Optical Systems Product Line Manager

Ciena is a global leader in high-speed connectivity, committed to a people-first approach. The Optical Systems Product Line Manager will collaborate with cross-functional teams to define, introduce, and manage the life cycle of Ciena’s Optical System products while ensuring alignment with market demands and corporate goals.

Responsibilities:

• Work with customers and account teams to ensure product / portfolio alignment to market demands
• Work with broader PLM leadership team to ensure a complete cross portfolio evolution strategy is in place to ensure Ciena meets its corporate goals
• Work with R&D, supply chain and procurement to optimize product / solution costs
• Work with R&D to ensure appropriate feature prioritization / roll out
• Work with sales and customers to ensure appropriate pricing
• Work with Marketing team to ensure that our competitive differentiation is clearly articulated and understood by sales, customers and the financial community
• Articulate the features and value proposition of products to Sales team and customers
• Support sales activities through active involvement in lead customer engagements and key bid activities
• Drive market pricing strategies and product cost reduction programs to balance market share growth with long term portfolio profitability
• Work closely with Sale team and Supply Chain to drive revenue plan and volume forecast
• Translate portfolio strategy into actionable product requirements and associated release plans
• Drive cross functional team consisting of Sales, Marketing and R&D to establish a portfolio strategy for accelerated growth in the market by systematically analyzing customer needs, product requirements and associated market opportunities
• Define, develop, drive product roadmap and manage R&D development priorities for maximizing market share and revenue growth
• Drive complete lifecycle management of products from concept through to product retirement

Requirements:

• Bachelor or Master of Electrical Engineering degree, with specialization in fiber optics, telecommunications, networking or communications system – or equivalent experience is mandatory
• 5+ years of relevant industry experience with successful and progressive track record of accomplishment, leadership and increasing responsibility
• Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree is desired but not mandatory
• Strong product background in optical fiber communications
• Proven experience of driving new product introduction into customer accounts
• Proven experience of growing a product business in a competitive environment
• Keen business sense and general management experience to drive lifecycle management of complex products and solutions from concept through retirement with clear focus on strategic and operational goals and objectives
• Extraordinary communications and presentation skills facing customers and internal stakeholders
• Strong program and project management skills with meticulous attention to detail in orchestrating efforts across multiple functional disciplines while overseeing and coordinating all constituent elements of product line profit and loss drivers
• Seasoned interpersonal skills with a proven ability to achieve results through alignment of cross-functional and multi-divisional activities in a highly collaborative, team-oriented, and fast-paced environment
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with customers and other functional organizations
• 25% Travel Required