Engineer - Submarine Cable Station Technology Information at MTN

Responsibilities
Context:

• International Submarine Cables carrying high volume and high value international traffic for MTN, its customers as well as 3rd parties.
• Operating submarine cable infrastructure on behalf of MTN and its consortium co-investors within South African territory, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and international  waters.
• Shared infrastructure require interfacing with counterparts from global operators
• Wide range of technologies and specialist fields requiring an understanding of the maritime and marine environment, geophysical influences and other seabed users in  addition tthe optical fibre submarine cable technologies
• Aggregate and balance operational requirements across diverse geographies and supporting varied service platforms
• Integrate requirements from multiple internal and external stakeholders tprovide the relevant services tsupport business requirements
• High impact of decision making due timportance of international traffic and high-cost environment.

Key Tasks:

• Coordinate submarine cable system operational requirements across multiple regions, networks, and cultures
• Carry out preventive maintenance of Submarine Cable terminal station and Data Centre equipment.
• Perform alarm check, performance monitoring, optical measurement, voltage/current check, adjustments and NMS backup.
• Wet plant monitoring & fault localization
• Land Cable monitoring and arrangements for preventative and corrective maintenance
• Perform corrective maintenance on terminal station equipment in coordination with the NOC:
• Make observations
• Initiate corrective procedures or decide on course of action
• Record all relevant observation and results
• Rectify faults or notify responsible section
• Perform first line equipment repair or notify responsible authority
• Implement dispatch procedure for faulty equipment
• Confirm repair
• Compile report on any failure event
• Maintain and update system maintenance documents
• Implement work orders for new circuit activations in conjunction with the NOC, capacity owner, other stations and local terrestrial networkstaff.
• Troubleshoot alarms, resolve and/or escalate any abnormality on a daily basis.
• Inventory management of installed and spare inventory.
• Monitor and assist with maintenance activities of suppliers
• Implement and maintain all interconnectivity/cabling on ODFs based on WOs for MTN and other submarine cable parties.
• Provide first line maintenance on MTN terrestrial backhaul network equipment at landing station and data centre.
• Implement submarine cable protection and awareness programs.
• Prepare operational reports (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly)
• Perform scheduled system routine procedures and record results in the prescribed manner.
• Implement changes prescribed by the system controlling body in accordance with the system maintenance procedures.
• Ensure accurate interpretation of performance parameters and impairment budgets, and work with the relevant system body/ies and Maintenance Authority tensure              prompt resolution of all impairments.
• Review and update the System Joint System Maintenance Documentations (JSMD) or any other documentation as regards the management and operations of Submarine        transmission within agreed deadlines.
• Perform emergency operational procedures at odd hours in event of failures on call-out basis.
• Attend Submarine System training courses
• Ensure that safety procedures are adhered tat all times

Supervisory / Leadership / Managerial Tasks:

• Operate across multiple cultures, languages time zones and stages of development within MTN regions and the rest of the World.
• Communicate actively throughout Group, Opcand central structures, as well as 3rd party project structures and Consortiums.
• Technical representation in operations and maintenance related negotiations

Role Dependencies:

• Coordinate requirements across multiple Opcos and 3rd party operators
• Facilitation role facing international operators and vendors on the one side and Opcos on the other

Creativities (improvement/innovation inherent)

• Define processes and procedures in a newly established function
• Balance requirements between many stakeholders
• Analyse the requirement for new or adapted policies and processes

Collaboration: Refers tformal and informal relationships

• Responsibility towards:
• matrix reports,
• key customers,
• key suppliers,
• relations, etc.
• Discretionary Space: The degree twhich individuals are allowed texercise independent thought and judgement.
• Independent thought and Judgment:
• Need tadhere tthe delegation of authority as determined by Management
• Equipment and configuration selection within the boundaries of the Procurement policy
• Writing of operation policies and procedures pertaining International transmission infrastructure
• Authorities:
• International submarine cable operations, cable protection, cable station and data centre maintenance
• Suggest and influence Technical maintenance, hosting and configuration decisions

Minimum Requirements
Education:

• Technical/Engineering Diploma (Electrical Engineering) – Mandatory
• IT certificate/diploma will be an advantage as additional qualification

Experience:

• 5 years in Telecommunications, with minimum 3 years operational experience of optical fibre Transmission and Interconnection systems -

Required

• Experience in international transmission environment - Preferred
• Submarine Cable System operational experience - Preferred
• Exposure tvendor negotiations
• Exposure tcross-functional project teams