Development Engine – Security Engineering Co-Op (Winter 2026)

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.
Why Ciena:
Ciena is dedicated to fostering life-work integration, offering flexibility with remote and part-time work options. We champion an inclusive, diverse, and barrier-free environment that empowers employees. Our commitment to well-being includes programs supporting mental and physical health, paid family leave, and competitive salaries with incentive programs. Employees benefit from tuition reimbursement, mentorship opportunities, RSUs (job level specific), and an employee share purchase program. With flexible paid time off and robust recognition programs, Ciena ensures great work is celebrated.
How You Will Contribute:
As a Full-Stack Co-op/Intern, reporting to the Senior Manager, Software Engineering Applications, contribute to the design, development, and maintenance of the FAO stack — a cutting-edge data synchronization and rules management platform supporting Ciena’s Development Engine and internal design community (1000+ engineers). Your role spans front-end, back-end, databases, middleware, and monitoring layers in a microservices architecture, focusing on high performance, scalability, security, and zero downtime deployments.
Collaborate on schema planning for MongoDB databases to manage diverse data types.
Build middleware services using ExpressJS and Node.js, implementing REST APIs.
Develop user interfaces utilizing ReactJS for responsive and intuitive tools.
Optimize data transformation pipelines for accurate synchronization across systems.
Contribute to auto-deployment pipelines and CI/CD workflows ensuring seamless upgrades.
Integrate metrics visualization via Grafana dashboards, leveraging InfluxDB and monitoring MongoDB container health.
Set up alerting through Telegraf and infrastructure heartbeat monitoring for rapid response.
The Must Haves:
Proficiency in JavaScript/TypeScript and one or more back-end languages (Node.js, Python, Java, C/C++).
Familiarity with front-end frameworks such as ReactJS, Angular, or Vue.js.
Knowledge of back-end frameworks like ExpressJS or similar MVC tools.
Experience with NoSQL databases (MongoDB preferred) and schema design for scalable solutions.
Basic understanding of REST API design and integration.
Proficiency in Linux development environments and debugging across multiple layers.
Familiarity with Git-based version control systems (GitHub, Bitbucket, Gerrit).
Nice to Haves:
Familiarity with metrics/observability tools such as Grafana, Telegraf, and InfluxDB.
Understanding of regex-based matching for API queries and schema transformations.
Exposure to production testing and zero-downtime deployment strategies.
Knowledge of basic networking concepts for microservices communication.
Experience with Infrastructure as Code tools (Ansible, Terraform) and CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitHub Actions).
Passion for building scalable, resilient, easy-to-maintain systems.
Background in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field.
Pay Range: 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.