IT Leadership Program

Ciena is the global leader in high-speed connectivity, building the critical infrastructure that powers the AI era. As a technology company shaping the future of networking, we are guided by innovation, integrity, and collaboration. Through development opportunities, meaningful work, and flexibility, Ciena supports growth and well-being, on and off the job. Connect with a career that matters.

IT Early Career Leadership Program Associate (New Grad)

Join Ciena's IT Early Career Rotational Program and gain hands-on experience across multiple IT disciplines through four structured six-month rotations. Participants engage with real business challenges, collaborate with technology leaders, and contribute to initiatives that support business growth, operational efficiency, and technology transformation. Coaching, mentoring, and development opportunities help build long-term careers within Ciena's global IT organization.

How you will make an impact:

• Complete four structured rotational assignments across multiple IT domains.
• Drive technology initiatives that support business growth, operational efficiency, risk reduction, and value realization.
• Analyze business processes, operational data, and technology performance metrics to identify improvement opportunities.
• Evaluate, implement, and optimize technology solutions and business processes.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders, architects, engineers, analysts, and operational teams to address business challenges.
• Develop reports, dashboards, presentations, and recommendations that support decision-making and strategic planning.
• Present findings, recommendations, and project outcomes, including a capstone project, to management and IT leadership.

The must haves:

• Education: Bachelor's degree completed within the last 12 months in Information Systems, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Data Science, Business Technology, or a related technical field.
• Experience: Previous internship, co-op, or applied project experience relevant to the role.
• Strong academic performance.
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication abilities.
• Ability to learn quickly and adapt to new technologies and business environments.
• Demonstrated leadership through internships, projects, student organizations, research, or extracurricular activities.

Nice to haves:

• Internship, co-op, research, or project experience in a technology-related field.
• Exposure to cloud platforms, data analytics, software development, or enterprise systems.
• Familiarity with Power BI, SQL, Python, Azure, AWS, ServiceNow, or similar technologies.
• Experience working in team-based environments.