Principal Solutions Architect at Ciena · London

Principal Solutions Architect Location: London 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. Principal Solutions Architect, Autonomous Networking Blue Planet, a division of Ciena, is redefining how communications service providers (CSPs) operate through intelligent automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI). This senior technical role supports the Blue Planet sales organization as an operations transformation expert, combining deep domain expertise with a strong customer-facing presence to help CSPs evolve toward Autonomous Networks. How you will make an impact: • Provide senior technical leadership and strategic guidance to the international sales organization • Articulate product vision, roadmap, and value proposition to both business and technical stakeholders • Apply expertise in Autonomous Networks and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to address customer business and operational challenges • Lead technical engagement across the sales lifecycle, including discovery, solution definition, and customer presentations • Review and contribute to Requests for Information (RFI) and Requests for Proposal (RFP) responses in partnership with Technical Sales Leaders • Define Proof of Concept (PoC) success criteria and support solution evaluations with sales and systems engineering teams • Drive product and solution feedback into Product Management using established internal tools and processes, including Aha! The must haves: • 10+ years of experience in senior product management, pre-sales, or delivery roles within the Operations Support Systems (OSS) domain • 3+ years of hands-on experience deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in telecommunications environments, including Autonomous Networking use cases • 12+ years of experience with telecommunications networking technologies, including Wide Area Networks (WAN), Local Area Networks (LAN), Layers 0–3 switching and routing, virtual network functions, and 5G wireless • Proven experience selling and/or delivering OSS solutions supporting planning, provisioning, and service assurance • Strong ability to translate business requirements into technical solutions and present complex concepts clearly • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent professional experience • Willingness and ability to travel internationally, sometimes on short notice Nice to haves: • Experience in OSS domains such as network inventory, service design, orchestration, activation, assurance, performance, or service quality management • Deep familiarity with the broader OSS ecosystem and products from vendors such as Amdocs, Ericsson, Netcracker, Oracle, or Nokia • Experience authoring solution requirement documents for OSS deployment projects • Knowledge of enterprise architecture frameworks and industry models such as TM Forum, Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO), and Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) • Fluency in one or more languages in addition to English #LI-ST1 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. Additional Locations: Remote-UK