Director, Systems Integration & Partner Management

Ciena is committed to our people-first philosophy. Our teams enjoy a culture focused on prioritizing a personalized and flexible work environment that empowers an individual’s passions, growth, wellbeing and belonging. We’re a technology company that leads with our humanity—driving our business priorities alongside meaningful social, community, and societal impact.
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You know what your ideal career looks like: a competitive salary, freedom to live your life as you like, and recognition for your accomplishments—all in an inclusive and diverse people-first environment. Our success is driven by a supported, thriving team; this is why Ciena upholds these benefits for all our employees. Ciena empowers you with flexible paid time off, reimbursed and in-house development resources, support for mental and physical well-being, and assets you may need to attain your goals both at and away from work.

How You Will Contribute:

As a Director, Systems Integration & Partner Management, you will report to the senior Director, Pricing, Resource and Partner Management to establish SI & Consulting Pod to complement product professional services Pods. As a Partner Success Executive(PSE), you will support Ciena Customer Success Executives(CSE) in partner programs for Professional Services, SI & Consulting services. This is very critical role for Ciena to offer complete transformative services to our customers either directly or through partners.

What Does Ciena Expect of You?

Following key responsibilities will help effectively manage organizational resources.

Systems Integration & Consulting:

• Lead the capability building with Partner, support presales, planning, execution, and management of system integration projects.
• With Consulting and Technical resources, Develop and implement integration strategies, architectures, and platforms to ensure seamless interoperability between software applications, hardware systems, and IT infrastructures.
• Oversee the development of integration solutions, ensuring they meet business and technical requirements.

Partner Management:

• Partner retention: PSE works to make Partners successful in delivering the outcomes to end customers profitably and grow together. 
• Partner Maturity: Measuring the Partner Maturity and publishing the data quarterly to internal stakeholders and with partners half-yearly. Revise the Partner Maturity Model based on the business needs. Educate Partners on the maturity model and rules governing it.
• Partner education: PSE to support the Ciena training department and partner to get the training and certification completed.
• Relationship management & Governance: PSE builds trust and rapport with Partners and helps them deliver BP product implementations profitably. Defines and runs Partner Delivery Governance as per the playbook.
• Account expansion: PSE to help BP CSE and Partner in account farming. 
• Partner support: PSE provides Partner support in case Ciena CSE or Partner escalates or it’s outside of the scope of CSE.
• Process optimization: PSE optimizes existing processes and enhances Partner success initiatives.
• Liaison: PSE liaises with the presales, CSE, and other Ciena Delivery & Engineering functions based on the partner program life cycle.

Team Leadership:

• Lead and mentor a team of IT professionals, including consultants, project managers, developers, testers and analysts.
• Foster a collaborative and high-performance team environment.
• Conduct regular team meetings to track progress and address any issues.

Project Management:

• Define project scope, goals, and deliverables in alignment with client needs and organizational objectives.
• Develop detailed project plans, including timelines, milestones, and resource allocation.
• Monitor project progress and implement corrective actions as needed to ensure timely and successful project delivery.

Risk Management:

• Identify potential risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.
• Conduct regular risk assessments and adjust project plans accordingly.

Quality Assurance:

• Implement quality control processes to ensure high standards of project deliverables.
• Conduct regular reviews and audits to maintain project quality.
• Address any quality issues promptly and effectively.

The Must Haves:

• Education:
  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Experience:
  • 15+ years experience in Telecom IT with 5+ years in managing multi-vendor large transformation programs ideally in OSS.
  • Previous experience in Partner Management is a must.
  • Having Consulting experience is a plus.
• Skills:
  • Strong leadership and team management skills.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.
  • Proficiency in project management tools and methodologies.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Assets:

• Industry Recognitions, Papers, Catalyst Projects experience, Sales experience is a plus