Product Lifecycle Manager

Ciena; United States; Remote; USD 138,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Ciena is seeking a seasoned Product Lifecycle Manager to lead the end-to-end lifecycle of Broadband FTTx and DCOM products in the United States. You will connect customer and market insights with decisive business execution, shaping pricing, positioning, and investments while collaborating with Sales, Engineering, Supply Chain, and executive leadership.

You will thrive by turning complex inputs into clear priorities, developing business cases, tracking performance, and driving revenue growth,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, business, or a related field; an advanced technical degree is preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in Product Lifecycle Management roles in telecom, datacom, or networking equipment vendors.
• Track record leading cross-functional initiatives and delivering results through influence across engineering, commercial, operational, and customer-facing teams.
• Strong business acumen with hands-on experience in pricing, forecasting, portfolio planning, profitability, and lifecycle decisions.
• Proactive, action-oriented mindset with ability to move quickly and manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain product business cases linking pricing, margin, revenue, cost structure, and profitability objectives.
• Formulate strategies for scaling products and managing retirements while engaging with account teams and customers.
• Coordinate with R&D, design, procurement, QA, and sales to align data and timelines and turn insights into clear requirements and investments.
• Overcome bottlenecks and risks by implementing change orders and mitigation plans.
• Make lifecycle decisions based on data, technical diligence, and market evolution to optimize customer outcomes.

Skills

Product portfolio management

Cross-functional leadership

Pricing and profitability

Market analysis

Strategic business case development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, or business

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. Ready to lead from the front? This is a high-impact opportunity for a seasoned, commercially minded product leader who thrives on momentum, tackles ambiguity with confidence, and wants to maximize the contribution margin of our Broadband FTTx and DCOM Products. You will connect customer and market insight to decisive business execution, formulating strategies to scale profitable products and manage graceful retirements. As Product Lifecycle Manager, you will operate at the center of customers, Sales, Engineering, Supply Chain, and executive leadership. You will bring a strong point of view on the market, convert complex inputs into clear priorities, and drive measurable customer and business outcomes. This role is built for someone who enjoys pace, ownership, and variety. You will balance strategy with hands‑on execution, developing business cases, evaluating market opportunities, guiding pricing and positioning, tracking business performance, and creating alignment across diverse teams. Success requires sound judgement, curiosity, resilience, and the drive to turn product capabilities into revenue growth, market success, and customer satisfaction.

How You Will Make an Impact

• Business Management: Build and maintain product business cases that connect pricing strategy, margin, revenue opportunity, cost structure, competitive positioning, investment trade-offs, and profitability objectives.
• Lifecycle Management: Formulate strategies for scaling profitable products and managing graceful retirements. Engage directly with account teams and customers to uncover network evolution priorities, support architecture discussions, validate roadmap assumptions, and position Ciena solutions around meaningful customer outcomes.
• Cross‑Functional Coordination: Partner with R&D, design, procurement, quality assurance, and sales and support teams to keep product data and timelines synchronized. Turn customer needs, market shifts, standards evolution, technology trends, and competitive insight into crisp product requirements, compelling business cases, investment priorities, and lifecycle plans.
• Risk & Change Management: Overcome supply chain bottlenecks, technical roadblocks, or market shifts by implementing engineering change orders (ECOs) and risk mitigation plans.
• Data & Quality Governance: Create urgency and alignment across Engineering, Supply Chain, Marketing, Services, and account teams while making product lifecycle decisions based on data and technical diligence.

The Must Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, business, or a related field; an advanced technical degree is preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in Product Lifecycle Management roles working for telecom, datacom, or networking equipment vendors.
• A track record of leading complex, cross‑functional initiatives and delivering results through influence across engineering, commercial, operational, and customer‑facing organizations.
• Strong business acumen, including hands‑on experience with business cases, pricing, forecasting, portfolio planning, competitive analysis, profitability, investment prioritization, and product lifecycle decisions.
• A proactive, action‑oriented approach, with the ability to move quickly, manage competing priorities, and maintain momentum in a fast‑paced environment.

What Will Set You Apart

• A proven ability to bring clarity to ambiguity, make smart trade‑offs, simplify complexity, and rally teams around execution milestones and measurable outcomes.
• Strong judgement in evaluating innovation through both technical feasibility and business impact, including customer value, execution risk, time‑to‑market, differentiation, and financial return.
• The ability to communicate with impact at every level, from detailed engineering discussions to executive‑level transformation narratives.
• Deep technical knowledge of FTTx PON technologies and products, including OLTs, ONUs, OMCI, Netconf/Yang
• Deep technical knowledge of IP networking and routing technologies, including IPv4/IPv6, BGP, QoS, OAM, and Service Provider network architectures.
• Experience with Data Center and Service Provider architectures across access, aggregation, metro, core, edge, DCI, cloud interconnect.
• Experience working directly with Tier‑1, Tier‑2, or cloud/network operator customers on network modernization or service evolution initiatives.
• Familiarity with emerging technologies such as AI‑enabled operations, streaming telemetry, intent‑based networking, cloud‑native network functions, programmable infrastructure, SRv6, network slicing, and advanced orchestration.

You Will Thrive Here If...

You combine deep networking knowledge with the mindset of a business owner. You are energized by innovation and motivated by results. You ask sharp questions, make thoughtful decisions, and follow through. You can zoom out to shape strategy, then zoom in to remove obstacles and accelerate execution. Most importantly, you understand how technical capabilities become customer outcomes, how customer outcomes become business value, and how strong PLM leadership connects strategy, execution, and financial performance.

Pay Range:

The salary range for this role in Canada is $114, 100 - $182, 300. The salary range for this role in the USA is $137, 800 - $220, 200. 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.

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.