As the global leader in high-speed connectivity, Ciena is committed to a people-first approach. Our teams enjoy a culture focused on prioritizing a flexible work environment that empowers individual growth, well-being, and belonging. We’re a technology company that leads with our humanity—driving our business priorities alongside meaningful social, community, and societal impact.
Ciena is a global leader in high-speed connectivity, and this Account Manager role is critical to executing the go-to-market strategy for a large U.S.-based Tier-1 service provider account. The position manages relationships with value-added reseller (VAR) partners while driving purchase order, revenue, and customer engagement objectives. Success in this role contributes directly to account growth, operational alignment, and long-term business performance.
How you will make an impact:
• Develop a strategic and commercial plan with VAR partners that encompasses Ciena’s hardware, software, and services portfolio.
• Facilitate alignment between the Tier-1 service provider, VAR partners, and Ciena global sales leadership across a complex, high-value account.
• Own a forecasting process that aligns Tier-1 service provider and VAR partner demand with supply chain and demand planning teams.
• Monitor inventory consumption at the Tier-1 service provider and VAR partners and track performance against forecast.
• Ensure VAR partners maintain purchase order coverage aligned with Ciena lead times and delivery intervals.
• Deliver bookings, revenue, and margin results for the account team and Ciena.
• Represent the business internally and externally through executive presence, communication, and collaboration.
The must haves:
• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; advanced business degree or equivalent experience strongly preferred.
• Experience: 5+ years in a telecom/networking sales or sales operations role with demonstrated ability to create account plans and deliver results.
• Application of Tier-1 service provider purchasing, supply chain, and inventory management processes.
• Telecom infrastructure experience (preferably optical and/or routing and switching) and/or experience with complex sales involving large service provider networks.
• Track record of driving revenue growth, market share expansion, and gross margin improvement.
• Experience in forecasting and demand planning of networking and computer hardware, including utilization of Salesforce or other industry-leading CRM systems.
• Exceptional communication, collaboration, and stakeholder-management skills.
Nice to haves:
• US based, preferably in the Dallas, Atlanta, or New Jersey area.
• Experience in accounts management with complex, multi-year investment cycles.
• Background selling through both direct and partner or indirect channels.
• Education: MBA or equivalent advanced business education.
• Experience driving transformational platform refresh or replacement programs within customer networks.
• Demonstrated ability to introduce innovative approaches that deliver value beyond the scope of the role.
The annual total target compensation pay range for this position is $232,500 - $371,500 USD. This includes both base and incentive compensation.
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Pay ranges at Ciena are designed to accommodate variations in knowledge, skills, experience, market conditions, and locations, reflecting our diverse products, industries, and lines of business. Please note that the pay range information provided in this posting pertains specifically to the primary location, which is the top location listed in case multiple locations are available.
Non-Sales employees may be eligible for a discretionary incentive bonus, while Sales employees may be eligible for a sales commission. In addition to competitive compensation, Ciena offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision plans, participation in 401(K) (USA) & DCPP (Canada) with company matching, Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), company-paid holidays, paid sick leave, and vacation time. We also comply with all applicable laws regarding Paid Family Leave and other leaves of absence.
At Ciena, we are committed to building and fostering an environment in which our employees feel respected, valued, and heard. Ciena values the diversity of its workforce and respects its employees as individuals. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination.
Ciena is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status.
If contacted in relation to a job opportunity, please advise Ciena of any accommodation measures you may require.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree
- Advanced business degree or equivalent experience
- 5+ years in telecom/networking sales or sales operations with account planning and results delivery
- Experience with Tier‑1 service provider purchasing, supply chain, and inventory management processes
- Telecom infrastructure experience (preferably optical and/or routing and switching) or complex service provider network sales experience
- Proven track record driving revenue growth, market share expansion, and gross margin improvement
- Experience in forecasting and demand planning for networking and computer hardware, including use of Salesforce or other CRM systems
- Exceptional communication, collaboration, and stakeholder‑management skills
- Experience in accounts with complex, multi‑year investment cycles
- Background selling through direct and partner/indirect channels
- Experience driving transformational platform refresh or replacement programs
- Demonstrated ability to introduce innovative approaches that deliver value beyond the role
Ciena Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Ciena and has not been reviewed or approved by Ciena.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is often characterized as competitive or above-market in certain roles and regions, with references to market-aligned salary ranges and transparency around pay bands.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is frequently framed as comprehensive, including medical, dental, and vision, with indications that coverage can extend to dependents and is viewed as a meaningful component of total rewards.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time-off offerings are described as flexible and generous, including Flex/uncapped PTO in many cases and additional paid time for volunteering.
Ciena Insights
What We Do
Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) is a global leader in networking systems, services, and software. We build the world’s most adaptive networks to enable our customers to deliver richer, more connected experiences for all users. At our core, Ciena is a company rooted in people. We prioritize deep, collaborative relationships within our teams and alongside our customers, partners, and communities around the world. For three-plus decades, we’ve brought our humanity to our relentless pursuit of innovation. We continue to lead the evolution of networking with a strong track record of industry firsts. As end-user expectations skyrocket, our customers and their networks must transform. Ciena powers this transformation by driving next-generation solutions built for maximum openness and agility—today and into the future. Corporate/Brand Values: • Customer First • Integrity • Velocity • Innovation • Outstanding People We're the perfect size for you to make an impact. W Only Ciena has the depth of expertise and the culture of collaboration and partnership required to help our partners evolve. We do this by strategically integrating hardware, services, and software in an open environment to ensure our clients’ networks are ‘fit for flexibility’ today and into the f
Why Work With Us
We are known for our industry-firsts, including the first coherent optical solution, converged packet-optical platform, and intelligence automation platform. Our commitment extends beyond innovation, logging in over 35,000 volunteer hours and $2 million to worthy causes in 2023. We're the perfect size and culture for you to make a difference.
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