Technical Sales Lead – USA GOV

Ciena Corporation; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 144,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Ciena Corporation in the DC area seeks a Technical Sales Lead to be the technical resource supporting the Blue Planet sales team, articulate technology and product positioning to business and technical users, and drive the technology evaluation throughout the sales process.

You will lead PoC criteria, coordinate RFIs/RFPs with the Solution Architect, assist with pricing, create SOWs, and maintain customer relationships before and after the sale, with travel on the east coast and eligibility for

Qualifications

• 8+ years in senior pre-sales or project delivery roles in OSS platforms.
• 10+ years in telecom networking (WAN/LAN, 5G) and related tech.
• Experience selling or delivering OSS platforms such as Network Orchestration.
• Strong verbal and written communication and customer evaluation scoping.
• Ability to solve problems under pressure and meet business needs with technical solutions.

Responsibilities

• Present product at high level to prospects.
• Conduct product demonstrations at meetings/events.
• Coordinate responses to RFIs/RFPs with Solution Architect.
• Manage product evaluation process and PoC criteria with teams.
• Support pricing using standard price book.
• Lead creation of Services Estimation and SOW materials.
• Be customer technical resource for questions/escalations.

Skills

Senior pre-sales

Telecommunication networking

OSS platforms knowledge

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Tools

Amdocs

Ericsson

Netcracker

Oracle

Nokia OSS

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. The Technical Sales Lead is a technical resource supporting Blue Planet sales team and is responsible for actively driving and managing the technology evaluation in the sales process, working in conjunction with the sales leader, Solution Architect as a technical advisor. They must be able to articulate technology and product positioning to both business and technical users, identify technical issues at assigned accounts to ensure customer satisfaction through all stages of the sales process. They will establish and maintain strong customer relationships throughout and after the sales cycle.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Present the product at a high level to individual customer prospects.
• Occasionally conduct product demonstrations at meetings, conferences, seminars, etc.
• Co-ordinate and manage the response to functional and technical elements of RFIs/RFPs with support from the Solution Architect.
• Manage the product evaluation process and create any Proof of Concept (PoC) success criteria documentation with support of the Solution Architect and System Engineering teams.
• Support the Sales Leader in the Pricing of a solution using the standard product price book.
• Lead and own the creation of the Services Estimation and associated Statement of Order (SOW). This includes the co-ordination and creation of any critical project review material.
• Be the customer technical product resource for questions, including technical escalations to product support and delivery services teams.

The Must Haves:

• Minimum 8 years in a senior pre-sales or project delivery role within the OSS platform industry.
• Over 10 years’ experience of telecommunication networking technologies including; WAN’s, LANs, and network infrastructure technologies (including L0/L1/L2/L3 Switching & Routing and Virtual Network Functions) and 5G (Wireless).
• Direct experience in the sale and/or delivery of at least one of the following OSS platforms: Network Orchestration – Activation – Physical and Virtual.
• Network and Service Assurance, Performance and SQM.
• Inventory systems supporting planning or service provisioning.
• Good interpersonal verbal and written communications skills including experience supporting the scoping, managing and executing customer product evaluations.
• Outstanding organizational and problem-solving skills, including the ability to meet a business requirement with a technical solution, even in stressful customer situations.

Nice to Haves:

• Existing knowledge within USA Government Agencies and the various operating groups and processes.
• Understanding of the Telco OSS ecosystem and ideally deep knowledge of one or more of the existing OSS providers products – Amdocs, Ericsson, Netcracker, Oracle, Nokia etc.
• Experience in the creation of Solution Requirement documents as part of an OSS deployment project.

This role is based on the east coast of the USA and we expect the candidate to be able to attend meeting in person in locations around the DC, Virginia and Maryland area on a daily basis. We would not be expecting to cover relocation costs for this role. Ability to travel domestically and sometimes on short notice outside of the target area.

We are also requiring somebody that either currently holds or has previously held USA government clearance status to be able to work on specific projects.

Pay Range:

The annual total target compensation pay range for this position is $144, 000 - $230, 000. This includes both base and incentive compensation. 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.