Director, Solutions Product Line Management

Ciena Corporation; United States; On-site; USD 157,900 - 252,200; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision plans

401(K) with company matching

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Flexible work environment

Paid vacation and sick leave

Job summary

A leading technology company is seeking a candidate for a role focused on product management and technical sales. You will act as a key interface between product and customer needs, leveraging extensive networking expertise. The ideal candidate should have over 10 years of experience in the telecom sector, strong communication skills, and a solid grasp of IP/Ethernet technologies. This role includes developing solutions and collaborating with various teams to optimize customer engagement.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in product management or technical pre-sales within telecom.
• Deep knowledge of IP/MPLS and Ethernet technologies.
• Strong understanding of SDN implementations.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary PLM interface for strategic tenders.
• Develop solution frameworks for Ciena’s routing & switching portfolio.
• Coordinate cross-functional resources to design customer solutions.

Skills

10+ years of experience in product management

Deep knowledge of IP/MPLS, SR-MPLS, SRv6, EVPN/IPVPN

Solid understanding of network timing and synchronization

Strong grasp of IP/Optical convergence

Exceptional communication and presentation skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related field

Tools

VMware

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

They gather information about your interactions on the site, such as which pages you visit frequently, how long you stay, and the links or buttons you click. They help us record any difficulties you have with the website and help us to evaluate the effectiveness of our advertising. By analyzing this data, we can understand what aspects of our site are effective and identify areas for improvement.* This is a secondary processing purpose.* This is a secondary processing purpose.* This is a primary processing purpose.* This is a secondary processing purpose.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.This role serves as the technical and strategic interface between product management, sales, and customers—translating complex customer requirements into winning solutions that leverage Ciena’s innovative routing, switching, and optical capabilities.The ideal candidate blends deep networking expertise, market insight, and business acumen—acting as the “tip of the spear” in developing and evangelizing differentiated IP/Ethernet solutions that address explosive traffic growth driven by AI/LLMs, 5G/6G, cloud, and next-generation digital services.**How You Will Contribute:****Customer and Market Engagement*** Act as the primary PLM interface for strategic tenders and new opportunities—defining solution approaches, product recommendations, and competitive positioning.* Together with account teams and strategic sales, lead consultative engagements with service providers, MSOs, large enterprises to define optimal solutions based on their technical and business needs.* Serve as a thought leader in the IP networking domain, representing Ciena at customer events, industry forums, and conferences.**Solution Definition and Demand Generation*** Develop solution frameworks and value propositions that showcase how Ciena’s routing & switching portfolio solves real-world challenges—focusing on IP/optical convergence, metro/aggregation, IP service edge, cloud interconnect, and mobile transport.* Identify emerging applications and technologies that can drive demand and revenue growth across multiple market segments.* Collaborate with sales teams to define target solution / application opportunities and go-to-market priorities.**Cross-Functional Leadership*** Coordinate cross-functional resources across RSD—including Solutions Engineering & Introduction (SE&I), hardware and software PLMs, and network / product line architects—to design, validate, and launch integrated customer solutions* Provide direct input to product PLMs on roadmap priorities based on customer feedback, competitive dynamics, and evolving market needs.* Partner with solution and product marketing to create compelling collateral (presentations, white papers, solution briefs) and support Ciena events such as PowerHours, Connections, and key trade shows.**Must Haves:****Technical Expertise*** 10+ years of experience in product management, network architecture/design, or technical pre-sales within the telecom or networking industry.* Deep knowledge of IP/MPLS, SR-MPLS, SRv6, EVPN/IPVPN, BGP/MP-BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, and Ethernet technologies including MEF services, Ethernet OAM, and FlexE* Solid understanding of network timing and synchronization (PTP, SyncE, G.8275), QoS, and OAM concepts and technologies* In-depth knowledge of and familiarity with IETF, IEEE, and MEF standards relevant to IP/Ethernet.* Strong understanding of network management, orchestration, and SDN implementations and their importance role in an overall solutions context* Awareness of optical networking fundamentals such as coherent DWDM, photonic line systems / ROADMs, and OTN is highly desirable.**Application & Architecture Knowledge*** Strong grasp of IP/Optical convergence, AI infrastructure, data center and cloud connectivity, mobile transport (4G/5G/6G), and enterprise multi-cloud/SASE architectures.* Understanding of virtualization (VMware, Hyper-V, KVM), containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and SDN concepts (centralized control, PCE, Netconf/YANG, open APIs).**Nice To Haves:*** Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional initiatives with minimal oversight.* Exceptional communication and presentation skills with the ability to engage both technical and executive audiences.* Entrepreneurial mindset — comfortable taking ownership, driving clarity, and executing with speed.* Willingness to travel globally as needed.**Education:*** Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.The annual pay range for this position is $157,900 - $252,200 USD.The annual pay range for this position in California is $175,600 - $280,400 USD.#LI-WH1#LI-RemotePay 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.Join our to get relevant job alerts straight to your inbox. 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.