Senior Manager – Network Engineering, Commercial

Published 31 October 2024

Location: Pennsylvania (or eastern USA, preferably PA, NC or GA)

The Company 

Plenary is a leading specialized developer of long-term Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects.  Since its inception in 2005, we have built a portfolio of 55 projects and more than $26 billion in North American assets under management. We are determined in our approach to deliver first-class infrastructure, build the right delivery solutions for the projects we work on and inspire people with our vision for transformational spaces. 

Why Work for Plenary Americas? 

Recognized as one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures, ranked as a Best Place to Work in Canada and certified as a Great Place to Work in both the US and Canada, we pride ourselves on our winning workplace culture. Our focus is on empowering our employees, driving results, building strong camaraderie, and celebrating our wins as a team. Together, we bring infrastructure to life. 

The Role

The Senior Manager, Network Engineering, will play an important role in planning, designing, and maintaining the Plenary Broadband Infrastructure (PBI FIber) optical transport network to meet current and future needs.

PBI Fiber is a consortium led by Plenary Americas, Tikehau Star Infra and Tilson. The company owns, develops, operates, and commercializes middle-mile fiber routes for hyperscalers, telecom carriers, fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) providers and data center operators, including unique routes along the entire Pennsylvania Turnpike Right-of-Way (ROW) and major roadways on the North Carolina DOT interstate highway system. Operations and maintenance services are provided by Tilson Technology Management, Inc.

PBI is hiring a Senior Manager, Network Engineering to support strategy, planning, design, implementation, operations (provisioning), product development/definition, agreement schedules, reporting/reconciling, MACD, etc. for our active networks in North America.

This is a critical role supporting a small, multi-disciplined PBI team.

PBI is seeking a telecom networking professional who is comfortable researching and problem solving with a high degree of autonomy.

Responsibilities  

• Review and approve solutions designs. Manage contract provisioners implementing solutions designs and service orders
• Source, coordinate training, enable, and manage hourly contract Provisioner(s).
• Having a thorough understanding of the network architecture, develop and maintain a sparing, hot standby, and Cost-of-Goods-Sold (COGS) inventory. Advise senior management on current and future capacity, costs and forecasts to meet install and operation’s needs.
• Manage out-of-band access management at colo facilities and ILAs including security posture, VPN, and disaster recovery.
• Develop implementation strategies based on optical services products and define near-term service strategies.
• Develop Service Level Agreement parameters for each product based on network architecture and solution design based on customer requirements. Support Sales and Legal departments during the full Service Order lifecycle.
• Design and document workflows between the OSS/BSS systems and Network Management System (NMS), and develop and maintain workflows and visibility to the Network Operations Center (NOC).
• Support the management of workflows between the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform, the Fiber Management System (FMS), and the Inventory Management System (IMS).
• Compile and communicate the Lit Services Business Cases for new markets, existing network expansions and customer solutions.
• Manage the relationships with colocation providers, systems integrators, equipment vendors, telecommunications providers, and suppliers.
• Manage and communicate network affecting warranties, SLAs, licensing and budget variances.
• Manage Smart Hands vendor services to optimize remote network operations, service delivery, and provisioning.
• Manage installation of active OTDR monitoring hardware and related server software. Develop RFTS analytics and MOP.
• Maintain accurate records of all network equipment including equipment related to individual work orders, sparing, and maintenance. Update PBI’s Fiber Management System, Inventory Management System, NMS, configuration database, and various company and authority systems.
• Design and provision optical transport network to proposed fiber network expansions, product requirements and to meet customer requirements.
• Plan, schedule, and coordinate projects to ensure timely and within-budget completion.
• Ability to identify safety issues, third party roadblocks, and potential permitting challenges.
• Effective verbal and written communication to ensure responsibilities are relayed accurately. Liaise with local government agencies, contractors, and clients to ensure smooth project execution and resolve any issues that arise.
• Identify and communicate potential risks associated with a design that could impact the build. Highlight possible delays and apply innovative solutions to optimize the overall project schedule.
• Maintain network service readiness and performance targets. Meet and exceed customer uptime and SLAs.
• Represents the company on closeout activities with customers and permitting authorities.
• Maintain a safe environment and ensure all safety standards are met. Take a leadership role in establishing safety culture.
• Perform other duties as required.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in building and operating multi-vendor optical backbone and metro networks.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience with the provisioning of OT/OTN and Carrier Ethernet services.
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience leading teams of engineers and contractors.
• Proficiency and understanding of optical line transport systems including ROADM and coherent optics in a mid/long-haul fiber environment. Experience with Ciena, Nokia, and/or Infinera a plus along with OLS provisioning systems.
• A background and understanding of mid/long-haul transport architecture and its services as it pertains to hyperscalers, data center interconnect (DCI), mobile backhaul/fronthaul.
• Experience with OSS/BSS, CRM, and Inventory Management software APIs and tools integrations.
• Experience with process workflows as it pertains to telecom implementation management, order management, and network operations.
• Safety conscious attitude.
• Strong attention to detail and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office Products, Google Earth, FMS (ESRI, Vetro, 3GIS), and the ability to quickly self-orient, learn and utilize new software platforms.
• Willingness to learn new skills, software, and technologies. Stay updated with the latest industry trends, technologies, and regulatory requirements.
• Strong leadership, project management, and communication skills.
• Able to work independently.
• Physical ability to carry 35lbs and ascend/descend a ladder.
• Valid driver’s license and willing to travel.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary with annual bonus potential.
• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental and vision, and 401k plan with employer contribution.
• Four weeks’ vacation.
• Long-term development opportunities and the ability to be part of an exciting and growing industry.

Note: Only those applicants under consideration will be contacted. Please accept our utmost appreciation for your interest. We are committed to continuous improvement, and a diverse and inclusive workplace for all. Plenary Americas is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and employment decisions are based on merit and business needs only. Reasonable accommodation is available for qualified individuals with disabilities, upon request.