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.
At Ciena, we are the global leader in high-speed connectivity, building the world’s most adaptive networks to empower customers, partners, and communities to thrive in the AI era. This 2027 New Grad opportunity provides hands-on experience contributing to real-world engineering challenges within a dynamic embedded software team working on leading edge technology in the telecommunications area. The role offers exposure to the development and testing of software that powers flagship networking products while learning from experienced engineering professionals.
How you will make an impact:
- Contribute to coding assignments that enhance embedded platform and application software.
- Create and execute tests to validate new capabilities.
- Collaborate with team members following Agile development practices.
- Participate in high level design, automated testing, and apply feedback to improve software quality.
- Troubleshoot and resolve software issues.
- Learn and apply modern development workflows and tools.
- Embrace AI tools and technologies at every step of the software design lifecycle while gaining hands-on experience with real-time embedded systems.
The must haves:
- Education: Graduated in 2027, with a degree program in Engineering or Computer Science.
- Experience: Previous internship, co-op, or applied project experience relevant to the role.
- Foundational knowledge of coding concepts and programming structures.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
- Curiosity and willingness to learn new technologies and tools.
Nice to haves:
- Exposure to programming or scripting languages such as C, C++, Python, Bash, or Java.
- Familiarity with development tools including Git, Bitbucket, or Jira.
- Experience with unit test frameworks such as Google Test, JUnit, Robot, or PyTest.
- Experience with using AI, GitHub Copilot, test case generation, and designing and implementing AI agents and workflows.
- Understanding of debugging tools such as gdb.
- Interest in learning more about real-time and embedded software environments and automated testing.
Pay Range:
The annual pay range for this role is $72,000 - $115,000.
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
- Graduated in 2027 with a degree in Engineering or Computer Science
- Previous internship, co-op, or relevant applied project experience
- Foundational knowledge of coding concepts and programming structures
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment
- Curiosity and willingness to learn new technologies and tools
- Exposure to C, C++, Python, Bash, or Java
- Familiarity with Git, Bitbucket, or Jira
- Experience with Google Test, JUnit, Robot, or PyTest
- Experience using AI, GitHub Copilot, test case generation, or AI agents and workflows
- Understanding of debugging tools such as gdb
- Interest in real-time and embedded software environments and automated testing
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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