Senior Software/Firmware Engineer

Title: Senior Software/Firmware Engineer Location: Milan

Location: Milan Employment: Full time

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 seeking an experienced Senior Software/Firmware Engineer to join our multidisciplinary team and contribute to the design, development, testing, and manufacturing scale-up of advanced optical and photonic products.

This role will be a hands-on technical contributor responsible for developing embedded firmware for microcontroller-based systems, integrating software with electronic and photonic hardware, and developing software tools for product control, testing, and automation. The engineer will have the opportunity to contribute across different areas depending on their experience and expertise, including embedded firmware, hardware control, test automation, APIs, and product calibration.

The successful candidate will work closely with cross-functional teams including hardware, optics, manufacturing, and systems engineering to deliver robust and scalable solutions supporting Ciena's next-generation networking and photonics roadmap.

How will you make an impact

• Develop C/C++ bare-metal firmware for microcontroller-based products and systems, including signal processing and hardware interfacing (UART, I2C, SPI, and CAN).
• Support the team in building libraries and scripts to automate production, experiments, and testing workflows, interfacing with laboratory instrumentation using Ethernet or VISA protocols.
• Collaborate with team members to define test plans, validate prototypes, analyze experimental data, and ensure seamless integration between hardware and software.
• Support product industrialisation and high-volume manufacturing, including production testing, automation, diagnostics, and troubleshooting.
• Troubleshoot complex firmware and hardware/software integration issues and drive root-cause analysis and product improvements.
• Contribute to software and firmware architecture, code quality, documentation, version control, and development processes.

The must have

• Experience: 5+ years of hands-on experience developing software or firmware for embedded systems.
• Strong experience with C/C++ firmware development for microcontroller-based systems, preferably including STM32 or similar platforms.
• Knowledge of hardware interfaces such as UART, I2C, SPI, and CAN.
• Experience developing, debugging, and testing firmware interacting directly with electronic hardware.
• Proficiency in Python programming for system-level tasks, automation, and APIs.
• Proficiency with Git and software version-control practices.
• Ability to collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.

Nice to have

• Knowledge of optical communication systems and their application in data centers and telecommunications
• Ability to interface with laboratory instrumentation and automate testing processes.
• Ability to create web-based or Python GUIs for hardware interaction.
• Having worked in teams using Agile methodologies.
• Experience supporting manufacturing scale-up, production test, automated testing, or product qualification.

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.