As the global leader in high-speed connectivity, Ciena builds the critical infrastructure powering the AI era. We’re a technology company shaping the future of networking, guided by innovation, integrity, and collaboration. Through development opportunities, meaningful work, and flexibility, Ciena supports growth and well-being—on and off the job. Connect with a career that matters.
Senior Director, Procurement Operations
Summary
As a member of Ciena's Global Procurement Leadership Team, the Senior Director of Procurement Operations leads the strategy, governance, systems, processes, and operational excellence framework that enables world-class procurement performance globally. This leader drives transformation through digital capabilities, business operations, compliance, trade governance, sustainability, risk management, and supply chain resilience initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
• Lead Procurement Operations strategy, business planning, KPI management, executive reporting, and organizational effectiveness.
• Own the procurement systems and digital transformation roadmap, including analytics, automation, and process optimization.
• Establish and maintain procurement policies, governance, controls, and compliance programs.
• Partner with Legal, Finance, Internal Audit, and Trade Compliance teams to ensure regulatory compliance and support tariff and global trade strategies.
• Lead sustainability and responsible sourcing initiatives aligned with corporate ESG objectives.
• Develop enterprise supplier risk management, business continuity, and supply chain resilience programs.
• Build and lead a high-performing global team focused on continuous improvement, accountability, and operational excellence.
Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance, Information Systems, or related field.
• 15+ years of leadership experience in Procurement, Supply Chain, Operations, or Business Transformation.
• Proven success leading large-scale process, systems, governance, and organizational transformation initiatives.
• Strong expertise in procurement systems, compliance, risk management, supplier management, and business operations.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
Preferred: Master’s degree and professional certifications such as CPSM, CSCP, PMP, or Lean Six Sigma.
Success Measures
Procurement operational excellence, governance and compliance effectiveness, technology adoption, sustainability progress, supplier risk reduction, supply chain resilience improvements, and overall organizational capability development.
The pay range for this position, in Maryland, USA, is:
$175,900.00 - $280,900.00 USD
#LI-JD
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 in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance, Information Systems, or a related field
- 15+ years of leadership experience in Procurement, Supply Chain, Operations, or Business Transformation
- Experience leading large-scale process, systems, governance, and organizational transformation initiatives
- Expertise in procurement systems, compliance, risk management, supplier management, and business operations
- Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills
- Master's degree
- Professional certification such as CPSM, CSCP, PMP, or Lean Six Sigma
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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