Associate Director, AI Connect Solutions Architecture — Irvine, California

When you join Verizon You want more out of a career. A place to share your ideas freely — even if they’re daring or different. Where the true you can learn, grow, and thrive. At Verizon, we power and empower how people live, work and play by connecting them to what brings them joy. We do what we love — driving innovation, creativity, and impact in the world. Our V Team is a community of people who anticipate, lead, and believe that listening is where learning begins. In crisis and in celebration, we come together — lifting our communities and building trust in how we show up, everywhere & always. Want in? Join the #VTeamLife. Every AI model trained, every GPU cluster lit and every inference workload served depends on physical fiber: dark fiber, long-haul routes and metro rings that connect campuses, power-advantaged regions and cloud on-ramps. Hyperscalers and neoclouds are committing billions to this build-out, and they will choose the partner that can design it right and deliver it on time. Verizon is building AI Connect to be the intelligent fabric of the AI economy. As an Associate Director you will lead the experts who turn that ambition into signed, buildable and profitable designs for our largest strategic customers. About the Role You will lead the architects who manage senior sales engineers, each owning a customer design end to end: from discovery and solution architecture through contract, engineering hand-off, construction and service turn-up. You are accountable for design integrity, scope control, delivery readiness and the customer's technical experience. The Team You Will Lead You will lead some of the most experienced people in the industry, typically with 15-30 years in the field. Many have: • Led complex fiber programs from engineering design through construction and service delivery. • Negotiated high-value contracts and RFP/BAR responses with strategic customers. • Held P&L, forecasting, KPI and SLA accountability and managed contractors and vendors at scale. • Worked inside carriers, fiber builders and construction firms, so they understand every hand-off from the sales call to the splice. They don't need managing. They need a leader who is technically credible, clears obstacles, sets direction and makes them more valuable to the customer and to the company. What You Will Do • Set the vision. Build and execute the model for end-to-end customer design ownership in AI Connect, Dark Fiber, Lit Fiber/Wave and Edge Data Centers. • Lead the architects. Guide architects and sales engineers supporting Verizon's top strategic customers across a multi-billion-dollar portfolio, driving bookings and quota attainment. • Own the customer design lifecycle. Ensure one accountable technical owner from discovery through order, hand-off, build tracking and turn-up. • Govern design and hand-off. Set standards that keep sold scope, schedule and cost aligned with delivered scope, and reduce rework, change orders and time to revenue. • Run delivery readiness. Operate a customer-health and readiness cadence, and escalate early across Sales, Network Planning, Construction, Right-of-Way and Operations. • Build stakeholder alignment. Lead opportunity teams that give a holistic view of customer strategy, processes and IT assets. • Coach for influence. Develop executive presentations, technical storytelling, competitive positioning and multi-stakeholder account strategy. • Bring financial discipline. Build business cases, ROI and cost models, and make sure what we design is what we price and what we can deliver. • Raise efficiency. Introduce automation and off-load low-value work so senior talent focuses on customer outcomes. • Develop talent and presence. Hire, coach, motivate, and retain top architects and engineers, maintain certifications, and represent Verizon at events and customer advisory boards. Build a culture of empowerment, collaboration, and innovation fueled with integrity at its core. What We're Looking For You'll need to have: • Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline or directly related equivalent experience. • 10+ years in engineering and architecting telecom, IT or network infrastructure, with deep expertise in dark fiber and the intersection of physical assets with AI/ML digital transformation. • 3+ years leading senior architects or sales engineers, including workforce planning, coaching and performance management. • Experience owning complex customer solutions from design through delivery, including scope, change and contract management. • Experience engaging senior executives and delivering effective customer presentations. • Demonstrated financial analysis skills: P&L, ROI, cost analysis and business-case development. Even better if you have: • MS or MBA. • Direct experience with hyperscalers or neoclouds or carriers. • OSP engineering, construction or delivery background, including ULH or metro fiber programs and contractor management. • Knowledge of AI and GPU cluster networking and how topology drives requirements on the fiber layer. • Experience with IRUs, swaps, anchor-tenant builds, SLAs and MSAs. • Relevant certifications (for example CCIE/CCNP, optical vendor, PMP or FOA CFOS). Why This Role • Real scale and authority. A multi-billion-dollar portfolio and the mandate to build the end-to-end ownership model. • A team worth leading. Work with seasoned architects and engineers who have designed, negotiated and delivered some of the largest fiber programs in the industry. • A front-row seat to the AI build-out. Your team's designs connect the campuses where the next generation of models is trained and served. • Competitive rewards. Base salary, annual incentive, long-term incentive, and comprehensive health and retirement benefits. How to Apply Apply through the Verizon careers site with your resume, and include a brief note on the largest infrastructure design or pursuit you have led and the team you built around it. Where you’ll be working In this mobile role, you'll primarily work from customer or field location(s), with occasional visits to a Verizon location for in-person training and meetings. Scheduled Weekly Hours 40 Equal Employment Opportunity   Verizon is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to veteran status, disability or other legally protected characteristics. Benefits and Compensation Our benefits are designed to help you move forward in your career, and in areas of your life outside of Verizon. From health and wellness benefit options including: medical, dental, vision, short and long term disability, basic life insurance, supplemental life insurance, AD&D insurance, identity theft protection, pet insurance and group home & auto insurance. We also offer a matched 401(k) savings plan, up to 8 company paid holidays per year and up to 6 personal days per year, paid parental leave, adoption assistance and tuition assistance, plus other incentives, we’ve got you covered with our award-winning total rewards package. Depending on the role, employees have the opportunity to receive compensation in the form of premium pay such as overtime, shift differential, holiday pay, allowances, etc. Newly hired employees receive up to 15 days of vacation per year, which grows with additional service. For part-timers, your coverage will vary as you may be eligible for some of these benefits depending on your individual circumstances. The salary will vary depending on your location and confirmed job-related skills and experience. This is a commission based position with the potential to earn more. For part-time roles, your compensation will be adjusted to reflect your hours. The annual salary range for the location(s) listed on this job requisition based on a full-time schedule is: $130,000.00 - $248,000.00. The annual salary range for the New York location(s) listed on this job requisition based on a full-time schedule is: $142,500.00 - $248,000.00.