Advanced Photonic Technology Leader

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. What will you do at Ciena?   Reporting to the Senior Director of the Photonic Component development grou p , you will play a key technical leadership role in identifying, evaluating, developing, and maturing advanced photonic technologies for Ciena’s future generations of optical products.   You will be responsible for maintaining a strong understanding of emerging technologies and industry trends in areas such as high-speed photodetectors, optical transmitters and modulators, semiconductor lasers, integrated photonics, and advanced optical integration technologies. You help identify the technologies that can provide meaningful improvements in performance, power consumption, integration, cost, reliability, and scalability.   Working closely with internal photonic design, system architecture, product development, and manufacturing teams, as well as external technology partners, research organizations, universities, and suppliers, you will coordinate technology investigations from early technical assessment through proof-of-concept and technology demonstration.   This role provides the opportunity to work at the forefront of optical communications technology and directly influence the technologies enabling Ciena’s future products.   Roles and Responsibilities   Identify, monitor, and assess emerging technologies and industry trends relevant to Ciena’s current and future optical products, with particular focus on high-speed photodetectors, optical transmitters and modulators, semiconductor lasers, integrated photonics, and advanced photonic integration technologies.   Maintain a strong understanding of technology developments across the optical communications ecosystem, including suppliers, start-ups, universities, research institutes, foundries, and industry competitors.   Evaluate new technologies against Ciena’s future product requirements, including optical and electrical performance, bandwidth, power consumption, thermal performance, integration density, reliability, manufacturability, cost, and scalability.   Define and lead advanced technology development activities aimed at demonstrating the feasibility and performance of new photonic technologies.   Establish technical evaluation plans, proof-of-concept activities, experiments, prototypes, and technology demonstrators required to characterize and validate emerging technologies.   Analyze experimental results and technology performance to identify technical limitations, development gaps, risks, and opportunities for further optimization.   Monitor the competitive and technology landscape and communicate significant developments that could influence Ciena’s product or technology strategy.   Collaborate with the advanced technology team members , product development team , test team and laboratory teams to ensure coordinated development all the way through an effective transition to productization.    Required Qualifications / Profile   Bachelor’s degree in Engineering , Physics, Photonics, Optics, or a related technical discipline, with a minimum of 12 years of experience in photonic technology development, optical communications, or a technology-oriented product development environment. A Master’s degree or Ph.D. is an asset.   Strong knowledge of photonic components and technologies used in high-speed optical communication systems.   Experience and/or strong technical knowledge in several of the following areas is highly desirable: high-speed photodetectors, semiconductor lasers, optical modulators and transmitters, silicon photonics, III-V photonics,