Ciena · 16 hours ago
Chief Information Officer
Baltimore
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
15+ years expCiena is a global leader in high-speed connectivity, dedicated to a people-first approach. The Chief Information Officer (CIO) will be responsible for the vision, strategy, and execution of enterprise technology and digital capabilities, leading a global IT organization that supports the company's growth and competitive advantage.
CollaborationDeliverySoftwareTelecommunications
Responsibilities
Develop and execute a forward-looking IT roadmap that directly accelerates revenue growth, margin expansion, product development velocity, and operational excellence
Serve as the primary technology advisor to the Executive Leadership Team and Board of Directors, translating complex technical concepts into clear business impact and ROI
Collaborating with our Enterprise Transformation Office, to support transformation initiatives that leverage AI, generative AI, automation, and advanced analytics to re-imagine R&D workflows, supply-chain resilience, sales effectiveness, and customer support
Own the strategy, architecture, and 24×7 operations of all on-premises and cloud-based infrastructure supporting R&D labs (high-performance compute clusters, optical/electrical test beds, simulation environments), corporate functions, and remote employees
Ensure ultra-reliable, low-latency global networking that supports 40% fully remote workforce and geographically dispersed engineering teams
Partnering with the CISO, Lead the evolution toward hybrid/multi-cloud environments, software-defined data centers, and zero-trust security architectures
Oversee the full application portfolio (PLM, ERP, CRM, HCM, CPQ, custom engineering tools) with a relentless focus on simplification, consolidation, and user experience
Champion an industry-leading collaboration and productivity platform strategy (ie, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Miro, AI-assisted code review, virtual lab access, etc.) tailored to distributed R&D and remote-first culture
Partner to build and govern a next gen enterprise AI approach that enables responsible use of generative AI across code generation, documentation, test-case creation, failure analysis, and customer-facing knowledge systems
Define and enforce a modern, modular enterprise architecture that supports rapid integration of acquired technologies and scalability to 10x growth
Lead the company’s data strategy: master data management, data mesh principles, real-time analytics, and predictive insights for R&D yield, supply-chain risk, and market intelligence
Deliver executive dashboards and AI-driven decision support tools that provide a single source of truth for the leadership team
Ensure world-class cybersecurity posture (zero trust, AI-powered threat detection, secure-by-design lab environments) commensurate with serving the world’s largest cloud and telecom operators
Maintain compliance with SOX, ISO 27001, GDPR, and emerging data-sovereignty regulations across all operating geographies
Build and lead a high-performing, globally distributed IT organization that attracts top engineering and architecture talent
Foster a culture of innovation, ownership, and continuous improvement while maintaining operational discipline at scale
Qualification
Required
15+ years of progressive technology leadership experience, with at least 7 years as CIO, CTO, or direct report to the CIO in a global, publicly traded technology or telecommunications equipment company (preferably networking, optical, or data-center related)
Proven track record of running enterprise IT for a highly engineering-centric organization with significant R&D lab infrastructure and a large remote workforce
Deep expertise across infrastructure (hyperscale cloud, HPC, optical/electrical lab environments), modern enterprise architecture, data platforms, and AI adoption at scale
Demonstrated ability to influence C-level executives and Board members through business-oriented storytelling, financial acumen, and measurable outcomes
Experience managing large IT budgets and delivering material cost savings and efficiencies without compromising effectiveness, speed or security
Strong vendor negotiation and strategic sourcing background, particularly with service providers, hyperscalers and enterprise SaaS providers
Exceptional leadership skills with a history of building diverse, high-trust teams across multiple continents
Bachelor's degree required; Master's/MBA strongly preferred
Company
Ciena
Ciena collaborates with customers to unlock the strategic potential of their networks and and change the way they perform and compete.
5001-10000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Ciena has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (34)
2024 (21)
2023 (36)
2022 (44)
2021 (30)
2020 (29)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
unknown1997-02-07IPO
1995-12-01Series C
1994-12-01Series B
Leadership Team
Gary Smith
President & CEO
Kevin Kimberlin
Co-Founder
Recent News
2026-01-20
The Motley Fool
2026-01-12
2026-01-09
Company data provided by crunchbase