IT Early Career Leadership Program Associate (New Grad)

Job Description

IT Early Career Leadership Program Associate (New Grad) | Ciena

The Tone:
This is a full-time rotational program for new graduates at Ciena, located in a primary location not specified in the job description. As a global leader in high-speed connectivity, Ciena builds critical infrastructure that powers the AI era and shapes the future of networking. This program offers hands-on experience across multiple IT disciplines through structured rotations, allowing participants to engage with real business challenges and contribute to key initiatives. Through coaching, mentoring, and development, this role fosters long-term careers within Ciena’s global IT organization.

The TL;DR
• Role: Rotational Program Associate (New Grad)
• Type: Full-time
• Location: Not specified
• Pay: $58500–$93500 yearly
• Mission: To gain hands-on experience across multiple IT disciplines through structured rotations and contribute to initiatives supporting business growth, operational efficiency, and technology transformation.
• Tech Stack: Power BI, SQL, Python, Azure, AWS, ServiceNow

What You’ll Actually Do
• Rotational Assignments: Complete four structured assignments across multiple IT domains to gain diverse experience.
• Technology Initiatives: Drive technology initiatives that support business growth, operational efficiency, risk reduction, and value realization.
• Data Analysis: Analyze business processes, operational data, and technology performance metrics to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Solution Optimization: Evaluate, implement, and optimize technology solutions and business processes to meet business needs.
• Reporting & Presentation: Develop reports, dashboards, presentations, and recommendations, including a capstone project, for management and IT leadership.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Bachelor’s degree completed within the last 12 months in Information Systems, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Data Science, Business Technology, or a related technical field; Entry-Level career level.
• Experience: Previous internship, co-op, or applied project experience relevant to the role, demonstrating leadership through academic or extracurricular activities.
• Skills: Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills, strong verbal and written communication abilities, and an ability to learn quickly and adapt to new technologies and business environments.
• Bonus: Internship, co-op, research, or project experience in a technology-related field; exposure to cloud platforms, data analytics, software development, or enterprise systems; familiarity with Power BI, SQL, Python, Azure, AWS, ServiceNow, or similar technologies; experience working in team-based environments.