ASIC Engineer Co-op (Summer 2026)

Overview

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.

The Opportunity

4‑month work terms, extendable to 8 months

How You Will Contribute

Ciena Corporation is a global networking leader holding the #1 market position in our field. The R&D headquarters in Ottawa is home to our world‑leading Digital Signal Processing (DSP) WaveLogic ASIC chipsets, forming the core of Ciena’s Optical Communications Systems.

We are looking for a passionate and enthusiastic student to help develop and evolve the automation infrastructure used for our next‑generation ASIC devices. As a member of the team, you will contribute to the infrastructure, design and integration of Ciena’s intellectual property into our next generation of ASICs. The position will be catered to a student’s previous experience, strengths, and expertise.

You will enjoy working in a team environment, with mentors who want to help you throughout the work term.

Responsibilities

Work with a fast‑paced team developing large‑scale DSP ASICs for optical communications. Students will be trained and will have access to key engineers while working on these projects. Some projects can be extended to 8 months.

Interact daily with other developers and team‑leads for guidance and support

ASIC Design Tasks

Develop small design blocks

Assist designers on analysing the design for correctness and speed

Assist with implementation and verification of designs

ASIC Layout Tasks

Work with layout engineers to implement netlists into a silicon‑realiseable form

Assist with automating the placement and extraction of key building blocks

ASIC Integration Tasks

Working with the integration team to create constraints to implement the design

Assist with analysing reports to find deficiencies

Assist with automating the integration of designs and IP to build the ASIC

ASIC Verification Tasks

Develop reusable System Verilog / UVM verification classes.

Develop and enhance Python scripts to improve developers’ productivity and product quality, examples include :

Simulation reporting and analysis (collating data and reporting using Python)

Optimising our build, simulation and debug workflow

Learning Outcomes

Experience building complex scripts and applications using Excel, Python, TCL

A deeper understanding of ASIC and hardware design and verification techniques and languages

First‑hand exposure to real‑world class ASIC developments using the latest technologies

A strong sense of responsibility for quality and completion of assigned tasks

Must Haves

Programming experience (ideally using at least one of Java, Python, TCL, Skill / Ocean, and System Verilog)

Familiarity with Linux‑based development environments

Assets

Previous experience ASIC or FPGA development programs

Strong analytical and debugging skills

Familiarity with Agile, JIRA, Confluence, GIT

Pay Range

The hourly 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. 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.

Seniority Level

Internship

Employment Type

Full‑time

Job Function

Engineering and Information Technology

Industry

Telecommunications

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. At Ciena, we are committed to building and fostering an environment in which our employees feel respected, valued, and heard. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination.

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