Senior Software Engineer

Ciena Corporation; Alpharetta (GA); On-site; USD 86,000 - 137,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental and vision plans

401(k) with company matching

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Paid holidays and vacation

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Ciena Corporation in Alpharetta, GA is seeking a Senior Software Engineer for WaveLogic Modem Software Development. You will design embedded software in C running on Linux to configure ASIC and hardware components, and collaborate with local and remote teams to plan, estimate, and track development activities.

The role requires a Bachelor's in Electrical or Computer Engineering and 2+ years in embedded software within networking, including C/C++.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering.
• 2+ years in embedded software within networking/telecommunications.
• C/C++ development for embedded systems and Linux exposure.
• Experience with BSP, Linux kernel and user-space drivers.

Responsibilities

• Design embedded software in C running on Linux to configure ASIC/hardware components.
• Manage hardware resources and data paths for transport and switching apps.
• Collaborate with local/remote teams to plan, estimate, and track development.
• Contribute across the lifecycle from definition to testing.
• Review requirements and customer use cases for software design.

Skills

C/C++ programming

Linux on embedded systems

Kernel drivers development

BSP development

Hardware bring-up

GDB/Valgrind debugging

Distributed teamwork

Technical writing

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering

Tools

Git

Eclipse

JIRA

Confluence

GDB

Yocto

YANG modeling language

Job description

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. Senior Software Engineer, WaveLogic Modem Software Development plays a critical role in delivering next-generation optical transport and switching capabilities at Ciena. This role contributes to embedded software that enables high-performance Layer 1/2 networking across advanced hardware platforms. The work directly impacts product quality, scalability, and customer adoption.

How you will make an impact

• Design embedded software in C running on Linux to configure ASIC and hardware components
• Implement software to manage hardware resources and meet data path requirements for transport and switching applications
• Collaborate with local and remote engineering teams to plan, estimate, and track development activities
• Contribute across the product development lifecycle including definition, design, planning, implementation, and testing
• Review product requirements and customer use cases to inform software design decisions
• Prototype and evaluate alternative solutions on target hardware platforms
• Deliver functional specifications and technical design documentation for embedded software architectures

The must haves

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering
• Experience: 2+ years of experience in an embedded software development role within a networking or telecommunications environment, including building applications using C or C++
• Application of BSP development, security features, and board bring-up
• Development of Linux kernel drivers and user space drivers
• Application of embedded systems concepts including Linux operating systems, mutual exclusion, synchronization, interrupt handling, and inter-process communication
• Background in datacom and telecom concepts such as DWDM, OTN, Ethernet, and TCP/IP
• Debugging using tools such as GDB and Valgrind
• Verbal and technical writing skills

Nice to haves

• Experience designing embedded systems using microservice architecture on real-time operating systems
• Ability to interpret CPU hardware architectures, hardware functional specifications, and hardware timing diagrams
• Linux as a software development environment
• Exposure to CLI, TL1, SNMP, NETCONF, REST, and gRPC
• Use of development tools including Git, Eclipse, JIRA, Confluence, GDB, and Yocto YANG modeling language and related toolchains
• Scripting using Python, Go, or Bash

Pay Range: Pay range information for this position, in USD is: 85,900.00 - 137,000.00 #LI-JD 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.

Benefits

• 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.

Ciena is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status.

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. If contacted in relation to a job opportunity, please advise Ciena of any accommodation measures you may require.