Senior Release Engineer - Linux Distribution

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.

Ciena is advancing the future of networking through innovative systems, services, and software that enable global connectivity. This role contributes directly to the delivery of a next-generation network operating system by ensuring build reliability, scalability, and security. The position enables engineering velocity and product quality across large-scale development teams.

How You Will Make An Impact

• Own and evolve the build infrastructure for SAOS 10.x network operating system
• Develop and maintain Bitbake recipes supporting a large-scale software stack
• Provide technical guidance on Yocto, Bitbake, and distribution engineering practices to development teams
• Diagnose and resolve complex build and integration issues across CI/CD pipelines
• Optimize distributed build performance including ccache infrastructure and test reliability
• Design and implement secure, reproducible, and SLSA-compliant build systems
• Integrate modern open-source tooling to maintain a secure and up-to-date software supply chain

The Must Haves

• Experience: 10+ years of experience in building Linux distributions
• Background in building custom Linux distributions
• Interest in developing expertise in Yocto Project and Bitbake
• Programming and scripting using Go, Rust, C/C++, Python, or Bash
• Experience working with modern C/C++ build systems such as Meson or Ninja and compilers such as GCC or Clang
• Familiarity with CI/CD systems such as Tekton or Jenkins

Nice To Haves

• Experience: Packaging using Debian (.deb) or RPM formats
• Contributions to Linux distributions such as Debian, Fedora, openSUSE, or the Yocto Project
• Participation in open-source software development projects
• Experience working with modern toolchains including Rust/Cargo, Go, Clang, Meson/Ninja, LTO, molt, iwyu, pahole, diffoscope, debuginfod, and dwz

Pay Range

The annual pay range for this position is C$102,800 - C$164,200.

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.

Non-Sales employees may be eligible for a discretionary incentive bonus, while Sales employees may be eligible for a sales commission. In addition to competitive compensation, Ciena offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision plans, participation in 401(K) (USA) & DCPP (Canada) with company matching, Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), company-paid holidays, paid sick leave, and vacation time. We also comply with all applicable laws regarding Paid Family Leave and other leaves of absence.

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.