Software Engineer (Datapath) - 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?

Ciena is more than just a tech company. We’re a group of passionate people who care about helping others succeed. From empowering our employees to giving back to the community, we create an environment that fosters innovation and growth.

Our culture is built on Customer First, Integrity, Innovation, Velocity, and Outstanding People—and we believe in building a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

What will you do at Ciena as a Datapath - Software Engineer?

Optical networks continue to enthusiastically move towards Layer 0/1/2/3 converged infrastructures. Ciena’s Packet Optical Transport Switching (POTS) portfolio of Layer 2, Layer 3, and MPLS Packet networking products provide carrier grade packet networking services and aggregation tiers of the network.

The POTS Datapath software group is seeking multiple embedded software engineers with experience in designing and developing embedded carrier-grade software on custom hardware platforms. As a member of a larger team, the successful candidate will participate in all states of the software development process, including:

• Craft and develop software written in C for Layer 2, 3 Datapath applications and the hardware abstraction layer. This includes improvements of existing software as well as development of new packet networking features.

• Write software which runs on an embedded Linux/VxWorks platform.

• Solve issues and work with hardware, software and system engineers to identify the root cause.

• Help investigate and collect information to resolve process or design issues found in the codebase.

• Identify software performance improvements through test driven development, automated unit testing, and comprehensive integration testing.

What technical experience and/or professional and personal skills are required for this role?

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering or Computer Science.

• C programming language experience.

• Theoretical knowledge of basic network protocols (ETH, IP, TCP/UDP)

• Good knowledge of mutual exclusion, synchronization, interrupt handling, inter-process communication, etc.

• Ability to seek out answers and work independently.

• Positive work demeanor, highly motivated and an ability to seek out answers with a willingness to learn and work independently

• Strong verbal and technical writing skills.

• Ability to collaborate well in a team environment.

The annual pay range for this position is $69,400 - $110,800 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.