Innovation Lead

The Role:

Innovation Lead – Office of the CTO (Full-time, Hybrid)

The Innovation Lead will discover, prototype, and develop transformative ML/AI and edge computing solutions that position Extreme Networks at the forefront of intelligent networking. You will be a hands-on contributor who turns ambitious ideas into real products and validated business cases. Working as an individual contributor within a matrix of cross-functional teams—data scientists, product managers, engineers, architects, and customers—you

• Explore emerging technologies and build proofs of concept
• Drive adoption and help define product roadmaps
• Help commercialize innovations—ensuring that innovation without market realization remains just research

Success is measured by validated ideas that advance to product, launched innovations that expand our market position, customer and partner engagement on breakthrough solutions, and thought leadership that establishes Extreme as the industry voice on networked AI and edge intelligence.

Key Responsibilities:

Discovery & Development

• Identify and evaluate emerging opportunities in ML/AI, edge computing, and adjacent technologies
• Conceptualize, prototype, and validate innovative solutions—moving fast from question to proof of concept
• Maintain awareness of industry trends, standards bodies, and competitive innovation

Hands-On Prototyping & Implementation

• Build and architect real solution prototypes, not just advise on them—coding, validating, and documenting as needed
• Partner with data scientists, engineers, and product teams to turn validated ideas into production-ready features
• Contribute directly to solution delivery through prototyping, testing, and technical demonstrations
• Drive continuous improvement by identifying and fixing technical and architectural bottlenecks

Customer & Partner Co-Innovation

• Engage customers, partners, and prospects to co-develop solutions and understand unmet needs
• Translate complex technical ideas into compelling narratives for CTOs, VPs of Engineering, and business executives
• Build reference and lighthouse accounts by delivering early access to breakthrough capabilities
• Help commercialize innovations—market realization is essential for innovation success

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Influence

• Work effectively in a matrix with product management, engineering, marketing, and field teams
• Participate in standards bodies and open-source communities to shape industry direction
• Influence product roadmaps and feature prioritization based on customer insights
• Champion a culture of critical thinking, experimentation, and calculated risk-taking

Thought Leadership & Evangelism

• Author and present on emerging technologies, innovation frameworks, and breakthrough solutions
• Evangelize our leadership in AI-powered networking and edge intelligence to customers and prospects
• Build visibility for Extreme's innovation strategy and technical differentiation in the marketplace