Blue Planet Data Management Lead

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 advancing intelligent, automated networks through its Blue Planet portfolio by enabling data-driven innovation and AI-powered operations. This role leads the definition of data strategy, architecture, and productization for telecom data, enabling scalable digital twin capabilities and data platforms that support next-generation network operations. The position plays a critical role in aligning data foundations with AI, automation, and product innovation across the portfolio.How you will make an impact:Define and own the canonical telco data model and ontology across network topology, service lifecycle, inventory, assurance, and OSS domainsAlign data models with industry standards including TM Forum Open APIs, SID/eTOM, Open Digital Architecture, YANG/NETCONF, and TOSCADrive adoption of ontology models across product teams as the semantic foundation for data exchange, AI training, and digital twin deploymentDevelop and lead the data fabric product architecture, including federated access, streaming pipelines, virtualization, metadata management, and lineage trackingTranslate data architecture vision into scalable, cloud-native and microservices-based implementations in collaboration with engineering teamsDefine and deliver the telco digital twin strategy, including use cases such as network optimization, predictive maintenance, and simulationEngage with customers, partners, and industry forums to validate solutions, influence standards, and position the portfolio in the marketThe must haves:Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Software Engineering with telecommunications, networking, or communications systems concentration, or equivalent experienceExperience: 15+ years of experience in the telecom software industry with at least 5+ years of product line management experienceApplication of telecom data modeling, schema design, graph or ontology structures, and enterprise data management toolsApplication of AI and ML data requirements including feature stores, training data pipelines, data lineage, and model grounding techniques for GenAI or LLM use casesBackground in OSS environments including network automation, orchestration, inventory, assurance, and network management systemsExposure to telecom network domains including fixed, mobile or RAN, and cable or MSO across core, transport, and access layersExperience introducing complex technical products or architectures into Tier-1 CSP or network provider environmentsNice to haves:Background in cloud-native architectures including Kubernetes, microservices, and cloud data platformsExposure to multi-cloud environmentsCollaboration across engineering, product management, marketing, and field organizationsEngagement with industry analysts and participation in analyst briefingsContribution to industry forums such as TM Forum, MEF, ETSI, or ONFDevelopment of technical content including whitepapers, blogs, or conference presentationsSupport of go-to-market strategy and product positioning#LI-ST1At 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.SummaryLocation: London; UK- Reading-RegusType: Full time