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.
As a DevOps- Platform Automation Engineer within Blue Planet, a division of Ciena, this role advances the reliability and performance of critical upgrade activities across on‑premises and public cloud environments. The position strengthens seamless delivery of automation‑driven upgrade solutions that support Ciena’s mission to build adaptive, resilient networks for customers worldwide.
• Perform installation and upgrade execution for Blue Planet (BP) applications across on‑premises and Kubernetes environments
• Implement upgrade strategies including in‑service software upgrade (ISSU) and canary deployment
• Automate operational workflows using scripting and Python to optimize repeatable processes
• Troubleshoot complex issues across application, Kubernetes, database, and infrastructure layers
• Validate system health through post‑upgrade checks using observability and monitoring tools
• Partner with UCoE, DevOps, Architecture, and Product teams to ensure smooth upgrade execution
• Contribute to continuous improvement of upgrade frameworks and best practices
• 3+ years of experience in Linux system administration with strong scripting capability
• Hands‑on expertise in Python, SQL, and database fundamentals
• Proficiency working in AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
• Kubernetes administrator certification such as Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
• Experience upgrading microservices‑based applications in production environments
• Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
• Strong diagnostic skills across infrastructure, applications, and containerized systems
• Experience with Blue Planet orchestration or similar network automation platforms
• Familiarity with service mesh technologies and distributed systems concepts
• Exposure to advanced observability stacks such as Prometheus, Grafana, or Elastic
• Background supporting high‑availability production systems
• Working knowledge of automation frameworks such as Ansible
• Understanding of container security best practices
• Knowledge of networking fundamentals aligned with industry standards
#LI-FA
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
- 3+ years of experience in Linux system administration
- Hands-on expertise in Python, SQL, and database fundamentals
- Proficiency working in AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform
- Kubernetes administrator certification such as Certified Kubernetes Administrator
- Experience upgrading microservices-based applications in production environments
- Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
- Strong diagnostic skills across infrastructure, applications, and containerized systems
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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