Director, Change Management

Join Ciena’s global team as Director, Change Management. Report to the Chief Transformation Officer and drive enterprise‑wide adoption of new processes, technologies and ways of working.

• Develop and implement a comprehensive change management strategy for enterprise transformation initiatives, including methodology, standards and toolkits.
• Align change plans with corporate strategy and transformation roadmap and ensure initiatives support strategic pillars and long‑term objectives.
• Proactively identify potential change resistance and adoption challenges and actively prepare for likely roadblocks through environmental scans or predictive analytics.

• Conduct stakeholder impact assessments and create engagement plans to secure sponsorship and commitment.
• Build coalitions across executive leadership and functional teams to remove barriers and sustain alignment.
• Provide expert guidance on change impacts, readiness and strategies to ensure successful adoption across functions.

• Design and deliver clear, compelling communication programs that articulate the “why”, “what”, and “how” of transformation activities to key stakeholders.
• Develop training and upskilling initiatives to help employees adopt new processes, technologies and behaviors.
• Champion the use of innovative communication channels and digital adoption tools to enhance reach, engagement and effectiveness of change enablement.
• Establish and empower internal networks of change champions within different business units to amplify change messages, gather feedback and support local adoption efforts.

• Embed change checkpoints into ETO governance (tollgates, steering committees) and ensure readiness criteria are met before go‑live.
• Partner with ETO staff to integrate change activities into prioritization and intake processes.
• Identify, assess and develop mitigation strategies for risks associated with organizational change, including cultural resistance, technology adoption issues and business disruption.

• Leverage advanced analytics and feedback loops to identify trends and continuously optimize change interventions utilizing data insights to iterate on strategies, identify root causes of resistance and improve future change initiatives.
• Define KPIs for adoption and behavioral change, track progress and report to leadership.
• Play a key role in post‑implementation reviews to ensure sustainment plans “hold the gains” and prevent regression from a change management perspective.

• Significant experience in organizational change management, transformation or related roles within complex, global enterprises.
• Proven ability to design and execute change strategies for large‑scale initiatives impacting multiple functions.
• Expertise in stakeholder engagement, communication planning and training program development.
• Strong understanding of transformation governance, portfolio management and strategic alignment.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or certifications (e.g., Prosci, ACMP, PMP) preferred.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed.

Benefits include medical, dental and vision plans, 401(k) & DCPP with company matching, ESPP, EAP, paid holidays, paid sick leave, vacation time and competitive compensation. Ciena complies with all applicable laws regarding Paid Family Leave and other leaves of absence.

Ciena is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination. If contacted regarding a job opportunity, please advise Ciena of any accommodation measures you may require.