Principal Specialist Tower Engineering at Vodafone Global Enterprise

Role Purpose

Responsible for the structural engineering and technical strategy of our tower and passive infrastructure portfolio across Vodacom’s pan-African markets. The focus will be on innovative infrastructure design that minimises Vodacom’s overall Access network infrastructure TCO while ensuring that said assets are future proofed and fit for purpose.

Your responsibilities will include

• Act as a subject matter expert for the design and technical specification of access network infrastructure (particularly towers/masts) for Vodacom Group
• Comprehensively evaluate and standardise our existing tower infrastructure portfolio (from a technical design and TCO perspective) across the group.
• Principal liaison with Vodafone to share best practice and continuously update best practice principles for the OPCO’s and stimulate best practice sharing across Opcos by conducting regular workshops utilizing vendors and specialists in the respective areas. 
• Drive constant innovation in base station tower and infrastructure design to enable the adoption of cost-effective, future-proof solutions that can deliver both CAPEX and OPEX benefits.
• Benchmark Key Capex & Opex expenditure for our tower portfolio across markets & provide input to consolidated reporting dashboards
• Provide monthly reports on actuals vs planned projects
• Strategic input into plans across Opcos for annual budget reviews
• Prepare high-quality business cases and technical RFx documentation for key Group initiatives across Opcos
• Where required, perform cost-benefit analysis associated with specific technical scenarios and trials under consideration
• Engage vendors and other subject matter experts across the business to derive innovative ideas that will drive passive network efficiency
• Understand the complexities of TowerCo and passive infrastructure sharing and based on Vodacom’s tower portfolio and technical capabilities - Identify and promote network sharing opportunities to optimise operational costs and improve operational efficiency of networks 
• Ensure Vodacom Access Network infrastructure is designed in compliance with Vodacom’s absolute rules and health and safety policies.
• Post implementation reviews on executed projects and learnings
• Traveling to the Opcos where required
• No direct reports
• The ideal candidate for this role will have

Technical / Professional Qualifications:

• Engineering Qualification (Civil Engineering Advantageous)
• Bonus: Business/Project Management Qualification
• 8+Years in the telecommunications industry, with min 5 years in a technical lead in structural tower design and cost analysis
• 5+ Years’ experience in  GSM, UMTS and LTE (Essential)
• Experience with financial business case modelling and telecommunications projects (Essential)
• Commercial awareness appreciating the importance of revenue achievement, margin control and ROI whilst maintaining network leadership
• Experience with OpCo’s in Africa would be most advantageous.

Core competencies, knowledge, and experience:

• Project Management/Governance
• Strong Technology skills related to network architecture, planning, build and operation of the structural/passive part of the network (towers/mast)
• Strong technical and commercial acumen
• Strong verbal and written communication skills (presentations, report writing, etc.)
• Strong analytical skills
• Research ability (‘questioning mind’)
• Exposure and experience in data driven decision making
• Virtual leadership of cross functional teams
• Strategic and innovative thinking