Senior Software Engineer

Ciena; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 85,900 - 137,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision plans

401(K) with company matching

Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)

Paid sick leave and vacation time

Job summary

Ciena, the global leader in high-speed connectivity, is seeking a Senior Software Engineer for its WaveLogic Modem Software Development team in Atlanta, Georgia. This position plays a critical role in developing embedded software for optical transport and switching capabilities. The ideal candidate should have a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering and over 2 years of relevant experience.

This role requires solid knowledge in C programming and Linux systems, with a focus on collaborating across engineering environments. Competitive compensation ranges from $85,900 to $137,000 annually.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in embedded software development within networking or telecommunications.
• Experience with BSP development and Linux operating systems.
• Verbal and technical writing skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Design embedded software in C running on Linux.
• Collaborate with engineering teams on development activities.
• Prototype and evaluate alternative solutions on hardware platforms.

Skills

C programming

Embedded software development

Linux kernel drivers

Debugging (GDB, Valgrind)

Technical writing

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering

Tools

Git

Eclipse

JIRA

Yocto

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

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.