Automation Engineer (Photonic Hardware) - New Grad

Ciena is committed to our people-first philosophy. Our teams enjoy a culture focused on prioritizing a personalized and flexible work environment that empowers an individual’s passions, growth, wellbeing and belonging. We’re a technology company that leads with our humanity—driving our business priorities alongside meaningful social, community, and societal impact.

Why Ciena?

· We are a company rooted in people—seeking to create a vibrant and inclusive environment, where everyone feels they can belong.

· We believe an inclusive, diverse, and barrier-free work environment makes for empowered and committed employees.

· Accelerate your career path by gaining hands-on experience and exposure to the latest technology. Be a part of tomorrow’s future – today.

· We recognize the importance of well-being and offer programs and benefits to support and sustain the mental and physical health of our employees and their families and also offer a variety of paid family leave programs.

· We are committed to employee development, offering tuition reimbursement and a variety of in-house learning and mentorship opportunities.

· Mentoring. Networking. Leadership Opportunities. We recognize that learning does not stop when you leave school - we champion a team environment for development and provide the tools to achieve success.

What will you do at Ciena?

Ciena is at the forefront of the networking industry, leading the way in networking systems, services, and software. We have a strong focus on providing high-performance network solutions to a diverse range of customers, including telecommunications providers, Global content network providers, data centers, and government agencies. Our expertise lies in advanced technologies like optical networking, Software-Defined Networking (SDN), coherent optics, photonic integrated circuits, and AI/ML for network optimization and automation. As a key member of our team, you will have a vital role in developing connectivity solutions that are scalable, reliable, and secure. Your work will be instrumental in meeting the ever-growing demand for high-speed data transmission and cloud-based 

Position Overview:

Ciena's customers run many of the largest data communications and telecommunications networks in the world, connecting hundreds of millions of users and devices. The Photonic Hardware team is responsible for the entire lifecycle of hardware for Ciena’s Photonic Line systems from design, development, product introduction, and continual lifecycle management (LCM). Technologies of focus include Erbium-doped fiber amplifiers, Raman amplifiers, ROADMs, Wavelength-Selective Switches, Optical Channel Monitors, OTDR, etc.

In this role, you will help make automation and data analysis tools and infrastructure to aggregate, analyze and summarize metrics from various data sources from field deployed hardware to improve LCM within the team. You will also be responsible for automating lab tests and experiments related to exploratory work, new product introduction, and ongoing changes within designs. You may also fill in and grow into other roles within the team depending on your background and aptitude.

As this role requires physical laboratory access, this position is on-site and based in Ottawa, Canada.

Requirements:

• Bachelors, Masters, or Ph.D. in engineering or a similar technical discipline (e.g. Physics, CS, etc.)
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Solid programming skills in Python and numpy
• Motivated self-starter with strong written and oral communications skills
• Able to collaborate effectively in person as well as remotely

Assets:

• Experience with lab test automation in Python or MATLAB
• Background or experience in optical or electronic hardware design and/or troubleshooting
• Knowledge of optical physics and/or optical networking
• Programming skills in Javascript
• Experience architecting web-based software applications and REST APIs
• Experience with any of the following:
  • Pandas
  • Apache Airflow and Spark
  • SQL or other databases
  • OpenSearch / Elasticsearch
  • Jenkins

Compensation & Benefits: 

The annual pay range for this position is $64,100 - $102,300 CAD. 

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.

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

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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.