About the role#
This is a full-time co-op position for the Winter 2027 term, starting in January 2027. You will join a team that designs and maintains real-time embedded platform and application software for flagship products. The work covers everything from low-level drivers to high-level software state machines.
What you'll do#
- Design, implement, and maintain Linux and VxWorks kernels and base software components.
- Write drivers for proprietary and 3rd party ASICs, FPGAs, and other hardware.
- Build interfaces that bridge different software and hardware abstraction layers.
- Create fault and alarm subsystems to detect, report, and manage system defects.
- Develop system applications, including traffic protection and performance monitoring tools.
- Build SDKs that abstract low-level software to support platform application development.
What you'll need#
- Current enrollment in a bachelor or master degree program for computer engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, or a related field.
- Practical experience with C or C++.
- Familiarity with embedded systems or telecom products is a plus.
- Understanding of CPU architectures, hardware specifications, timing diagrams, and device data sheets.
- Knowledge of real-time operating systems.
- Experience with development tools like git, BitBucket, Gerrit, and Jira.
- Familiarity with unit test frameworks such as Google Test, JUnit, or PyTest.
- Experience using debuggers like gdb for troubleshooting embedded systems.
- Proficiency in scripting languages such as Python, Java, Perl, Tcl, or bash.
- Knowledge of YANG modeling, Agile or Waterfall methodologies, and telecom concepts like Ethernet, TCP/IP, or MPLS.
Location & details#
- Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
- Modality: On-site.
- Duration: 4-month term.
- Compensation: $25.00 - $34.00 per hour.
About Ciena
Ciena operates as a public company in the telecommunications sector. Founded in 1992, the firm builds networking systems, automation software, and interconnects for data transmission. It maintains a global presence with its headquarters in Hanover, Maryland. The company employs over 10,000 people and focuses on high-speed connectivity solutions.
How to get in at Ciena
Applying early to Ciena gives you a significant advantage because recruiters review applications before the volume of candidates becomes unmanageable. Intern Insider sends an instant alert the moment a role matching your target is published anywhere, so you apply among the first and get seen before the pile grows. Reaching out to the right person often beats waiting in a digital queue. Intern Insider surfaces the recruiters behind the company's roles so you can contact them directly to ask about the position or a referral, which materially improves response rates.
