Senior Specialist: Transmission Support at Vodacom

Role Purpose

• Responsible for providing support for all transmission networks across Vodacom Africa Operating Companies within the planning, optimization, and performance management areas. Provide expert-level expertise within the transmission network domain focusing on network planning network performance, and network optimization and be able to support the implementation of industry best practices across markets.
• Transport network governance and oversight.
• Support with strategy, architecture, planning/demand forecasting, and program management.
• Group technology analysis and reporting.

Your Responsivities Will Include

• Performance management support of the IP networks across Vodacom Opcos to ensure the networks are always performing optimally according to industry best practices. Review Tx Network Performance (Availability, Congestion, QoS).
• Support with network performance and technology analysis and recommendations that ensure optimal performance.
• Develop/support/lead network performance improvement programs across the Vodacom Group. Ensure alignment to and maintenance of Vodafone/Vodacom quality standards and best practices in the transmission network domains across Vodacom opcos.
• Development and maintenance of network guidelines (design, plan, build, operate and maintain) and best practices for the transmission technology domain and facilitate knowledge sharing across the Vodacom and Vodafone Group.
• Standardization of technology, systems, and processes across the Group. Support vendor and product selection tasks and benchmarking of transmission/IP technologies, including requirements gathering, definition, technical reviews, testing, and acceptance. Identification and implementation of features, configurations, and best practices sharing across the Vodacom group to decrease operational costs and improve the operational efficiency of transmission networks.
• Oversight of vendor compliance, technology evolution, and delivery. Conduct network audits, special investigations, and network health checks and provide detailed reports and recommendations. Support with planning/demand forecasting.
• Align Group opco’s and Vodafone concerning strategy, technology evolution, systems, processes, and delivery targets. Support and development of technology roadmaps, plans, models, business cases, and implementation thereof.
• Lead and provide technical support to proof of concepts and innovation and share programs and projects across the Group.
• Support Group analysis and reporting functions i.e. Exco analysis requests and progress reports.
• Co-ordination and execution of Group level network projects and initiatives across Vodacom oopco areas required.

The Ideal Candidate For This Role Will Have

• Matric/Grade 12 is essential.
• Minimum 3-year Degree/Diploma or BSc Engineering or B.Eng. or an equivalent NQF Level 6 qualification or CCIE.
• CCNP – Routing & Switching or equivalent certification i.e. Juniper or Huawei.
• At least 5 years in the telecommunications industry (experience in a large-scale IP network engineering role would be advantageous).
• At least 3 years of experience in transmission or IP network planning, optimization, performance management, network analysis, technical investigations, research, and fault finding.
• Advanced network architecture design, planning, implementation, and troubleshooting experience and knowledge (IP/MPLS- Access and Core, Software Defined Networks (SDN) fundamentals, SDN-WAN).
• Advanced router, switch configuration, and network management system (NMS) experience and knowledge (Cisco, Juniper, Huawei, Nokia, ZTE).
• Advanced understanding of network planning, management, and monitoring tools and techniques such as IPAM, Netcool, SolarWinds, LightSoft, NetBoss, NetXplorer, PRTG, Accedian, etc.
• Detailed understanding of communication protocols L1 – L4 (e.g. OSI, TCP/IP, DHCP, HSRP, IP/MPLS, Ethernet, 802.11, VLANS, GRE, QoS, CoS, DSCP, Spanning Tree, ERPS, OSPF, IS-IS, BGP, RIP, Sync: PTP, NTP, 1588, TWAMP, Y1564, Y.1721, RFC 2544, SNMP, etc.).
• Good network security understanding and fundamentals (Firewalls, DNS, SSL, IPSec, DOS mitigation).
• Fibre network architecture design, planning, implementation, and troubleshooting experience and knowledge will be an advantage (FTTx, GPON, Active Ethernet).
• Commercial awareness – appreciation and understanding for minimizing and controlling capital and operational expenditure in transmission networks toward achieving revenue targets and maximizing ROI.

Closing Date: 15th, June 2022