Onsite Optical Network Engineer – Secret Clearance Eligible

Ciena; Hanover (MD); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision plans

401(k) with company match

ESPP (Employee Stock Purchase Program)

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Paid holidays

Job summary

Ciena seeks a Network Solutions Engineer to design, test, and deploy high-speed optical networks onsite at Fort Meade, MD. You will act as the SME, coordinating test plans and implementations, and guiding network modernization efforts with customer teams.

The role requires strong hands-on experience with SONET/DWDM, ROADM, IP/MPLS, and Ciena platforms, plus travel readiness and a collaborative mindset. A security clearance is essential.

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Active Secret Security Clearance (Top Secret preferred).
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Experience with Ciena products.
• Strong knowledge of SONET, DWDM, ROADM architecture, Ethernet, IP/MPLS/L3.
• Familiarity with NMS including MCP/Navigator.
• Willingness to travel up to 25%.
• Bachelor's degree in Telecommunications, Networking, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with customers to understand project requirements and support network design and implementation.
• Translate test results into actionable implementation plans and provide deployment support.
• Lead pre-commissioning in labs and staging facilities per documentation.
• Escalate and resolve issues with Ciena platforms per procedures.
• Collaborate with internal teams to analyze optical performance and guide modernization efforts.
• Deliver documentation for configuration, provisioning, and testing results.

Skills

US Citizenship

Security clearance

Self-starter

Communication skills

Ciena products

SONET/DWDM/ROADM

IP/MPLS/L3

NMS tools

Education

Bachelor's in Telecommunications/Networking

Tools

Ciena MCP/Navigator

Ciena Site Manager

SAOS

Job description

Ciena seeks a Network Solutions Engineer to design, test, and deploy high-speed optical networks onsite at Fort Meade, MD. You will act as the SME, coordinating test plans and implementations, and guiding network modernization efforts with customer teams.

The role requires strong hands-on experience with SONET/DWDM, ROADM, IP/MPLS, and Ciena platforms, plus travel readiness and a collaborative mindset. A security clearance is essential.