Job Title: Network Engineer (WDM/IP)

Sector: Telco / Fibre / Broadband

Role type: Permanent / full time

Salary: £very competitive

Location: Remote / Home based – with occasional travel to Peterborough / client sites / DC’s

Job Ref: 24037

Role Summary:

Our broadband and fibre optic specialist client based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire is looking for a Senior WDM / IP Network Engineer to join an expanding team. This role is mainly remote / home based with occasional travel to Peterborough, client sites & data centres.

The successful candidate will have extensive hands on experience with WDM technologies, IP and fibre networking (specifically OSI layers 1 to 3).

About the Company

They have been busy bringing gigabit fast full fibre broadband to thousands of UK homes since 2021. Their mission is to connect people and their broadband offering is super fast, stress-free and they always put customers at the heart of every decision they make.

The Role – Senior WDM / IP Network Engineer

• Reporting directly to the Head of Network Technology, the Senior WDM & IP Engineer will be responsible for supporting the Head of Network Technology in the design and build/expansion of the company’s WDM backhaul and Wholesale services network (OLT-to-BNG) within the current and future footprint (in the UK and US). Importantly, this is an exciting and vital role for the future as it moves from being a Broadband provider to also offering Wholesale (10GE/100GE) services across its current and planned WDM network.
• To assist in the design of the company’s WDM/Wholesale network utilising 10G XGS-PON (OLT & CPE) and WDM (R-OADM/F-OADM) technology. This requires you to have an in-depth knowledge of the associated optical networking concepts, the underlying transmission concepts and performance restrictions, the underlying optical technology, and component level knowledge.
• To assist in the planning/build of the company’s WDM/Wholesale network consisting of Openreach Exchanges, Street Cabinets, and Data Centre deployments. The role will require working with the equipment provider installation and commissioning (I&C) teams, their 3rd party I&C contractors, and 3rd party support/maintenance personnel (as required) to ensure the successful completion of the network build to achieve the required footprint expansion.
• To assist in the procurement/selection of network equipment, dark fibre (either via Openreach or 3rd party providers/wholesalers), 10/100 GE ‘lit’ services, IP services, and Data Centre CoLo space.

What they need from YOU:

• Design: To ensure the end-to-end (OLT-to-BNG) network design requirements are captured and then specified and presented in a clear and precise manner to the network equipment providers, working with their solution architects and product line managers (PLMs) to select the most appreciate network equipment (cost vs performance trade-offs) achieving the required connectivity, resilience, and optical performance.

• Build: To plan/build the end-to-end (OLT-to-BNG) network, working with equipment suppliers and their contractors. This will require (a) ensuring all the necessary equipment/services are available on time, (b) the inter-dependencies between each of the sub-elements are understood, the sequence of the build is clear and communicated to all interested parties, and, importantly, timelines have been agreed and walked through ahead of the planned activity. All necessary permissions have been obtained and are in place before the work is to commence, including following any internal/external Change Request (CRQ) processes, developing them if required (if not in place). Thus, this activity involves many inter-dependencies, ensuring each one is managed through to completion and on-time is key to you successfully delivering part (or all) of the project and/or sub-project.

• Delivery/Maintenance: To work closely with the Head of Network Technology to assist with the design, documentation, and installation/commissioning of the optical connections (and equipment) necessary to establish end-to-end Wholesale connections (10G/100G) across their WDM/Wholesale network footprint. Working with the Exchange Build Supervisor and 3rd party contractors to ensure the installation, commissioning and maintenance work is scheduled (across multiple sites) and completed to the required technical and timeline requirements. Subsequent testing is planned, performed, and the results have been verified (and repeated if necessary) before establishing with the Head of Network Technology and other internal and external stakeholders the connection can ‘go-live’.

• Support: Provide ongoing technical support (as/if required) to customer facing teams and to the companys 3rd party NOC provider, who oversees the network 24/7 x 365. This activity will also involve assessing the impact on the network if service providers (dark fibre and ‘lit service) notify the company of planned maintenance (outages), ensuring all parties (the company and 3rd party NOC providers) are aware and as required mitigation is put in place (especially during build phases where partial resilience may not be in place).

• Improvement: Support the Head of Network Technology to enable continuous review and improvement of the WDM backhaul/Wholesale solution to ensure that it remains fit for purpose and meets the changing needs of the business.

• Documentation: Work closely with the Head of Network Technology to document and maintain the WDM/Wholesale network during the concept, planning, and build phases ensuring network diagrams, build/planning status information, and individual site/PoP (Exchange, Street Cabinet, and Data Centre) build records are up-to-date, accurate, and clear.

• Gathering: Work closely with the Head of Network Technology to enable the business to deliver on its objectives, and goals by translating them into technical requirements.

• Management: Work with all stakeholders, vendors, and internal cross-functional teams to understand common goals and to ensure that solutions meet the needs of the business.

• Management: Identify risks, mitigate where possible, and support the Head of Network Technology to enable further risk management associated with the network design/build, equipment/service procurement; therefore, ensuring appropriate contingency plans are in place.

Personal Qualities, Characteristics and Behaviours:

• Ability to work at a very detailed level on multiple projects/sub-projects simultaneously ensuring each achieves the technical and timeline objectives.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to interact effectively with people at all levels – whether this be within the company, with equipment/service suppliers, and/or 3rd party installation/commissioning and support/maintenance personnel.
• Ability to work effectively within a team.
• Ability to prioritize, meet deadlines and work under pressure.
• Ability to work under own initiative, following ‘intent’ based leadership direction.
• Self-motivated, driven.
• Having a ‘one-team-one-goal’ working ethos.

Skills and Qualifications:

• In-depth knowledge of Access (XGS-PON) & WDM (F-OADM/R-OADM) networks from the network equipment down to the component level obtained whilst working ideally for a network equipment provider/vendor. This role would suit someone who has worked in R&D and/or Technical Sales/Support who wishes to utilize their knowledge/skills by working for an ISP.
• Experience of procuring dark fibre and ‘lit’ fibre services from Openreach and 3rd-party providers.
• Experience of BNGs, their selection/specification/configuration – experience of CG-NAT, BGP, etc.
• Knowledge of street cabinet deployments, especially the specification of the internal layout of the required network equipment (Access/WDM/Wholesale), PON monitoring systems (Central Test Head related technology), ODF, and DCN/management connectivity.
• Knowledge of WLAN networks, particularly Wi-Fi Networks.
• Experience of the design, selection of firewalls/switches, and building of DCN networks to support in-band and out-of-band (OOB) network management of the network equipment sitting in the Exchanges, Data Centers, and Street Cabinets.
• Ability to work on their own initiative, meet tight deadlines, and, importantly, work on and manage multiple projects/sub-projects. Some work may be required out of normal business hours to assist with specific network build activities.
• Comfortable dealing with installation/maintenance engineers who are both in house and business partners to plan and subsequently build the exchange and street cabinet deployments.
• Able to communicate clearly at all levels especially to both senior and executive management.
• Good documentation skills using Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Project.
• Full driving license (occasional traveling to the Peterborough office and equipment/service suppliers as required for face-to-face meetings).

If you think you are a good fit for this role then we look forward to your application.