Verification and Field Application Engineer - Hybrid, 3 DAW on site in Alpharetta

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 Verification and Field Application Engineer will be responsible for driving test strategies, test plans, and test execution for Ciena’s WaveLogic Optical Modem. Additionally, the candidate will support field activities and frequently interact with customers, PLM, and R&D.

Looking for a Verification and Field Application Engineer to support our client's WaveLogic Optical Modem products, focused on developing and executing test strategies, plans, and validation activities. This role includes a mix of manual and automated testing, with a strong emphasis on customer use cases, system-level validation, Python-based automation, troubleshooting, and field/customer support. The engineer will work closely with R&D, PLM, subject matter experts, and customers to validate product capabilities, reproduce and resolve issues, support demos, and continuously improve both the product and overall test environment.

• Develop comprehensive test strategies and test plans to validate customer use cases, product capabilities, and system-level behavior.
• Perform both manual testing and automated testing for optical modem, networking, and telecom-related features.
• Build and maintain lab test environments for validation activities, considering interactions across multiple product features and configurations.
• Execute validation test cases, analyze results, document findings, and report defects clearly.
• Develop, execute, debug, and maintain Python automation test cases to improve test coverage and execution efficiency.
• Augment and improve existing automated test cases, test scripts, and automation frameworks.
• Troubleshoot automation failures, lab issues, product behavior, and customer-reported defects.
• Report defects and follow up with design/R&D teams through closure.
• Summarize test metrics, communicate test results, and provide clear status updates to stakeholders.
• Work closely with subject matter experts to ensure testing aligns with customer-focused solutions, product specifications, and expected system behavior.
• Support customer lab activities, field issues, customer demos, and issue reproduction.
• Participate in customer-facing discussions, including demos, technical support calls, issue reviews, and requirements clarification.
• Review customer-reported issues and feedback with appropriate engineering teams to identify potential design improvements.
• Use available tools, logs, CLI commands, APIs, SDKs, JSON interfaces, and lab equipment to configure, validate, and troubleshoot devices.
• Evaluate and apply modern tools, including AI-assisted coding or automation tools, where appropriate, to improve testing efficiency and productivity.

• 5–10 years of experience in product verification, system test, test automation, field application engineering, or customer support engineering.
• Strong background in manual testing, automation testing, and system-level validation.
• Experience creating and maintaining Python-based test automation.
• Ability to write, execute, debug, and fix automation scripts.
• Experience determining what should be automated versus what should remain manual or exploratory testing.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience working in a lab environment with test equipment and physical system configurations.
• Ability to investigate difficult or intermittent issues using logs, test data, automation output, CLI, and system behavior.
• Knowledge of software testing methodologies, defect lifecycle, regression testing, and test best practices.
• Familiarity with CLI, JSON, SDKs, APIs, and device configuration interfaces.
• Experience with Jenkins CI/CD or other CI/CD platforms is a plus.
• Strong commitment to product excellence, quality, and customer satisfaction.
• Ability to understand customer use cases and translate them into practical test coverage.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to communicate clearly with multi-site engineering teams, PLM, R&D, and customers.
• Comfortable presenting technical information in customer demos, internal reviews, or support discussions.

• Awareness of OpenROADM and open optical networking standards
• Familiarity with ROADM architecture
• Knowledge of network topologies (ring, mesh, point-to-point)
• Familiarity with optical amplification (EDFA, Raman)
• Experience with optical spectrum analyzers (OSA)
• Experience with optical power meters and light sources
• Knowledge of BER testers (BERT)
• Familiarity with constellation diagram analysis
• Understanding of eye diagram analysis and interpretation
• Understanding of coherent DSP (Digital Signal Processing) concepts
• Knowledge of polarization effects (PMD - Polarization Mode Dispersion, PDL - Polarization Dependent Loss)
• Familiarity with modulation formats (QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM) and their tradeoffs
• Understanding of baud rate vs bit rate concepts
• Knowledge of nonlinear optical effects (SPM, XPM, FWM)
• Understanding of OSNR (Optical Signal-to-Noise Ratio) and its impact on signal quality
• Knowledge of BER (Bit Error Rate) and FEC (Forward Error Correction) concepts
• Familiarity with WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) and DWDM channel spacing (50GHz, 100GHz grids)

Qualifications

• Bachelors or Masters in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Optical Communications
• Ability to travel domestically or internationally as required
• Must be eligible to obtain a US security clearance. Info on clearances can be found here: https://www.state.gov/security-clearance-faqs/#subjectbackgroundprofile

Compensation and Benefits 

The annual pay range for this position is $100, 300 - $135, 000 USD.
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Pay ranges at Ciena are designed to accommodate variations in knowledge, skills, experience, market conditions, and locations, reflecting our diverse products, industries, and lines of business. Please note that the pay range information provided in this posting pertains specifically to the primary location, which is the top location listed in case multiple locations are available.

Non-Sales employees may be eligible for a discretionary incentive bonus, while Sales employees may be eligible for a sales commission. In addition to competitive compensation, Ciena offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision plans, participation in 401(K) (USA) & DCPP (Canada) with company matching, Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), company-paid holidays, paid sick leave, and vacation time. We also comply with all applicable laws regarding Paid Family Leave and other leaves of absence.

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.