Director, Value Realization

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.

Are you a strategic thinker with a passion for delivering measurable value from transformation initiatives? Reporting to the Chief Transformation Officer (CTO), the Director, Transformation Value Realization will lead the enterprise transformation portfolio's value tracking discipline. This role is critical in designing frameworks, embedding governance, and creating a single source of truth for benefits, ROI, and KPI performance across programs. If you possess executive presence, financial acumen, and the ability to influence, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact.

How You Will Contribute:

• Co-create value hypotheses with business sponsors, translating intent into quantified KPIs, OKRs, and financial models (e.g., revenue, gross margin, OpEx, working capital).

• Establish baselines, counterfactuals, and guardrails for success criteria while documenting calculation logic and data lineage to ensure auditability.

• Build the ETO benefits register and portfolio dashboard, automating pipelines from systems of record (ERP/BI) for alignment with Finance.

• Produce concise executive materials for steering committees and decision forums, highlighting dependencies, risks to value, and mitigation options.

• Embed value checkpoints into ETO tollgates, defining entry/exit criteria and evidence required at each stage, while enforcing accountability for value milestones.

• Lead post-implementation reviews and benefit verification, establishing plans to hold gains and avoid regression, and collaborating with Change Management to build behaviors and incentives for value realization.

• Ensure all value realization activities directly link transformation initiatives to corporate strategy and enterprise objectives, validating alignment with strategic pillars and long-term growth priorities.

The Must Haves:

• Extensive experience in value realization, portfolio/program management, finance, strategy, or transformation roles within complex, global enterprises.

• Proven ability to convert transformation initiatives into measurable outcomes and sustain benefits post go-live.

• Advanced financial modeling and business case development skills, with expertise in scenario analysis and trade-off framing for executives.

• Strong data orientation, including defining metrics, ensuring data quality, and partnering with Analytics/IT to build reliable pipelines and dashboards.

• Exceptional executive communication skills, including succinct storytelling through high-impact materials for leadership decision-making.

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or relevant advanced degree preferred. Professional certifications (e.g., PfMP, PgMP, PMP, Lean/Six Sigma, CIMA/CPA) are a plus.

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed.

Nice to Haves:

• Experience designing and implementing auditable methodologies for defining, baselining, forecasting, tracking, and sustaining benefits (financial and nonfinancial).

• Familiarity with building portfolio-level dashboards and data models to provide scenario views for decision forums.

• Expertise in embedding value realization activities into governance frameworks and prioritization processes.

• Proven ability to lead benefit verification and post-implementation reviews that drive accountability and avoid regression.

• Strong collaboration skills with external delivery partners, including defining success criteria and operating with joint governance and shared accountability.

Pay Range:

The annual pay range for this position in the USA is $133,600 - $213,400.
The annual pay range for this position in Canada is $119,400 - $190,700.

Not ready to apply? Join our Talent Community to get relevant job alerts straight to your inbox.

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 anEqual 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.