Senior Director, Indirect Procurement

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.

As the Senior Director of Indirect Procurement, you will be a key leader within Ciena’s Procurement organization, responsible for driving the strategy, execution, and transformation of global Indirect Procurement. This role requires a visionary leader who has career success in transformation and one that can foster a culture of accountability, excellence, and innovation while serving as a trusted advisor to executive leadership and business stakeholders. You’ll develop and lead a high-performing procurement team, champion industry-leading practices, and ensure alignment with Ciena’s strategic objectives to deliver measurable value across the organization.

How you’ll make an impact:

• Lead, inspire, and develop a global Indirect Procurement team, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and innovation.
• Serve as the strategic face of Indirect Procurement, building trusted relationships with senior business leaders and executives to position Procurement as a valued partner and driver of organizational success.
• Develop and execute Ciena’s global Indirect Procurement strategy, including optimizing sourcing processes, supplier management, and procurement governance to achieve cost efficiency and operational excellence.
• Drive thought leadership and strategic influence by leveraging market intelligence and industry trends to anticipate opportunities, mitigate risks, and optimize spend.
• Establish and champion Procurement policies, tools, and technologies to enhance transparency, efficiency, and drive compliance across the organization.
• Collaborate with Finance and FP&A teams to set and achieve annual savings targets, ensuring alignment with company-wide financial goals.
• Define and implement robust reporting mechanisms to track procurement value, cost savings, and supplier performance, delivering actionable insights to executive leadership.
• Lead global sourcing, negotiation, and contract management initiatives to secure favorable terms, mitigate risks, and enhance supplier relationships.
• Drive strategic initiatives in sustainability, supplier diversity, and risk management, aligning procurement practices with Ciena’s broader corporate goals.

The must haves:

• Minimum of 20 years of experience in Procurement, with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Finance, Supply Chain Management, or a related field; a Master’s degree is strongly preferred.
• 7+ years of leadership experience in a senior procurement roles within a global organization, with a proven track record of coaching high-performing teams and driving transformation.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and engage senior leaders in complex, matrixed environments, delivering measurable business results through strategic procurement initiatives.
• Polished communicator in developing and delivering presentations for different levels of audience
• Highly collaborative, an excellent networker, adept at fostering trust, has strong interpersonal/people skills; cultivates strong internal partnerships, builds bridges across departments, excels at stakeholder engagement
• Expertise in supplier negotiation, contract management, and building collaborative supplier relationships.
• Proficiency in data analytics and procurement technologies (e.g., Power BI, Oracle, Excel) to drive decision-making and process optimization.
• Strong financial acumen, with a solid understanding of financial statements and business performance drivers.

Nice to have:

• Advanced certifications in Procurement or Supply Chain Management (e.g., CPSM, CSCP).
• Experience with using or implementing source-to-pay technologies (e.g., e-sourcing, Oracle, Coupa, CLM tools, spend analytics).
• Proven success in leading initiatives related to sustainability, supplier diversity, or risk management.

Pay Range:
The salary range for this role in the USA is $181, 000 - $289, 100

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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.

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