Program Manager, Learning Enablement & Early-Career Development

Ciena Corporation; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Ciena Corporation is seeking a Program Manager for Learning Enablement and Early-Career Development in Ottawa. The role focuses on planning, governance, and continuous improvement of customer learning, workforce enablement, and related programs—collaborating with IT, field teams, and business stakeholders to deliver scalable, measurable outcomes.

You will manage the day‑to‑day enablement for the Early-In-Career Development Program, preparing professionals for PM, Network Engineering, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and cross-functional collaboration.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and documentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate Learning Enablement & Operations program management activities.
• Partner with stakeholders to gather requirements and drive process improvements.
• Document business requirements, user stories, and system enhancements.
• Oversee enrollment, tracking, reporting of customer learning programs and certifications.
• Support onboarding and readiness milestones for early-career programs.
• Generate recurring and ad hoc learning and operations reports.

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or Learning & Development

Job description

As the global leader in high-speed connectivity, Ciena builds the critical infrastructure powering the AI era. We’re a technology company shaping the future of networking, guided by innovation, integrity, and collaboration. Through development opportunities, meaningful work, and flexibility, Ciena supports growth and well-being—on and off the job. Connect with a career that matters.

Role Summary

As the Program Manager for Learning Enablement and Early-Career Development within the GCN Global organization, you will own the planning, governance, and continuous improvement of customer learning, workforce enablement, related business-system, and early-career development programs. You will partner with practice leaders, Customer Operations, Learning Operations, field teams, business stakeholders, and IT to translate organizational priorities into scalable program plans, reliable operating processes, measurable outcomes, and an outstanding stakeholder experience. You will also lead the day-to-day enablement and participant experience for the Ciena Services Early-In-Career Development Program, a structured journey that prepares early-career professionals for Project Management, Network Engineering, and Customer Success roles while building shared accountability for customer outcomes.

How You Will Contribute

Learning Enablement & Operations Program Management

• Support business systems, tools, data quality, user access, and operational processes used by GCN Services team and interface with wider.
• Partner with stakeholders to gather requirements, identify process improvements, and drive operational efficiency initiatives.
• Document and manage business requirements, enhancement requests, user stories, and system defects through resolution.
• Serve as the liaison between business users and IT teams to support solution delivery and continuous improvement.
• Coordinate testing, validation, and deployment of system enhancements and process changes.
• Maintain documentation, training materials, and user communications to support effective adoption and ongoing operations.

Customer Learning Administration

• Coordinate instructor-led customer training requests from intake through completion, working closely with customers, Ciena account teams, instructors, and Learning Operations including communications with customers and internal stakeholders to confirm training scope, timing, roster needs, and any required follow-up actions.
• Support enrollment of online training for customer requests, including collecting required learner information and coordinating assignment or access with the appropriate learning support teams.
• Track customer learning consumption, certification activity, and training utilization. Assist with customer learning program administration and reporting.

Enablement & Workforce Support

• Assist with onboarding activities for employees, contractors, and partner resources.
• Track and document enablement requirements, assigned training, certifications, and readiness milestones.
• Support enablement events, workshops, and knowledge-sharing initiatives.

Reporting & Analytics

• Generate recurring and ad hoc reports from learning, operational, and business systems.
• Support the collection and analysis of training, certification, and operational metrics.
• Identify data discrepancies and coordinate corrective actions.
• Assist leadership with reporting and presentation preparation.

Early-Career Program Management

• Coordinate program readiness activities, including technology and workplace setup, required onboarding and preliminary training, orientation, mentor and buddy introductions.
• Manage the daily learning plan and participant schedule across the Common Services Core
• Coordinate applied learning activities as defined for the Program.
• Monitor participant attendance, completion of required activities, assignment progress, learning evidence, and readiness risks; escalte issues when appropriate.
• Provide regular participant coaching and coordinate feedback from instructors, mentors, buddies, pathway leaders, and project-shadow hosts.
• Prepare and administer the Common Core Qualification Gate.
• Integrate High Reliability practices and double-loop learning into all aspects of the program.
• Coordinate final pathway-readiness demonstrations, the integrated ownership simulation, graduation activities, and participant transition plans.
• Maintain program calendars, learning content, participant records, qualification evidence, feedback, KPI reporting, and continuous-improvement actions.

What We Are Looking For

• Bachelor's Degree in: Engineering, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Learning & Development