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Ciena Optical Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

ASIC Engineer (Digital Verification Engineer Expert (P4)) How You Will Contribute ... The Wavelogic family of products is widely used in Ciena's optical fiber transmission solutions and ...

Join Ciena's xPO System Architecture and Simulation team driving next-generation optical ... Master's degree (+) in Optics/Photonics, Physics, or Electrical Engineering with industry ...

Join Ciena's xPO System Architecture and Simulation team driving next-generation optical ... Master's degree (+) in Optics/Photonics, Physics, or Electrical Engineering with industry ...

Optical/DWDM Network Engineer

$132K - $170K/yr

Skills Required Strong understanding of Optical DWDM Transport Equipment (Infinera DTNx, Alcatel/Nokia 1830, Ciena 6500, Waveserver) Experience supporting Dark Fiber, Waves, MPLS, DIA, IPVPN Raman ...

Analog Circuit Designer

New Providence, NJ ยท On-site

$98K - $157K/yr

You will be joining a team designing ICs for Ciena's co-packaged optics & copper solutions. This ... Apply programming skills in Python, VerilogA, and Cadence SKILL to support design automation and ...

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Showing results 1-20

Ciena Optical Engineer information

See salary details

$83K

$143.6K

$168.5K

How much do ciena optical engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for ciena optical engineer in the United States is $143,611.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $129,000.00 and $167,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Ciena Optical Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Ciena Optical Engineer, you need a strong background in optical networking, fiber optics, and telecommunications, typically supported by a degree in electrical engineering or a related field. Familiarity with Ciena hardware and management software, optical network design tools, and relevant certifications such as Ciena Certified Professional are highly valuable. Excellent problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and effective communication skills help you collaborate across departments and respond to network challenges. These skills ensure reliable network performance, efficient troubleshooting, and successful implementation of complex optical solutions.

What is the difference between Ciena Optical Engineer vs Ciena Network Engineer?

AspectCiena Optical EngineerCiena Network Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's in Engineering, certifications like Cisco CCNA or Ciena-specific trainingBachelor's in Networking, certifications like Cisco CCNP or similar
Work EnvironmentDesigning, testing, and maintaining optical fiber systemsManaging and troubleshooting network infrastructure
Industry UsageTelecom, data centers, optical network providersTelecom, enterprise networks, service providers

The Ciena Optical Engineer focuses on designing and maintaining optical fiber systems, while the Ciena Network Engineer manages overall network infrastructure. Both roles require similar certifications and work in related environments, but their core responsibilities differ in scope and specialization.

What is a Ciena Optical Engineer?

A Ciena Optical Engineer is a professional who specializes in designing, configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting optical networking solutions using Ciena's equipment and technologies. These engineers work with advanced fiber optic systems to ensure high-speed data transmission across telecommunications networks. Their responsibilities often include network planning, installation, testing, and resolving issues related to Ciena optical products. They typically collaborate with network architects and field technicians to deliver robust and scalable network solutions for service providers and large enterprises.

What types of projects do Ciena Optical Engineers typically work on, and how do they collaborate with cross-functional teams?

Ciena Optical Engineers are often involved in designing, testing, and optimizing advanced optical networks to support high-capacity data transmission for service providers and enterprise clients. They frequently collaborate with software engineers, network architects, and field technicians to ensure seamless integration of hardware and software solutions. Regular responsibilities include configuring optical equipment, troubleshooting network issues, and supporting network upgrades. Close teamwork is essential, as projects may require coordinating lab tests, field trials, and customer demonstrations to meet client requirements and deadlines.
Infographic showing various Ciena Optical Engineer job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 96% Full Time, 1% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $143,611 per year, or $69 per hour.
Digital Verification Engineer Expert

Digital Verification Engineer Expert

Ciena

New York, NY โ€ข On-site

$147K - $234K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 2 days ago


Job description

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.

ASIC Engineer (Digital Verification Engineer Expert (P4))

How You Will Contribute:

The Wavelogic family of products is widely used in Ciena's optical fiber transmission solutions and is one of the main contributors to Ciena's success in the telecommunications industry. To further strengthen our team, we are looking for an expert digital verification engineer who will be involved in the verification of these products, working within a team of digital design engineers, verification engineers and architects, in our Rochester NY office.

Your role as an expert digital verification engineer will be to propose and implement innovative verification strategies, in order to thoroughly simulate and validate functional blocks, cores, and subsystems for the Wavelogic family of products.Following are examples of responsibilities in this role, however the role is not necessarily limited to this list and can vary from project to project:

  • You will be expected to quickly understand the architecture and functional requirements of the project in order to effectively communicate and collaborate with systems engineers and architects.
  • You will be responsible for the complete and detailed validation of entire subsystems by using an appropriate combination of simulation, formal and coverage methods.
  • You will be responsible for creating, reviewing and optimizing simulation environment components, test case scenarios as well as functional coverage and formal verification test plans.
  • You will be expected, if/when appropriate, to lead focused groups of individuals or mentor individuals and manage their priorities towards reaching a specific set of objectives
  • You will be accountable for estimating schedules, and once approved track them towards timely completion, while providing clear and precise status updates at regular intervals
  • Possibility of reporting directlyto the Senior Manager as an ASIC Verification Prime
    • As an ASIC verification Prime, you would be responsible for all aspects of the verification of the digital portion of the Serdes as well as working with partner teams to ensure overall Serdes coverage.
    • You would also be responsible for participating in architectural and design reviews to proactively advise on verification impacts and improvements for schedule and or coverage.

The Must Haves:

  • Minimum Bachelor's degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering, Computer Science or other applicable scientific degree coupled with expert level experience in the use of System Verilog, UVM, SVA, and simulators from major vendors.
  • Proven ability in determining appropriate and comprehensive digital verification and coverage strategies
  • Highly motivated self-starter, able to work independently, while being a great teammate
  • Ability to methodically address (debug) sophisticated technical problems.
  • Excellent organization, written and oral English communication skills.

Assets:

  • Experience with
    • Formal verification methods
    • DSP and/or Forward Error Correction
    • Using Jira for bug tracking and GIT for source code management and revision tracking
  • Familiarity with programming languages such as: Python, Make, bash, object-oriented programming, C, C++.

The annual salary range for this position is $147,100 - $234,900.

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 anEqual 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.