Job Description

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 Opportunity:
8-month work term: January 2026 - August 2026
How You Will Contribute:
Ciena's Navigator Software Suite is evolving into a platform enhanced by AI-driven intelligence. By leveraging modern AI frameworks, orchestration platforms, and automation pipelines, we aim to help network operators accelerate planning, provisioning, and troubleshooting with next-generation, agentic AI capabilities.
As an AI Engineer, you will:

• Design and implement AI-powered workflows using Google AI Development Kit (ADK) or similar frameworks.
• Build, optimize, and maintain intelligent pipelines leveraging orchestration platforms like n8n.
• Integrate agentic AI frameworks and multi-agent systems into Navigator workflows for enhanced automation and decision-making.
• Work closely with product, QA, and development teams to embed AI agents, APIs, and tools into the Navigator software suite.
• Research and implement emerging AI models, tools, and orchestration frameworks at enterprise scale.

The Must Haves:

• Strong programming experience in Python (mandatory), with GitHub-hosted pet projects in AI that can be evaluated.
• Hands-on experience with Google ADK (or equivalent AI development kits).
• Familiarity with workflow automation tools such as n8n or similar.
• Understanding of agentic AI technologies (LLMs, multi-agent orchestration, tool integrations).
• Solid grasp of APIs, integration tools, JSON, and REST.
• Enthusiasm for applied AI engineering and ability to quickly learn new frameworks.
• Strong collaboration skills, with the ability to deliver AI features as part of agile teams.

Assets:

• Demonstrated AI pet projects that showcase creativity and problem-solving in automation, workflows, or agentic AI -- these will be used as part of the candidate evaluation process.
• Familiarity with MCP or other agentic AI ecosystems.
• Experience applying AI within microservices-based architectures.
• Knowledge of Agile Scrum practices and collaboration tools (JIRA, Bitbucket).
• Exposure to CI/CD pipelines (TeamCity, Jenkins, etc.).

The pay range for this position is $25.00-34.00
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.
In addition to competitive compensation, Ciena offers students access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), company-paid holidays, paid sick leave, and vacation pay as required by applicable laws.
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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.

Skills Required