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.
About Ciena
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.
Join Ciena, a global leader in networking systems, services, and software, as a Senior Software Engineer. Be part of a team that's transforming the way the world communicates by building secure, resilient, and cutting-edge embedded software for our optical and routing platforms.
How You Will Contribute
As a Senior Software Engineer on our team, you will be an active contributor to the heart of Ciena's industry-leading optical and routing platforms. You will dive into the complete software development lifecycle, making a tangible impact from day one.
- Design, develop, and test new security features in C and C++ for our complex embedded systems.
- Investigate, debug, and resolve challenging software defects, directly improving the stability, performance, and reliability of our products for our global customers.
- Proactively identify and mitigate security vulnerabilities.
- Engage in the full software development lifecycle—from secure design and threat modeling to robust testing, documentation, and final delivery.
- Develop powerful scripts, test utilities, and automation tools that streamline our development processes and integrate security into our CI/CD pipelines.
- Work in a dynamic, cross-functional environment, collaborating closely with software developers, system architects, and verification engineers to deliver seamless, large-scale software releases.
The Must-Haves
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
- 5-7+ years of experience in C/C++ and a proficiency with a scripting language like Python.
- Strong hands-on experience with software security principles and practices. This includes:
- Knowledge of secure communication protocols (SSH, TLS).
- Experience with AAA and remote management mechanisms (TACACS+, RADIUS).
- Understanding of cryptographic algorithms and concepts (encryption, PKIX, hashing).
- Demonstrated experience analyzing and remediating software vulnerabilities and proficiency with software debugging tools.
- Expertise with modern version control systems, particularly Git.
- An openness to learning and expanding your knowledge and expertise, especially in the area of security.
Nice To Haves (What Will Set You Apart)
- Experience with embedded Linux development, including the kernel and the Yocto Project.
- Knowledge of Agile software development methodologies and best practices.
- A commitment to writing clean, high-quality, test-driven code and experience with automated testing frameworks.
- Demonstrated expertise with integrating security scanning and testing into automated CI/CD workflows.
- Familiarity with micro-services architecture and delivering reusable code that targets a variety of platforms.
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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