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 serves as the technical and strategic interface between product management, sales, and customers—translating complex customer requirements into winning solutions that leverage Ciena’s innovative routing, switching, and optical capabilities.
The ideal candidate blends deep networking expertise, market insight, and business acumen—acting as the “tip of the spear” in developing and evangelizing differentiated IP/Ethernet solutions that address explosive traffic growth driven by AI/LLMs, 5G/6G, cloud, and next-generation digital services.
How You Will Contribute:
Customer and Market Engagement
- Act as the primary PLM interface for strategic tenders and new opportunities—defining solution approaches, product recommendations, and competitive positioning.
- Together with account teams and strategic sales, lead consultative engagements with service providers, MSOs, large enterprises to define optimal solutions based on their technical and business needs.
- Serve as a thought leader in the IP networking domain, representing Ciena at customer events, industry forums, and conferences.
Solution Definition and Demand Generation
- Develop solution frameworks and value propositions that showcase how Ciena’s routing & switching portfolio solves real-world challenges—focusing on IP/optical convergence, metro/aggregation, IP service edge, cloud interconnect, and mobile transport.
- Identify emerging applications and technologies that can drive demand and revenue growth across multiple market segments.
- Collaborate with sales teams to define target solution / application opportunities and go-to-market priorities.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Coordinate cross-functional resources across RSD—including Solutions Engineering & Introduction (SE&I), hardware and software PLMs, and network / product line architects—to design, validate, and launch integrated customer solutions
- Provide direct input to product PLMs on roadmap priorities based on customer feedback, competitive dynamics, and evolving market needs.
- Partner with solution and product marketing to create compelling collateral (presentations, white papers, solution briefs) and support Ciena events such as PowerHours, Connections, and key trade shows.
Must Haves:
Technical Expertise
- 10+ years of experience in product management, network architecture/design, or technical pre-sales within the telecom or networking industry.
- Deep knowledge of IP/MPLS, SR-MPLS, SRv6, EVPN/IPVPN, BGP/MP-BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, and Ethernet technologies including MEF services, Ethernet OAM, and FlexE
- Solid understanding of network timing and synchronization (PTP, SyncE, G.8275), QoS, and OAM concepts and technologies
- In-depth knowledge of and familiarity with IETF, IEEE, and MEF standards relevant to IP/Ethernet.
- Strong understanding of network management, orchestration, and SDN implementations and their importance role in an overall solutions context
- Awareness of optical networking fundamentals such as coherent DWDM, photonic line systems / ROADMs, and OTN is highly desirable.
Application & Architecture Knowledge
- Strong grasp of IP/Optical convergence, AI infrastructure, data center and cloud connectivity, mobile transport (4G/5G/6G), and enterprise multi-cloud/SASE architectures.
- Understanding of virtualization (VMware, Hyper-V, KVM), containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and SDN concepts (centralized control, PCE, Netconf/YANG, open APIs).
Nice To Haves:
- Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional initiatives with minimal oversight.
- Exceptional communication and presentation skills with the ability to engage both technical and executive audiences.
- Entrepreneurial mindset — comfortable taking ownership, driving clarity, and executing with speed.
- Willingness to travel globally as needed.
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
The annual pay range for this position is $157,900 - $252,200 USD.
The annual pay range for this position in California is $175,600 - $280,400 USD.
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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.
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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.
Top Skills
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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