Senior Optical Engineer, Liquid Spectrum Applications

Ciena is committed to our people-first philosophy. Our teams enjoy a culture focused on prioritizing a personalized and flexible work environment that empowers an individual’s passions, growth, wellbeing and belonging. We’re a technology company that leads with our humanity—driving our business priorities alongside meaningful social, community, and societal impact.

How You Will Contribute:

Ciena's customers run many of the largest telecommunication networks in the world connecting hundreds of millions of users. The Liquid Spectrum (LQS) team invents software applications and algorithms which empower owner operators to understand the state of their networks, plan for the future and recognize opportunities for improving network performance.

As a member of the LQS team you will collaborate with teams throughout the organization from optical engineering to software development infrastructure to architecture. You will help advance our workflows to further formalize connecting that varied expertise to create our world class products and play a pivotal role in defining these products and their evolution.

1. You will develop a strong technical understanding of Ciena’s modem technologies and photonic line systems and the optical performance of those in the context of metro, long haul and submarine deployment.
2. You will work with the Product Line Management primes, the Solution architects and other internal development teams to identify and document LQS-related product roadmap, requirements, use cases and generate detailed design documentation.
3. You will develop, document and evaluate photonic performance optimization algorithms and product workflows.
4. You will work with software designers in the team to define the architecture and the design of various LQS components and participate in development activities in all stages of the product life cycle. This includes leading development, prototyping ideas, documenting, testing and customer support.
5. You will help translate design into development tasks and plan, estimate and lead the execution of those tasks.
6. You will define test strategies and integration test plans for the products and participate in the execution, the verification of the results and the automation of those tests. This includes working with software component testing but also optical systems in our labs.
7. You will help direct the evolution and consolidation of LQS applications with operations and planning workflows.
8. You will present features to customers or leadership team.

The Must Haves:

1. Bachelor’s degree in Physics (or Applied Physics), Electrical, Computer Science or equivalent coupled with 5+ years proven experience in the telecom / photonic industry.
2. Demonstrated advanced multidisciplinary knowledge in communications, optics, software development and architecture.
3. Ability to write requirement documentation, elaborate and document high-level design and test plans.
4. Knowledge of photonic performance simulations (coherent modem performance and DWDM line propagation models including non-linear effects).
5. Experience working with photonic equipment and lab equipment.
6. Fundamentals of structured programming and design concepts.
7. Excellent communication skills with strong analytical ability.
8. Strong interpersonal skills and a team-oriented mindset.

Assets:

1. Experience developing software in Python.
2. Experience developing simulation in Matlab.
3. Distributed systems design patterns.
4. Experience developing with systems programming languages like Go or C/C++.
5. Exposure to software development processes like Agile.
6. Demonstration of prior development of automation of complex systems.

Pay Range:

The annual pay range for this position, in Ottawa, is $90,800.00 - $145,000.00.

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.