Senior Manager, Solutions Engineering

Posted Yesterday
Be an Early Applicant
Hiring Remotely in US
Remote
152K-242K Annually
Senior level
Cloud • Hardware • Internet of Things • Other • Software • Utilities
Ciena is a networking systems, services, and software company.
The Role
Lead a Network Solutions Engineering team for secure government environments, managing operations and partnerships, and ensuring technical excellence and financial stewardship.
Summary Generated by Built In

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.

Ciena Government Solutions, Inc. (CGSI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Ciena, delivers trusted, mission-critical networking solutions to national security, defense, and civilian government customers. This role offers the opportunity to lead a high-impact engineering organization at the intersection of advanced optical networking and government modernization initiatives, shaping how secure networks are designed, deployed, and evolved at scale.
How you will make an impact:
  • Lead and scale a high-performing Network Solutions Engineering team supporting secure, mission-critical government environments
  • Own day-to-day services operations, balancing technical execution, people leadership, and contract performance
  • Partner closely with Program Management, Sales, Account Management, Contracts, and government prime contractors to deliver successful customer outcomes
  • Drive financial stewardship across active contracts, including utilization, burn rate, revenue forecasting, and funding alignment
  • Serve as the senior technical escalation point for complex deployment challenges, removing obstacles and accelerating resolution
  • Influence executive decision-making through clear, data-driven presentations on utilization, skills, capacity planning, and growth strategy
  • Shape long-term services growth through business development, workforce planning, and execution of multi-year and consultative programs
The must haves:
  • Active security clearance
  • Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications, Networking, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent professional experience
  • 8+ years of experience in telecommunications or networking, including 3+ years leading technical engineering teams
  • Hands-on expertise across Layer 0, Layer 1, and Layer 2 networking technologies
  • Strong working knowledge of Synchronous Optical Network (SONET), Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM), Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer (ROADM) architectures, and Carrier Ethernet
  • Proven experience producing technical documentation, including engineering methods and procedures (EMOPs), network diagrams, and whitepapers
  • Security+ or equivalent Department of Defense (DoD) 8570 Information Assurance Technical (IAT) Level II or higher certification
Nice to haves:
  • Prior experience with the Ciena product portfolio
  • Background supporting U.S. government programs, prime contractors, or highly regulated environments
  • Project management experience with formal certification (Project+, ITIL, Agile, Scrum, or similar)
  • Experience contributing to statements of work (SOWs), services scoping, and pricing alignment
  • Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers and build targeted development and training pathways
  • Experience supporting network modernization, expansion, and cost-optimization initiatives
#LI-BS1
Pay Range:The annual pay range for this position is $151,700 – $242300.

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.

Top Skills

Carrier Ethernet
Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing
Engineering Methods And Procedures
Layer 0
Layer 1
Layer 2
Networking
Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer
Synchronous Optical Network
Telecommunications
Am I A Good Fit?
beta
Get Personalized Job Insights.
Our AI-powered fit analysis compares your resume with a job listing so you know if your skills & experience align.

The Company
HQ: Hanover, MD
9,561 Employees
Year Founded: 1992

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.

Gallery

Gallery

Similar Jobs

Motive Logo Motive

Senior Manager, Strategic Solutions Engineering

Artificial Intelligence • Fintech • Hardware • Information Technology • Sales • Software • Transportation
Easy Apply
Remote
United States
4000 Employees
208K-270K Annually
In-Office or Remote
3 Locations
26747 Employees
100K-149K Annually

SmarterDx Logo SmarterDx

Senior Manager, Revenue Cycle Solutions Engineering

Artificial Intelligence • Healthtech • Software
Easy Apply
Remote
United States
310 Employees
210K-240K Annually

Similar Companies Hiring

Milestone Systems Thumbnail
Software • Security • Other • Big Data Analytics • Artificial Intelligence • Analytics
Lake Oswego, OR
1500 Employees
Fairly Even Thumbnail
Software • Sales • Robotics • Other • Hospitality • Hardware
New York, NY
Kepler  Thumbnail
Fintech • Software
New York, New York
6 Employees

Sign up now Access later

Create Free Account

Please log in or sign up to report this job.

Create Free Account