Senior R&D Operations Lead – Industrialization & Technology Transfer

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 Senior R&D Operations Lead – Industrialization & Technology Transfer to bridge the gap between engineering prototypes and fully industrialized products, ensuring that innovative photonic technologies are translated into manufacturable, testable, cost-effective, and scalable solutions.

Working at the intersection of Technology Development, Product Development, and Manufacturing Engineering, the successful candidate will drive the transition from prototypes to production-ready products and processes, establishing the foundations required for reliable high-volume manufacturing.

The ideal candidate combines a solid understanding of high-tech manufacturing environments with strong business acumen, cross-functional leadership, and the ability to turn complex engineering challenges into practical industrial solutions.

Initially, this will be a hands-on, senior individual contributor role, offering the opportunity to build a new function, define its operating model, and directly contribute to industrialization activities.

How You Will Make an Impact

• Drive Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), and Design for Test (DFT) activities throughout product development.
• Translate engineering prototypes into manufacturable product configurations, considering process capabilities, tolerances, repeatability, yield, and cost.
• Identify industrialization risks and manufacturing constraints early in the design process, working closely with engineering teams to address them.
• Coordinate manufacturability reviews and define industrialization requirements, milestones, and acceptance criteria.
• Support design optimization to ensure product architectures are compatible with scalable manufacturing processes.
• Design and validate manufacturing, assembly, calibration, and testing processes.
• Define process qualification requirements, manufacturing readiness criteria, and technical documentation necessary for production transfer.
• Support the development of manufacturing workflows, process specifications, tooling requirements, and test methodologies.
• Drive technical readiness assessments, identifying and addressing gaps before industrialization milestones and production release.
• Coordinate technical activities with semiconductor foundries, photonic packaging partners, and contract manufacturers throughout product and process development.
• Support technical evaluation and qualification of manufacturing capabilities, equipment, and processes.
• Run engineering builds, pilot production activities, and process validation campaigns.
• Facilitate technical troubleshooting, root-cause investigations, and corrective actions during industrialization.
• Ensure manufacturing processes, technical documentation, qualification results, and production requirements are complete, validated, and ready for transfer to high-volume manufacturing.
• Contribute directly to establishing and scaling the R&D Operations function, working closely with R&D leadership.
• Develop practical methodologies, workflows, and tools to manage the transition from engineering development to industrial manufacturing.
• Establish structured processes for industrialization planning, design transfer, process validation, and production readiness.
• Identify technical and operational capability gaps and contribute to the development roadmap of the function.
• Promote a collaborative, execution-oriented culture focused on manufacturability, scalability, and continuous improvement.

The Must Haves

• Education: Degree in Engineering, Physics, or another relevant technical discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience: 6+years of Significant experience in semiconductor, photonics, electronics, telecommunications equipment, or other advanced technology manufacturing environments.
• Proven experience in industrialization, manufacturing operations, technology transfer, or related disciplines.
• Experience working with semiconductor foundries, contract manufacturers, or specialized manufacturing partners.
• Strong understanding of product development lifecycles and the transition from engineering prototypes to industrial manufacturing.
• Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional technical projects and coordinate multidisciplinary stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and communication skills.
• Good understanding of manufacturing cost structures, operational planning, and industrial investment decisions.
• Ability to work independently, take ownership of deliverables, and contribute hands-on to building new processes and organizational capabilities.
• Familiarity with DFM, DFA, DFT, and Design for Excellence (DFX) methodologies.
• Fluency in English.

Nice to Haves

• Experience with Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), wafer fabrication, optical packaging, or advanced assembly and test technologies.
• Experience in manufacturing process characterization, qualification, and production readiness assessments.
• Knowledge of yield analysis, process capability, statistical process control, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience coordinating technology transfers across international manufacturing partners.
• Familiarity with product cost modelling, industrialization business cases, and R&D operational planning.

Why This Opportunity Is Unique

This role offers an opportunity to help transform advanced integrated photonics technologies from innovative engineering concepts into scalable manufacturing solutions. The successful candidate will play a key role in building the processes, methodologies, and technical capabilities required to support industrialization and high-volume production.

As the R&D Operations function matures, the role may also provide opportunities to take on broader leadership responsibilities based on business needs and individual contribution.

At Ciena, we are committed to building and fostering an environment in which our employees feel respected, valued, and heard.  Ciena values the diversity of its workforce and respects its employees as individuals. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination.

Ciena is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status.

If contacted in relation to a job opportunity, please advise Ciena of any accommodation measures you may require.