Ciena

Technical Solutions Engineer - Data Center PON

Ciena$115K — $184K *
US-Anywhere
+ 2 other locationsRemote
Telecommunications & Hardware
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent with 7+ years of relevant experience.
  • Strong hands-on experience with Passive Optical Networking (PON) technologies like OLT and ONT/ONU.
  • Solid understanding of Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking protocols and architectures.
  • Experience with network management and automation interfaces (e.g., NETCONF/YANG, gRPC/gNMI).
  • Ability to work with remote and globally distributed teams.
  • Excellent communication skills for engaging technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Experience in designing network solutions for complex environments like data centers.

Responsibilities

  • Gather and analyze requirements for next-gen routing and switching software solutions.
  • Provide technical expertise for Ciena's SAOS PON software and platforms.
  • Translate customer networking requirements into scalable solutions.
  • Collaborate through the entire software and solution lifecycle.
  • Ensure deployment readiness of PON-based data management networks.
  • Contribute to improving Ciena's DCOM PON capabilities and customer experience.
  • Identify and resolve technical challenges by analyzing solutions and making recommendations.

Benefits

  • 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.
  • Compliance with laws regarding Paid Family Leave and other leaves of absence.
Full Job Description
How You Will Contribute:

As a Technical Solutions Engineer at Ciena Corporation, you will help deliver and support innovative solutions for next-generation Data Center Out-of-Band Management (DCOM) networks built on Passive Optical Networking (PON) technology. These solutions are designed to support the rapidly growing infrastructure needs of AI hyperscalers and neoscalers.

In this customer-focused technical role, you will work closely with cross-functional teams-including product management, engineering, and customer deployment teams-to ensure that Ciena's DCOM PON solutions deliver high performance, reliability, and operational simplicity.

  • Gather and analyze requirements for next-generation routing and switching software solutions supporting 10Gbps PON network technologies and applications for Layer 2 and Layer 3 data networking across a wide range of switch and host platforms.
  • Provide technical expertise and solution guidance for Ciena's SAOS embedded PON software and platforms, helping enable new customers and markets while accelerating time-to-market for Ciena's Data Center PON products.
  • Work closely with customers and internal stakeholders to translate networking requirements into scalable and operationally efficient solutions.
  • Collaborate across the entire software and solution lifecycle, including requirements analysis, integration, verification, solution validation, and customer support.
  • Support deployment and operational readiness of PON-based data center management networks, ensuring best practices in reliability, scalability, and security.
  • Contribute to continuous improvement of Ciena's DCOM PON capabilities and overall customer experience.
  • Proactively identifying and resolving technical challenges through solution analysis, recommendation, and execution, while aligning internal and external stakeholders

The Must Haves:
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent, with 7+ years of relevant industry experience.
  • Strong hands-on experience with Passive Optical Networking (PON) technologies including OLT and ONT/ONU, and broadband access architectures such as FTTx.
  • Solid understanding of Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking, including Ethernet, VLAN, QoS, IPv4, IPv6, and switching and routing in access networks.
  • Experience working with network management and automation interfaces, including NETCONF/YANG, gRPC/gNMI, telemetry, and REST APIs.
  • Demonstrated ability to work effectively with remote and globally distributed teams.
  • Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Experience supporting or designing network solutions for complex environments such as large enterprise or data center infrastructures.

Assets:
  • Familiarity with containerized and modern network architectures, including Docker, SDN, NFV, and disaggregated networking solutions.
  • Experience with database technologies, preferably MongoDB or JSON-based databases.
  • Knowledge of secure networking technologies, including SSH, TLS, and X.509 certificates.
  • Experience supporting data center networking environments, particularly those used by hyperscale or large cloud infrastructure operators.


The annual pay range for this position is $115,500 - $184,500 CAD.

The annual pay range for this position in California is $148, 200 - $236,800 USD

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#LI-Remote

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.

About Ciena

Ciena Corporation is a global supplier of telecommunications networking equipment, software, and services. The company was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Hanover, Maryland. Ciena's products include optical transport and switching systems, software, and services that support the transport, switching, aggregation, and management of voice, video, and data traffic. Ciena serves customers in the telecommunications industry, including telecommunications service providers, cable operators, governments, and enterprises. The company has approximately 7,000 employees worldwide and operates in more than 100 countries.
Learn more about Ciena
Size
7,241 employees
Market Cap
$7.3 billion
Industry
Net Income
$354.3 million
Founded
1992
5 Year Trend
+5.3%
Revenue
$3.4 billion
NASDAQ

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