Product Line Manager - Routing & Switching Innovation

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 is seeking a highly skilled Product Line Manager (PLM) toshape the evolution of Ciena ’s IPRouting portfolioby identifying differentiated innovation opportunities and helpingService Providercustomers modernize their networks.This rolecombinesdeepIPexpertise, portfolio strategy,customer engagement,andthe ability to influence across technical, commercial, andexecutive stakeholders.The successful candidate willtranslatemarket shifts, emerging technologies, andcustomer modernization needs intopracticalroadmap requirements,building alignmentacross PLM, Engineering, Account teams, and customers to turnnew ideasintoportfolio outcomesthat create customer value and business growth. How You Will Contribute - Identify, evaluate, and define innovative IP solution opportunities that drive meaningful differentiation and growth for Ciena , using both qualitative and quantitative analysis tools and techniques. - Collaborate closely with Account teams(and extended support functions)to engageleadcustomers, identify transformation opportunities, and facilitate adoption ofproducts andsolutions that accelerate customer network modernization and business outcomes. - Own the definition ofService Providerservice/networktransformation programsincludingactionableproject plans andidentifiedportfolio requirementgaps. Ability to factor in migration strategy, operational simplification, automation, resilience, performance, scalability, and service velocity. - Partner closely with the broader PLM organization to align innovation and transformation requirements with Ciena ’s routing portfolio roadmap, ensuring cohesive solution delivery across product families. - Work with PLM and Engineering to translate market needs, customer transformation programs, and emerging AI-enabled operating models into detailed product requirements and roadmap priorities. - Provide thought leadership on how AI, automation, advanced routing technologies, and modern service orchestration enable new network capabilities, operational efficiencies, and revenue-generating services. - Track competitive developments and industry trends in Service Provider transformation, AI-based networking, automation frameworks, IP routing, and cloud-connected network architectures. - Produce high-quality content—roadmap narratives, whitepapers, transformation frameworks, customer presentations, and value propositions—to support executive engagement, customer workshops, and sales enablement. The Must Haves: - Bachelor’s degree in Engineeringor related technical field; advanced degree preferred. - 10+ years of experience in Product Management, technical strategy, network architecture, consulting, or transformation leadership within routing, networking, telecom, cloud infrastructure, or Service Provider environments. - Proventrack record ofcontributing to or leading large Service Provider network transformation projects, including modernization of IP/MPLS, metro, edge, access, cloud interconnect, or converged packet-optical network environments. Assets: - IP routing protocols and technologies, including OSPF, IS-IS, BGP, MPLS, Segment Routing (SR-MPLS/SRv6), multicast, QoS, and VXLAN. - Service Provider architectures, including core, metro, access, edge, cloud, DCI, Cloud/AI datacenter, and multi-domain transport/networking environments. - Large-scale network transformation drivers such as legacy network simplification, convergence, automation, lifecycle migration, operational efficiency, service agility, and total cost of ownership improvement. - AI-driven networking us