Director, Government Relations — National Security and Economic Security Policy

As the global leader in high-speed connectivity, Ciena builds the critical infrastructure powering the AI era. We’re a technology company shaping the future of networking, guided by innovation, integrity, and collaboration. Through development opportunities, meaningful work, and flexibility, Ciena supports growth and well-being—on and off the job. Connect with a career that matters.

The Director, Government Relations — National Security and Economic Security Policy will lead the company’s engagement on government initiatives that affect the development, manufacture, movement, sale, and trusted use of networking equipment worldwide.

Reporting to the Vice President, Government Relations, the Director will anticipate and help shape national-security, economic-security, supply-chain, cybersecurity, trade, and technology policies that may create risk or opportunity for the company. The Director will translate evolving government requirements into clear business implications and coordinate the company’s policy response across Government Relations, Legal, Trade Compliance, Product Security, Supply Chain, Operations, Engineering, Sales, and other functions.

The role requires a global perspective. The company is headquartered in the United States, sells to customers worldwide, manufactures primarily in Mexico and Thailand, maintains major research and development operations in India and Canada, and relies on global logistics, distribution, and component-sourcing networks. The Director must understand how national policies interact across jurisdictions and how measures directed at one country, supplier, technology, or sector can affect the company’s broader operations and market access. We are looking for a candidate in the DC area.

Core Responsibilities

Policy Monitoring and Risk Assessment

• Working with the Vice President and other company stakeholders, develop public policy priorities for the company, weighing risk, impact, and the company’s ability to influence policy positions.
• Monitor and assess national-security and economic-security initiatives affecting telecommunications and networking equipment, critical infrastructure, advanced technologies, global supply chains, and international trade.
• In collaboration with company stakeholders, evaluate the direct and indirect effects of proposed policies on product design, component sourcing, manufacturing, logistics, research and development, market access, customer eligibility, and government procurement.
• Develop practical risk assessments, scenarios, and executive recommendations that distinguish immediate compliance requirements from longer-term strategic exposure.
• Maintain a global view of potentially conflicting or overlapping requirements across the United States and other priority markets.

Government Engagement and Advocacy

• Working with the Vice President and other company stakeholders, develop and execute advocacy strategies for national-security policies affecting the company, including identifying priority messages, audiences, and channels for engagement.
• Represent the company and build credible relationships with Congress, U.S. departments and agencies, foreign governments, regulators, embassies, and international institutions responsible for national security, telecommunications, cybersecurity, trade, export controls, industrial policy, procurement, and supply-chain security.
• Develop company positions and supporting materials, including regulatory comments, consultation responses, legislative proposals, briefings, testimony, and executive talking points.
• Advance company priorities through direct engagement, trade associations, and industry coalitions, selecting the approach best suited to each issue.

Priority Policy Portfolio

The Director’s portfolio may include:

• Telecommunications supply-chain, product-security, and trusted-technology requirements, including vendor and country restrictions, component traceability, bills of materials, vulnerability reporting, and secure-development obligations.
• Cybersecurity and other security conditions affecting critical-infrastructure equipment, public funding, government procurement, and telecommunications deployments.
• Foreign investment, research-security, and cross-border technology controls affecting transactions, partnerships, R&D, and international engineering collaboration.
• Data, cloud, artificial-intelligence, and technology-sovereignty policies affecting network architecture, market access, or customer purchasing decisions.
• Industrial-policy incentives, manufacturing and infrastructure funding, and other government programs supporting supply-chain resilience or market growth.
• International alignment or fragmentation among allied governments on telecommunications security and broader economic-security policy.

Leadership Attributes

The successful candidate will:

• Think strategically while remaining attentive to operational detail.
• Recognize the commercial consequences of policy developments before they become obvious.
• Be comfortable operating at the intersection of national security, technology, geopolitics, and business.
• Build trust across technical, legal, commercial, and government audiences.
• Distinguish genuine security concerns from protectionist or discriminatory measures while engaging constructively with policymakers.
• Exercise discretion and avoid overstating either risks or opportunities.
• Communicate complex issues in clear language that enables timely executive decisions.
• Combine a global outlook with an appreciation of country-specific political and regulatory dynamics.

The Must Haves:

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy, international affairs, law, economics, political science, engineering, cybersecurity, or a related field.
• 10+ years of government, corporate government relations, public policy, national security, international trade, telecommunications, technology, or a related field.
• Demonstrated understanding of how national-security and economic-security policies affect globally integrated technology companies.
• Experience engaging senior government officials, legislators, regulators, or national-security agencies.
• Ability to analyze complex policy proposals and translate them into clear commercial and operational implications.
• Strong writing, briefing, advocacy, coalition-building, and executive-communication skills.
• Experience leading cross-functional work without direct authority over participating functions.
• Sound judgment when handling sensitive, confidential, or politically complex matters.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as required.

Nice to Have:

• Advanced degree in law, public policy, international affairs, business, cybersecurity, or a related discipline.
• Experience with telecommunications networks, networking equipment, semiconductors, critical infrastructure, or other advanced-technology industries.
• Familiarity with export controls, sanctions, supply-chain security, cybersecurity regulation, government procurement, domestic-content requirements, or investment screening.
• Experience working across North America, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific.
• Government service in a national-security, trade, economic, telecommunications, cybersecurity, or foreign-policy role.
• Experience developing advocacy strategies that combine direct government engagement, industry coalitions, and evidence-based thought leadership.

Pay Range: The salary range for this role in the DC area is $152,400 - $243, 400

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.