RSD Innovation Product Line Manager

Ciena•Ottawa, ON

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

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) to help drive innovation strategy, definition, and growth of our Routing portfolio with a focus on the expanding role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Service Provider networks. This role requires deep expertise in IP technologies, network architectures, and emerging AI‑enabled operational and service models. The successful candidate will work collaboratively within Ciena’s broader PLM organization to ensure that new requirements—market‑driven, customer‑driven, and AI‑driven—are reflected in the integrated Ciena IP Routing product roadmap to unlock new business opportunities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical field; advanced degree preferred.
7+ years of experience in Product Management or technical strategy leadership within routing, networking, telecom, or cloud infrastructure.
Deep understanding of: IP routing protocols (OSPF, IS‑IS, BGP, MPLS, Segment Routing (SR-MPLS/SRv6), multicast, QoS, VXLAN)
Service Provider architectures (core, metro, access, edge, cloud, DCI), Cloud/AI DC architectures
AI-driven networking use cases (predictive analytics, anomaly detection, automated optimization, intent-based operations, traffic forecasting)
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and drive alignment across product teams/portfolios.
Strong communication, strategic thinking, and multi‑level presentation skills (Engineering to Executive).

Nice To Haves

Experience defining routing solutions or AI/automation-driven network capabilities.
Clear track record of defining innovative solutions and driving them to adoption within Service Provider organizations.
Direct engagement experience with Tier-1/2 Service Providers, especially on automation or AI‑related initiatives.
Familiarity with ML analytics platforms, data pipelines, telemetry systems, and cloud-native architectures.

Responsibilities

Identify, evaluate, and define innovative IP solution opportunities that drive meaningful differentiation and growth for Ciena. Includes the use of both qualitative and quantitative-based analysis tools/techniques.
Engage with global Service Providers to understand network evolution, AI-driven operational models, new service constructs, and strategic investment trends.
Identify lead customers, drive Proof of Concept (POC) creation, delivery and solution adoption.
Partner closely with the broader PLM organization to align new routing innovation solution requirements with Ciena’s portfolio roadmap, ensuring cohesive solution delivery across product families.
Work with PLM / Engineering to translate innovation/market needs into detailed product requirements and into a cohesive roadmap.
Provide thought leadership in the areas of how AI and advanced routing technologies enable new network capabilities, operational efficiencies, and revenue-generating services.
Track competitive developments and industry trends in AI-based networking, automation frameworks, and IP routing to validate and refine roadmap direction.
Produce high-quality content—roadmap narratives, whitepapers, presentations, and value propositions—to support customer engagement and sales enablement.