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.
The Manager, Global Commodity Operations leads the operational execution for assigned commodity categories across Ciena’s supply chain. This role is accountable for the service organization supporting the Global Commodity Management organization; driving and tracking resolution to supply shortages, facilitating supplier performance reporting, managing commodity-specific data, and facilitating tool development to simplify and increase efficiency for the organization. The position leads and develops commodity specialists supporting Global Commodity Managers, provides governance for day-to-day execution, and partners with production Planning, Commodity Management, NPI, Inventory Management, and other stakeholders in a fast-paced, high-technology manufacturing environment.
How You Will Make an Impact
- Oversee supplier delivery performance and drive supplier engagement to manage shortages ensuring the team identifies risks early, executes effective recovery plans, and escalates issues appropriately to protect supply continuity.
- Lead, coach, and develop a team responsible for global commodity operations, setting clear priorities, performance expectations, operating rhythms, and accountability for execution.
- Provide oversight and governance for end-to-end supplier onboarding, ensuring qualification, documentation, compliance requirements, approvals, and ERP setup are completed accurately and on time.
- Drive supplier business-readiness by coordinating priorities and resolving barriers across Supplier Quality, Engineering, Legal, Finance, Master Data, Planning, Procurement, and Operations.
- Ensure updates to supplier pricing, leadtimes, MOQs, etc. are administered accurately, validated against commercial agreements, and maintained within procurement systems through effective controls and data-quality standards.
- Direct the team’s facilitation of RFQs, quotation consolidation, and preliminary commercial analysis, ensuring timely, accurate, and decision-ready sourcing support.
- Facilitate the gathering of data for supplier scorecards, KPI dashboards, Quarterly Business Review materials, risk assessments, and performance reporting, using insights to drive accountability and improvement.
- Ensure disciplined execution of commodity management support, purchasing operations, contract compliance activities, and related procurement processes.
- Monitor team capacity, service levels, cycle times, quality, and stakeholder satisfaction; address performance gaps and rebalance priorities as business needs evolve.
- Lead continuous improvement, process standardization, automation, and digitalization initiatives that strengthen controls, improve efficiency, and enhance the stakeholder and supplier experience.
The Must Haves
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Business Administration, Engineering, Operations Management, Finance, or a related field.
- Experience: 7+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, commodity management, supplier management, or supply chain, including experience leading people or major cross-functional workstreams.
- Experience managing global suppliers in a high-technology manufacturing environment, preferably electronics, telecommunications, networking, semiconductor, optical, or contract manufacturing.
- Analytical and financial acumen, including cost modeling, quotation analysis, market intelligence, spend analysis, and total cost of ownership.
- Strong people leadership, coaching, stakeholder management, communication, and decision-making skills in a global matrixed organization.
- Ability to manage ambiguity, competing priorities, and urgent supply challenges while maintaining disciplined execution and clear communication.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Power BI, PowerPoint, Microsoft Copilot, procurement analytics, and enterprise systems such as Agile, Oracle, Kinaxis, or equivalent platforms.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally.
Nice to Haves:
- Master’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, Finance, or a related discipline.
- APICS/ASCM, ISM, CPSM, CPM, or equivalent professional certification.
- Experience with electronics manufacturing supply chains, New Product Introduction, component lifecycle management, supplier quality systems, and regulatory or compliance requirements.
- Knowledge of advanced contracting models, vendor-managed inventory, consignment, dual-source strategies, should-cost analysis, and supplier risk management.
- Experience leading procurement transformation, process standardization, automation, or digital analytics initiatives.
Core Competencies
Strategic Thinking | People Leadership | Supplier Relationship Management | Negotiation | Commercial Acumen | Risk Management | Analytical Decision-Making | Cross-Functional Influence | Operational Excellence | Accountability. Establish & govern a standardized process & tools that will support the GCM organization
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.