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.

Partner Manager – EU & UK

For more than 25 years, Ciena has been the global leader in high‑speed connectivity, enabling service providers, enterprises, and public sector organizations to build adaptive networks that meet the demands of a digital, AI‑driven world. Ciena’s technology forms the backbone of critical global infrastructure, supporting everything from mobile streaming and cloud services to autonomous systems and next‑generation applications.

Ciena is hiring two Partner Management Analysts to help shape, govern, and continuously improve the service partner ecosystem across the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region. This high‑impact role sits at the heart of Ciena’s service execution model, balancing commercial discipline, operational excellence, and partner performance to deliver exceptional customer outcomes at scale.

How you will make an impact:

• Own and develop service partner relationships across assigned EMEA countries, ensuring alignment with Ciena delivery, quality, and governance expectations
• Drive partner performance across service level agreements (SLAs), quality metrics, and operational outcomes, addressing issues and escalations with urgency and structure
• Strengthen cost competitiveness through request for quotation (RFQ) management, pricing analysis, and commercial negotiation with service partners
• Lead regular partner business reviews, including quarterly business reviews (QBRs), in close collaboration with Customer Operations, Quality, and Procurement teams
• Support forecasting, capacity planning, and demand alignment to ensure partner readiness for current and future service requirements
• Identify operational, commercial, and delivery risks early, leading mitigation actions to protect customer experience and service continuity
• Provide regional market insight to inform partner strategy, including labor trends, pricing dynamics, and competitive conditions

The must haves:

• 5–8 years of experience in partner management, vendor management, service delivery management, or operations within telecommunications or a comparable technical services environment
• Demonstrated commercial acumen, including experience with RFQs, pricing evaluation, and cost management
• Proven ability to manage delivery performance using data, key performance indicators (KPIs), and structured reporting
• Strong relationship‑building skills with both internal stakeholders and external partners
• Experience operating effectively in a matrixed, cross‑functional environment
• Track record of managing service escalations and driving timely, effective resolution
• Clear, confident, and structured communication skills, both written and verbal

Nice to haves:

• Experience managing service partners or vendors across multiple EMEA countries
• Familiarity with telecom installation, deployment, field services, or maintenance environments
• Exposure to partner governance frameworks, performance scorecards, or maturity models
• Experience interpreting contracts, commercial terms, or service policies
• Multilingual capability in one or more European languages

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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.

Partner Manager (EU & UK)