Ciena is committed to our people-first philosophy. Our teams enjoy a culture focused on prioritizing a personalized and flexible work environment that empowers an individual’s passions, growth, wellbeing and belonging. We’re a technology company that leads with our humanity—driving our business priorities alongside meaningful social, community, and societal impact.
Position can be located anywhere along the in the USA or Canada.
The Ciena Interconnects Principal, Sales will be responsible for driving growth in the target semiconductor markets through both direct and indirect channels. This role reports directly to the Global Leader, Interconnects Sales.
Ciena Interconnects is an emerging business segment driven by a high-specialized sales team supported by senior dedicated PLM, Sales, Solution Architects, and Engineering resources.
The ideal candidate will have experience supporting B2B sales territories, marketing, and selling high-performance electro-optic assemblies and modules in the data center, switch-router, and transport product segments within the semiconductor domain. The candidate must demonstrate the ability to work cross-functionally with the PLM, Engineering, Marketing, Legal, Sales, Finance, and Service functions to execute sales success within the defined territory and markets.
This candidate will interact regularly with prospects, existing customer and partner executives and demonstrate the ability to bring new relationships to the table through their personal network. It is beneficial for this candidate predict and intercept market trends and understand the current market dynamics in each market segment (Hyperscalers, Data Centers, and OEM/ ODM markets).
This role requires strong leadership traits and influencing skills for internal and customer interactions. The role will support Ciena’s strategic direction as it relates to components within the data center environment.
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
• Overall responsibility for the:
• Strategy marketing and selling Ciena Interconnects portfolio indirectly to the consumer to and through semiconductor entities, partners, and OEM/ ODM channels as assigned by management.
• Business plans that support sales execution into target OEM/ ODM accounts and segments.
• Execution of sales to and through advanced semiconductor and related marketplaces, selling electro-optic assemblies and/or licensing intellectual property to and through the data center, semiconductor (or related entities), directly or indirectly through OEMs and ODMs.
• Ensure:
• Sales targets are exceeded across all segments of responsibility.
• Complex sales methodologies are applied with full stakeholder analysis and engagement.
• Ciena Interconnects (and related intellectual property) product portfolio is fully leveraged.
• Direct/indirect strategies and progress reports are captured consistently and clearly.
• Promote collaboration across all corporate functions to include Product Line Management, R&D, Marketing, Services, Commercial Management, Legal, Human Resources
• Leverage appropriate sales tools (CRM/ Salesforce), Bid Applications, and CLM applications.
• Understand and comply with sales and corporate policies, guidelines, and procedures.
• Travel ~ 50%.
The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of:
• Building and demonstrating an ability to execute business plans and sales strategies from the ground up in strategic growth segments.
• Developing meaningful relationships with senior executives and decision-makers within target markets (OEMs/ODMs) and end-users.
• Track record of integrating solutions into the data center as well as related OEM/ODM sales motions.
• Keen understanding of the end user environment in and around the data center marketplace.
In addition, the ideal candidate would possess:
• Transparency and high-integrity approach to the business
• Collaboration and teaming mentality
• Growth/aspirational mindset
• Resiliency
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
• A BS Technical degree or a Business Degree is preferred or equivalent relevant experience (PLM, Systems engineering, Sales, Marketing)
• Min 15+ years of hardware and/or software sales experience through partners.
• Extensive knowledge of electro-optic solutions, data center, switch-router, and optical transport product segments.
Compensation and Benefits
The annual pay range for this position is $277,600 - $458,700
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
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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
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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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