Innovation Lead - Office of the CTO | AI

Over 50,000 customers globally trust our end-to-end, cloud-driven networking solutions. They rely on our top-rated services and support to accelerate their digital transformation efforts and deliver unprecedented progress. With double-digit growth year over year, no provider is better positioned to deliver scalable outcomes than Extreme.

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Job Description

What you will do (Job Specific Details on the nature of the job and responsibilities).

Position details

Title of position: Innovation Lead - Office of the CTO

Position type: Full time

Position reports to: Head of the Office of the CTO

Application deadline: Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis and this posting will remain open until filled.

Work authorization: We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa, including H-1B visas, at this time

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

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

Equal Employment Opportunity

Extreme Networks, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. We are committed to taking affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified protected veterans, including disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, active-duty wartime or campaign badge veterans, and Armed Forces service medal veterans.

Extreme Networks also strives to prevent other, subtler forms of inappropriate behavior (for example, stereotyping) from ever gaining a foothold in our organization. Whether blatant or hidden, barriers to success have no place at Extreme Networks. We encourage people from underrepresented groups to apply.

Fair chance and background checks

Extreme Networks will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the California Fair Chance Act, Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, Philadelphia Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance, Illinois Human Rights Act, Cook County Human Rights Ordinance, Seattle Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. An applicant's conviction history will not be considered until after a conditional offer of employment has been made. Following any individualized assessment, applicants will be provided with the opportunity to respond before any adverse action is taken.

Extreme Networks does not seek salary history information from applicants and will not rely on salary history in determining whether to offer employment or in setting compensation.

Compensation:

This role offers a market‑competitive salary with an anticipated base compensation range of 220,000 to 230,000 USD. Actual compensation will depend on the selected candidate’s experience, qualifications, skills, and work location. The posted range reflects the amount Extreme Networks reasonably and in good faith expects to pay upon hire. This range is determined using objective, gender‑neutral criteria based on skills, experience, responsibility, and working conditions. In addition to base pay, this role is eligible for a performance‑based bonus and the full benefits package described below.

Benefits and total rewards:

Extreme Networks offers a comprehensive benefits package. Specific benefits vary by country and may include:

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Flexible work schedules and work-from-home opportunities where role permits

Paid time off, including open time off in eligible markets and statutory leave in all markets

Paid holidays in accordance with local practice

Retirement savings programs, including RRSP matching in the Canada

Employee Stock Purchase Program, where eligible

Adoption assistance and fertility treatment support, where eligible

Flexible spending accounts, where eligible

Employee assistance program

Tuition reimbursement, where eligible

Life and disability insurance

Benefits eligibility is based on country of employment, role, and employment status. Complete benefits details will be provided during the interview process and in the formal offer of employment.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Job Description Summary

Qualifications

Basic Requirements and Preferred Qualifications for the job.

We encourage people from underrepresented groups to apply. Come Advance with us! In keeping with our values, no employee or applicant will face discrimination/harassment based on: race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, or veteran status. Above and beyond discrimination/harassment based on “protected categories,” Extreme Networks also strives to prevent other, subtler forms of inappropriate behavior (e.g., stereotyping) from ever gaining a foothold in our organization. Whether blatant or hidden, barriers to success have no place at Extreme Networks.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human oversight. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed —or to exercise any applicable privacy rights—please contact us at privacyinquiries@extremenetworks.com.

Our full privacy statement is available here:Privacy Statement