Commercial Manager

Ciena • Atlanta, GA

10d • $102,400 - $163,600

About The Position

The Commercial Manager shapes and executes commercial strategy across the GCN Region to improve profitability, protect cash flow, manage risk, and enable sustainable growth. This senior role leads complex, high-value, and non-standard matters from initial assessment through executive approval, customer negotiation, implementation, and final resolution. The position serves as a trusted advisor to regional leadership and cross-functional teams, applying financial acumen, commercial judgment, and contractual expertise to drive timely, durable decisions.

The role covers commercial activities for GCN customers, including strategic opportunities, renewals, new business, multi-year arrangements, non-standard commercial structures, and material customer escalations. It develops financial models and business cases, establishes pricing and negotiation strategies, reviews customer contracts, and provides data-driven recommendations. The Commercial Manager also establishes regional pricing frameworks, approval thresholds, commercial playbooks, and governance standards, while monitoring performance, improving processes, representing the region in senior reviews, and advising colleagues.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Economics, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in commercial management, finance, business operations, deal governance, pricing, or contract management, including substantial responsibility for complex, high-value transactions in a global or matrixed organization.
• Application of P&L analysis, financial modeling, pricing, margin optimization, cost accounting, cash-flow and working-capital assessment, revenue recognition, forecasting, and business-case development.
• Experience reviewing, interpreting, and negotiating complex commercial contracts and connecting contractual provisions to financial, operational, and customer outcomes.
• Record of independently leading ambiguous, cross-functional, or high-risk issues from discovery through decision, execution, and verified closure, including identifying material risks, quantifying exposure, evaluating alternatives, and making recommendations under time pressure and with incomplete information.
• Application of executive-level stakeholder influence, analytical and critical-thinking methods, negotiation, problem-solving, written and verbal communication, disciplined governance, transparency, and management of multiple strategic priorities within tight deadlines.
• Advanced use of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint to build decision-grade analyses and executive-ready materials.
• Ability to travel as required within the GCN Region.

Nice To Haves

• MBA or another relevant advanced degree.
• CPA or CMA certification.
• Experience in the technology, telecommunications, networking, or professional services sector.
• Experience with global customers, multi-country transactions, services contracts, and complex commercial or operating models.
• Background in the GCN services portfolio, regional market dynamics, and related go-to-market models.
• Experience developing commercial governance frameworks, pricing playbooks, or scalable process improvements.
• Demonstrated measurable impact on revenue growth, profitability, cash flow, risk reduction, or operating effectiveness.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage commercial activities for GCN customers, translating regional growth, profitability, cash, and risk objectives into deal strategies and execution priorities.
• Lead complex, strategic, and high-value opportunities, including maintenance and services renewals, new business, multi-year arrangements, non-standard commercial structures, and material customer escalations.
• Drive complex commercial matters to closure by defining issues, aligning stakeholders, evaluating alternatives, establishing decisions and owners, managing escalations, and maintaining accountability through final resolution.
• Develop and assess financial models, business cases, and scenario analyses covering revenue, gross margin, cost, cash flow, working capital, investment requirements, revenue recognition, and long-term financial exposure.
• Set pricing and negotiation strategies; lead commercial review of customer contracts and amendments; identify and quantify material risks; and establish mitigation, contingency, and escalation plans.
• Provide data-driven recommendations to regional and executive leadership.
• Lead cross-functional teams across Sales, Finance, Legal, Services, Operations, Product Line Management, Tax, and other functions to deliver executable commercial solutions.
• Establish regional pricing frameworks, approval thresholds, commercial playbooks, and governance standards.
• Monitor business and deal performance, lead process improvements, represent the region in senior reviews, and provide commercial guidance to colleagues.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision plans.
• Participation in 401(K) (USA) and DCPP (Canada) with company matching.
• Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP).
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Company-paid holidays.
• Paid sick leave.
• Vacation time.
• Paid Family Leave and other leaves of absence in accordance with applicable laws.
• Non-Sales employees may be eligible for a discretionary incentive bonus; Sales employees may be eligible for a sales commission.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior