IT Early Career Leadership Program Associate (New Grad)

Ciena; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 59,000 - 94,000; Full time

Job summary

Ciena is launching an IT Early Career Leadership Program Associate (New Grad) in the United States. This four-rotation, full-time program provides hands-on experience across IT disciplines, with coaching and mentoring to foster long-term careers in Ciena’s global IT organization.

You will complete four structured assignments, drive key technology initiatives, analyze operational data, and develop dashboards and reports for leadership, culminating in a capstone project.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree completed within the last 12 months in a relevant technical field.
• Internship, co-op, or project experience showing leadership.
• Strong analytical and communication skills; ability to learn quickly and adapt.

Responsibilities

• Complete four structured rotations across multiple IT domains.
• Drive technology initiatives that support business growth and efficiency.
• Analyze business processes, data, and tech performance to identify improvements.
• Develop reports, dashboards, and presentations for management and IT leadership.

Skills

Power BI

SQL

Python

Azure

AWS

ServiceNow

Education

Bachelor's degree (last 12 months)

Job description

IT Early Career Leadership Program Associate (New Grad) | Ciena

The Tone:

This is a full-time rotational program for new graduates at Ciena, located in a primary location not specified in the job description. As a global leader in high-speed connectivity, Ciena builds critical infrastructure that powers the AI era and shapes the future of networking. This program offers hands‑on experience across multiple IT disciplines through structured rotations, allowing participants to engage with real business challenges and contribute to key initiatives. Through coaching, mentoring, and development, this role fosters long‑term careers within Ciena’s global IT organization.

The TL;DR

• Role: Rotational Program Associate (New Grad)
• Type: Full-time
• Location: Not specified
• Pay: $58500–$93500 yearly
• Mission: To gain hands‑on experience across multiple IT disciplines through structured rotations and contribute to initiatives supporting business growth, operational efficiency, and technology transformation.
• Tech Stack: Power BI, SQL, Python, Azure, AWS, ServiceNow

What You’ll Actually Do

• Rotational Assignments: Complete four structured assignments across multiple IT domains to gain diverse experience.
• Technology Initiatives: Drive technology initiatives that support business growth, operational efficiency, risk reduction, and value realization.
• Data Analysis: Analyze business processes, operational data, and technology performance metrics to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Solution Optimization: Evaluate, implement, and optimize technology solutions and business processes to meet business needs.
• Reporting & Presentation: Develop reports, dashboards, presentations, and recommendations, including a capstone project, for management and IT leadership.

The Must-Haves

• Background: Bachelor’s degree completed within the last 12 months in Information Systems, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Data Science, Business Technology, or a related technical field; Entry‑Level career level.
• Experience: Previous internship, co‑op, or applied project experience relevant to the role, demonstrating leadership through academic or extracurricular activities.
• Skills: Demonstrated analytical and problem‑solving skills, strong verbal and written communication abilities, and an ability to learn quickly and adapt to new technologies and business environments.
• Bonus: Internship, co‑op, research, or project experience in a technology‑related field; exposure to cloud platforms, data analytics, software development, or enterprise systems; familiarity with Power BI, SQL, Python, Azure, AWS, ServiceNow, or similar technologies; experience working in team‑based environments.