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.
This role sits at the center of Ciena’s most critical commercial decisions, shaping how complex opportunities are structured, governed, and executed across the Americas. As the senior commercial authority for the region, this leader influences deal strategy, strengthens financial discipline, and builds a high‑performing Commercial Management organization that enables profitable growth and long‑term customer success.
How you will make an impact:
- Serve as the senior commercial authority for the Americas, providing end‑to‑end leadership across the commercial lifecycle from opportunity qualification through post‑award governance
- Shape commercial strategy for complex, high‑value opportunities, advising on pricing frameworks, business case assumptions, revenue models, risk mitigation, and deal structuring
- Establish and enforce regional commercial guardrails that enable competitive, scalable, and compliant deal execution
- Lead regional deal governance, ensuring alignment with Ciena operating model standards, financial approval requirements, and corporate risk policies
- Partner closely with Sales, Services, Product Line Management (PLM), Finance, Operations, and Legal to align commercial strategy with financial and operational objectives
- Represent Ciena’s commercial strategy in executive‑level customer engagements, strategic reviews, and escalated negotiations
- Build, develop, and mentor a high‑performing Commercial Management team, strengthening commercial rigor, consistency, and capability across the region
The must haves:
- 10–12+ years of progressive experience in commercial management, deal desk leadership, or strategic commercial operations
- Proven expertise in complex deal strategy, commercial governance, pricing, revenue models, and financial risk assessment
- Strong financial and analytical acumen, including pricing analysis, profitability assessment, and P&L evaluation
- Extensive experience in contract structuring, commercial negotiations, and risk management
- Demonstrated ability to influence and challenge senior leaders and executive stakeholders
- Experience operating effectively in complex, ambiguous, and fast‑paced environments
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Engineering, or a related field
Nice to haves:
- Master of Business Administration (MBA) or equivalent advanced degree
- Experience in telecommunications, networking, or related technology sectors
- Executive‑level customer negotiation experience across products, services, software, and integrated solutions
- Prior people leadership experience building and scaling commercial or deal management teams
- Experience partnering with global commercial organizations in a matrixed environment
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Pay Range:
The annual pay range for this position in US is $140,100– $223,900.
The annual pay range for this position in Canada is C$110,900 – C$177,100.
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
- 10-12+ years of progressive experience in commercial management, deal desk leadership, or strategic commercial operations
- Proven expertise in complex deal strategy, commercial governance, pricing, revenue models, and financial risk assessment
- Strong financial and analytical acumen, including pricing analysis, profitability assessment, and P&L evaluation
- Extensive experience in contract structuring, commercial negotiations, and risk management
- Demonstrated ability to influence and challenge senior leaders and executive stakeholders
- Experience operating effectively in complex, ambiguous, and fast‑paced environments
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Engineering, or a related field
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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