Vendor Manager, Repair Operations

Ciena Canada; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 103,000 - 164,000; Full time

Job summary

Ciena is seeking a Vendor Manager, Repair Operations to lead performance and strategic management of key third-party repair and service partners supporting service operations. The role serves as the primary operational and commercial interface with the repair provider, accountable for quality, cost, delivery, turnaround time, capacity, and service levels.

Success hinges on supplier accountability, collaboration with internal SMEs, and opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce total service

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Operations Management, Engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in vendor or supplier management, service operations, manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, or another complex operational environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing supplier relationships with meaningful operational, service, or financial accountability.
• Ability to establish KPIs and SLAs, lead performance reviews, address performance gaps, and drive corrective actions to closure.
• Ability to translate operational, quality, and financial information into clear priorities and actions using analytical and business judgment.
• Experience contributing to commercial discussions involving contracts, Statements of Work, pricing, budgets, forecasts, or invoices.
• Communication, negotiation, relationship-management, and stakeholder-influencing skills across vendors and cross-functional teams
• Ability to travel within the United States as business needs require.

Responsibilities

• Lead vendor performance and governance by establishing and monitoring operational and contractual KPIs and SLAs, including turnaround time, backlog, quality, repair yield, capacity, delivery, cost, and customer impact, and by leading weekly operating reviews and monthly or quarterly business reviews.
• Drive accountability and sustainable results by addressing performance gaps, maintaining action plans with clear owners and due dates, and driving corrective actions through measurable and sustained closure.
• Manage commercial and financial performance by overseeing supplier spending, pricing, invoices, budgets, forecasts, and operational cost drivers; contributing to contracts, Statements of Work, renewals, and pricing discussions; and delivering cost-reduction, productivity, and value-creation opportunities.
• Drive operational excellence by partnering with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Procurement, Logistics, Customer Service, Finance, and other stakeholders to resolve repair issues, improve end-to-end performance, and strengthen customer outcomes.
• Use data to identify bottlenecks, recurring issues, emerging risks, and practical improvement opportunities, and develop fact-based recommendations and business cases for supplier, process, and capacity investments.
• Protect service continuity by reviewing supplier capacity against forecasted demand, communicating risks early, and developing cross-functional mitigation and recovery plans for significant quality, capacity, material, equipment, labor, transition, or continuity risks.
• Enable supplier selection and transitions through sourcing decisions, requests for proposal or quotation, supplier risk assessments, readiness plans, and phased transitions that protect customer service and operational performance.

Skills

Vendor management

KPIs & SLAs

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Negotiation

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Operations Management, Engineering, or related field

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.

Ciena is seeking a Vendor Manager, Repair Operations to lead the performance and strategic management of key third-party repair and service partners supporting service operations. The role serves as the primary operational and commercial interface with the repair provider, with accountability for quality, cost, delivery, turnaround time, capacity, and service levels. Success in this role centers on supplier accountability, sound business decisions, effective partnership with internal subject-matter experts, and opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce total service cost.

How you will make an impact:

• Lead vendor performance and governance by establishing and monitoring operational and contractual KPIs and SLAs, including turnaround time, backlog, quality, repair yield, capacity, delivery, cost, and customer impact, and by leading weekly operating reviews and monthly or quarterly business reviews.
• Drive accountability and sustainable results by addressing performance gaps, maintaining action plans with clear owners and due dates, and driving corrective actions through measurable and sustained closure.
• Manage commercial and financial performance by overseeing supplier spending, pricing, invoices, budgets, forecasts, and operational cost drivers; contributing to contracts, Statements of Work, renewals, and pricing discussions; and delivering cost-reduction, productivity, and value-creation opportunities.
• Drive operational excellence by partnering with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Procurement, Logistics, Customer Service, Finance, and other stakeholders to resolve repair issues, improve end-to-end performance, and strengthen customer outcomes.
• Use data to identify bottlenecks, recurring issues, emerging risks, and practical improvement opportunities, and develop fact-based recommendations and business cases for supplier, process, and capacity investments.
• Protect service continuity by reviewing supplier capacity against forecasted demand, communicating risks early, and developing cross-functional mitigation and recovery plans for significant quality, capacity, material, equipment, labor, transition, or continuity risks.
• Enable supplier selection and transitions through sourcing decisions, requests for proposal or quotation, supplier risk assessments, readiness plans, and phased transitions that protect customer service and operational performance.

The must haves:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Experience: 10+ years of experience in vendor or supplier management, service operations, manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, or another complex operational environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing supplier relationships with meaningful operational, service, or financial accountability.
• Ability to establish KPIs and SLAs, lead performance reviews, address performance gaps, and drive corrective actions to closure.
• Ability to translate operational, quality, and financial information into clear priorities and actions using analytical and business judgment.
• Experience contributing to commercial discussions involving contracts, Statements of Work, pricing, budgets, forecasts, or invoices.
• Communication, negotiation, relationship-management, and stakeholder-influencing skills across vendors and cross-functional teams
• Ability to travel within the United States as business needs require.

Nice to haves:

• Experience in repair operations, depot repair, technical services, service supply chain, or management of third-party repair providers.
• Experience in telecommunications, networking, optical, complex electronics, hardware, contract manufacturing, or another technology business with global service requirements.
• Working knowledge of RMA operations, repair testing, diagnostics, failure analysis, forward and reverse logistics, or product service readiness.
• Experience supporting new-product introduction, service readiness, supplier transitions, sourcing, or capacity expansion.
• Knowledge of supplier pricing models, invoice audits, landed cost, bills of material, component and labor costs, or cost-avoidance methods.
• Certifications: Lean, Six Sigma, 8D, PMP, or other continuous-improvement or project-management experience or certification.
• Responsibility for a multi-million-dollar supplier relationship or service operation.

Pay Range:

The annual pay range for this role is: 102,900 - 164,300 USD.

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Pay ranges at Ciena are designed to accommodate variations in knowledge, skills, experience, market conditions, and loca