Senior Manager, Solutions Engineering

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.

Ciena Government Solutions, Inc. (CGSI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Ciena, delivers trusted, mission-critical networking solutions to national security, defense, and civilian government customers. This role offers the opportunity to lead a high-impact engineering organization at the intersection of advanced optical networking and government modernization initiatives, shaping how secure networks are designed, deployed, and evolved at scale.

How You Will Make An Impact

• Lead and scale a high-performing Network Solutions Engineering team supporting secure, mission-critical government environments
• Own day-to-day services operations, balancing technical execution, people leadership, and contract performance
• Partner closely with Program Management, Sales, Account Management, Contracts, and government prime contractors to deliver successful customer outcomes
• Drive financial stewardship across active contracts, including utilization, burn rate, revenue forecasting, and funding alignment
• Serve as the senior technical escalation point for complex deployment challenges, removing obstacles and accelerating resolution
• Influence executive decision-making through clear, data-driven presentations on utilization, skills, capacity planning, and growth strategy
• Shape long-term services growth through business development, workforce planning, and execution of multi-year and consultative programs

The Must Haves

• Active security clearance
• Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications, Networking, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent professional experience
• 8+ years of experience in telecommunications or networking, including 3+ years leading technical engineering teams
• Hands-on expertise across Layer 0, Layer 1, and Layer 2 networking technologies
• Strong working knowledge of Synchronous Optical Network (SONET), Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM), Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer (ROADM) architectures, and Carrier Ethernet
• Proven experience producing technical documentation, including engineering methods and procedures (EMOPs), network diagrams, and whitepapers
• Security+ or equivalent Department of Defense (DoD) 8570 Information Assurance Technical (IAT) Level II or higher certification

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience with the Ciena product portfolio
• Background supporting U.S. government programs, prime contractors, or highly regulated environments
• Project management experience with formal certification (Project+, ITIL, Agile, Scrum, or similar)
• Experience contributing to statements of work (SOWs), services scoping, and pricing alignment
• Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers and build targeted development and training pathways
• Experience supporting network modernization, expansion, and cost-optimization initiatives

Pay Range The annual pay range for this position is $151,700 – $242300.

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.