exceptional executive presence to engage senior customer stakeholders and the strategic acumen to shape portfolio direction.

Compensation

This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. Individual pay is based on skills, experience and other relevant factors.

Location Based Pay Ranges

$152,066 - $202,755 in these states: AL AR AZ FL GA IA ID IN KS KY LA ME MO MS MT ND NE NM OH OK PA SC SD TN UT VT WI WV WY
$159,670 - $212,893 in these states: CO HI MI MN NC NH NV OR RI
$167,273 - $223,031 in these states: AK CA CT DC DE IL MA MD NJ NY TX VA WA

Lumen offers a comprehensive package featuring a broad range of Health, Life, Voluntary Lifestyle benefits and other perks that enhance your physical, mental, emotional and financial wellbeing. We're able to answer any additional questions you may have about our bonus structure (short-term incentives, long-term incentives and/or sales compensation) as you move through the selection process.

Learn more about Lumen's:BenefitsBonus Structure

Requisition #: 342939

Life at Lumen

Life at Lumen is human and connected, even in a fast moving, AI‑focused organization. We set clear expectations and trust people to meet them. With real support and shared accountability, teams collaborate better, move faster, and deliver meaningful outcomes.

Our Lumen 8 behaviors guide how we interact, make decisions, and work together, shaping a culture built to perform and win.

To learn more about Life at Lumen and how we live the Lumen 8, please visit:

Background Screening

If you are selected for a position, there will be a background screen, which may include checks for criminal records and/or motor vehicle reports and/or drug screening, depending on the position requirements. For more information on these checks, please refer to the Post Offer section of our FAQ page. Job-related concerns identified during the background screening may disqualify you from the new position or your current role. Background results will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Equal Employment Opportunities

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons regardless of race, color, ancestry, citizenship, national origin, religion, veteran status, disability, genetic characteristic or information, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, family status, pregnancy, or other legally protected status (collectively, “protected statuses”). We do not tolerate unlawful discrimination in any employment decisions, including recruiting, hiring, compensation, promotion, benefits, discipline, termination, job assignments or training.

Privacy Notice

Lumen is committed to protecting the privacy and security of personal information collected during the recruitment and hiring process. Our Applicant Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect applicant information, as well as how individuals may request access to or deletion of their personal data.

To review Lumen’s Global Employment Applicant and Talent Community Privacy Notice, please visit:

Disclaimer

The job responsibilities described above indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to include a comprehensive inventory of all duties and responsibilities for this job. Job duties and responsibilities are subject to change based on evolving business needs and conditions.

In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

Please be advised that Lumen does not require any form of payment from job applicants during the recruitment process. All legitimate job openings will be posted on our official website or communicated through official company email addresses. If you encounter any job offers that request payment in exchange for employment at Lumen, they are not for employment with us, but may relate to another company with a similar name.

Originally posted on Himalayas