Leader, Material Manager

Ciena Corporation; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 81,000 - 129,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401(k) plan

Employee stock purchase program

Paid holidays

Job summary

Ciena Corporation is seeking a seasoned Leader, Material Management in Ottawa to drive material readiness from prototype to ramp. You will coordinate across engineering, planning, procurement, and external partners to ensure launch readiness and supply continuity.

The role requires 8+ years in related supply chain functions, hands-on NPI support, and strong experience with MRP/ERP. You will lead clear-to-build reviews, manage shortages, and enable scalable processes for successful product

Qualifications

• 8+ years in material management, supply planning, procurement, or related supply chain roles.
• Experience supporting NPI programs from prototype to ramp with material readiness.
• Knowledge of MRP/ERP, inventory controls, and supplier commitments.
• Background with EMS or contract manufacturing in electronics or telecom.
• Ability to translate complex data into actionable decisions.
• Fluent English and strong cross-functional collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead material management execution for NPI programs and ensure material availability.
• Own clear-to-build readiness for prototype through early ramp builds.
• Partner with EMS manufacturers to establish build plans and identify risks.
• Collaborate with Engineering and PLM to evaluate BOM maturity and changes.
• Use Kinaxis and analytics tools to align demand, supply, and supplier delivery.

Skills

Material management

NPI program support

MRP/ERP knowledge

Data interpretation

English fluency

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

Kinaxis

Power BI

Excel analytics

ERP systems

Job description

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. At Ciena, the Leader, Material Management enables successful new product introductions by ensuring material readiness from prototype builds through early production ramp. This role drives alignment across engineering, planning, procurement, manufacturing, and external partners to support launch readiness, supply continuity, and lifecycle execution. The position contributes to scalable and repeatable processes that support predictable product launches and operational performance.

How you will make an impact:

• Lead material management execution for NPI programs, ensuring material availability, supplier readiness, build schedule alignment, and escalation planning before major program milestones.
• Own clear-to-build readiness for prototype, pilot, qualification, and early ramp builds, including shortage reviews, long-lead component visibility, supplier commitments, allocation decisions, and recovery actions.
• Partner with EMS manufacturing partners to establish executable build plans, confirm material commitments, identify production risks, and manage prototype-to-ramp transitions.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Product Line Management to evaluate BOM maturity, engineering change impact, revision control, lifecycle status, and material disposition requirements.
• Utilize Kinaxis, Agile, and supporting analytics tools to align demand, supply, component availability, and supplier execution.
• Lead cross‑functional material readiness reviews across NPI, Engineering, Procurement, Global Commodity Management, Quality, Manufacturing Operations, Fulfillment, and Demand Planning.
• Develop operating cadences, dashboards, and metrics that provide visibility into clear‑to‑build status, shortage aging, supplier commitment quality, engineering change impact, inventory exposure, and ramp readiness.

The must haves:

• Experience: 8+ years of experience in material management, supply planning, procurement, manufacturing operations, product operations, or a related supply chain function, including direct exposure to new product introduction and outsourced manufacturing execution.
• Application of NPI program support from prototype through early ramp, including material readiness, BOM maturity, clear‑to‑build management, supplier commitments, shortage recovery, and transition to sustaining operations.
• Application of MRP/ERP logic, material planning processes, inventory controls, supplier commitments, procurement standards, and JIT principles including Kanban, pull systems, VMI, or SMI.
• Experience working with EMS or contract manufacturing partners in electronics, telecom, networking, optical systems, or high‑reliability manufacturing environments.
• Ability to interpret complex datasets, identify supply risk, summarize exposure, and convert analysis into decisions and actions.
• Ability to influence and drive closure across Engineering, PLM, Procurement, Commodity Management, Manufacturing Operations, Quality, Fulfillment, and Demand Planning.
• Fluency in English.

Nice to haves:

• Certifications: APICS/ASCM certification such as CPIM or CSCP.
• Experience: Application of Kinaxis for supply planning, scenario analysis, shortage management, clear‑to‑build visibility, or ramp readiness.
• Experience: Application of Agile/PLM for BOM readiness, lifecycle status, engineering change review, and NPI governance.
• Experience: Utilization of Power BI, Excel-based analytics, or other tools used to create material readiness dashboards and executive‑level summaries.
• Certifications: PMP certification, Lean manufacturing experience, Six Sigma training, or demonstrated continuous improvement experience.
• Experience: Prior experience supporting optical networking, telecom infrastructure, high‑reliability electronics, or complex global supply chains.

Pay Range: CAD 81,000 to 129,000 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.