Manager - Radio Planning and Quality Technology Information at MTN

RESPONSIBILITIES

Primary Job Purpose  

• Control the day to day activities of the MTN Regional Radio Network, ensuring the radio network is developed and maintained at adequate capacity, operating at optimum quality and offers competitive coverage and associated services.
• Provide technical leadership, vision and expertise ensuring staff competencies meet the convergent technological challenges of the future.
• Context: (Global influences, environmental / industry demands, organisational mission, etc.)
• Planning and optimisation is the intellectual engine behind the cost-effective implementation of GSM technology and are directly responsible for the delivery of all products and resources to the cellular phone user.
• These products include everything from the radio link used to make a simple telephone call, to the development and implementation of network technologies supporting high speed data transfer and other key development areas in the mobile technology arena.
• Planning and optimisation is responsible for the successful integration of related technologies such as the internet, e-commerce mobile-commerce, with the existing radio network.

Key Performance Areas: Core, essential responsibilities / outputs of the position (KPA's)

Key Tasks: Indicates those KPA’s that are essential to the position itself. 

Role Complexity: In addition to the daily responsibilities of efficiently developing and maintaining a radio network satisfying all requirements of quality and profitability, attention is given to:

1)Special Projects: Research, investigate, test and evaluate and implement all technologies, features and processes which will result in improvement of the quality of the network and without compromising it’s profitability. 
2)Customer Relations: Using people skills while responding to technical problems experienced by customers and negotiating with land-owners and management companies to acquire new site locations.
3)Management and supervision of wide range of staff activities and performance.
4)Communicate key business directives to the team(s) (changes in policy/managerial interventions etc.)
5)Bears the responsibility to act as a manager and leader in the interests of both management and the team(s) represented.
6)Capex management on regional site rollout budget.
7)Managing regional strategy for network rollout.

Task Complexity:

1)Identifying sites: planning the growth of the radio network considering general engineering principles, analysis & interpretation of network statistics, knowledge of market requirements & profitability. 
2)Planning of sites: achieving the most effective design of RF installation which will satisfy all the demands of the market while delivering satisfactory return on investment. This requires the considerations of the cost of installation, market requirements and expected traffic, environmental management legislation and knowledge of the existing radio network. 
3)Optimisation: improvements to the radio network through technical skills – made possible by detailed knowledge of RF technology features, detailed knowledge of geographical area; understanding of the role of peripheral parties (other departments within MTN and external parties such as Telkom) and the impact of their performance on network quality. Creativity and experience are essential.
4)Trouble-shooting optimisation: solving network problems through knowledge-sharing, experience in radio network design and operation, detailed knowledge of GSM system design and principles, as well as vendor specific operations.
5)Special projects: involvement in key technology development proje

• Supervisory / Leadership / Managerial Tasks:  Refers to the responsibilities for directing, guiding, motivating  and influencing others.

 Supervisory Complexity:

• Responsibilities include the ordering of work to be done by other parties within the planning and optimisation team and by peripheral parties.
• Supervision of performance of these parties is essential for the implementation of ordered work. 
• Follow up, cooperation and lateral reporting and accountability is required to implement planned work on the radio network.
• Responsibility to report for the team as it’s representative to Regional head and other managers.                                                                                     

Leadership Complexity:

• Demonstrating a visionary approach to planning and optimisation and peripheral responsibilities by contributing new ideas, attitudes and systems for the improvement of the network and the performance of the team.
• Contribution and motivation. 
• Planning processes and activities designed to develop the leadership and management skills of the team members.

Managerial complexity:

• Understanding the value and cost of all available resources  (these include time, physical resources, time-saving developments such as automated processes, intellectual capital etc.) and acting accordingly to achieve the best results with the least possible cost to MTN in both the short and long term. 
• Accepts responsibility for the performance of the team.
• Role Dependencies:  Does not refer to the various “roles” that the incumbent has to assume in the conducting of the duties. Instead, this would be additional complexity that should not be inherent in this job, but the incumbent has responsibility for.  Example HR Managers having to manage an IT function.
• Lateral Dimensions: These indicate the areas where the individuals could contribute uniquely in addition to the indicated duties, as well as how they could be affected by others or circumstances not necessarily under their control.
• Creativities (improvement/innovation inherent)  Indicates the potential for improvement and / or innovation inherent in a position.
• Keeping abreast with future and current planning and optimisation technologies and market developments, consumer requirements and international trends.
• Improvisation innovation and adaptation for competitive advantage.  
• Develop and implement appropriate leadership and managerial style to facilitate the optimal performance of the team, endeavoring to lead and act wihin the bounds of the value system associated with the MTN brand and company policies.
• Vulnerabilities (control span) Refers to the latent difficulties, or things that could potentially go wrong that affect a specific position.Such vulnerabilities may / may not be under the control of the incumbent. Direct implication or first level of impact.
• Sensitive to non-delivery of work by peripheral parties both within MTN and external to it (Telkom for example). 
• Limited by slow of development of tools for both process-automation and new technology developments.
• Limited information relating to the market to be serviced &since are first line initiators of radio network growth – bear the responsibility of the cost implications of site deployment.
• Collaboration:  Refers to formal and informal relationships
• Responsibility towards:  who are they and what do they receive from the incumbent.
• Direct reports:
• Radio Planning and Optimisation Engineer: General management.

Matrix reports:

Key customers: 

• MTN Client base: Design a network with acceptable GOS levels 
• Marketing & Sales Departments: Giving info about the networks current status and future role out.
• Radio Maintenance Engineers: Offer support on network performance.
• Implementation Engineers: Offer support on implementation and future role out of network.
• Planning Manager: Reporting on network role out and new capex requests for future budgets.
• Optimisation manager: Reporting on network performance and GOS.
• Regional Manger: Reporting on network performance and network role out.

Key suppliers:

• Contractors for DAS & Pico Cell installations: Specifications & procedures. Work orders correctly defining the scope of work.
• Hardware/Software vendors: Testing, commissioning and implementation of new applications.
• Implementation: Delivering and implementing sites as designed by RP&O.
• Relations, etc.
• BSS
• CNO.
• Implementation
• Property
• Maintenance Engineers
• Regional Managers

SMC

• Discretionary Space: The degree to which individuals are allowed to exercise independent thought and judgement.
• Independent thought and Judgment: Relates to the decision-making constraints place upon a position or conversely, the degree of freedom in decision-making.
• Much independence, wide judgement within flexible boundaries of radio network design. 
• Personal experience relied upon for effective optimisation of radio network.
• Authorities:  Financial and other decision making authorities, e.g. engaging contracts with suppliers.
• Recommendations on staff training.
• Recommendations on network configuration changes.
• Network parameter changes on live network (not customer affecting).

Education:

• Minimum of 3 year degree/diploma (BSC Electrical/Electronic Engineering)
• Fluent in English and language of country preferable

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in RF or telecommunications. GSM experience necessary with experience in supervising/managing others.
• Experience working in a medium to large organization

Training:

• Industry-specific training (GSM)