Director, Network Planning

Zayo Group

About The Position

Zayo provides mission-critical bandwidth to the world’s most impactful companies, fueling the innovations that are transforming our society. Zayo’s 141,000-mile network in North America and Europe includes extensive metro connectivity to thousands of buildings and data centers. Zayo’s communications infrastructure solutions include dark fiber, private data networks, wavelengths, Ethernet, and dedicated Internet access. Zayo serves wireless and wireline carriers, media, tech, content, finance, healthcare and other large enterprises. As the Director of Network Planning, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction of our network infrastructure. This leadership position demands a seasoned professional with a strong background in market design and planning, roadmap management, budget approval, and network hardening. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in telecommunications, demonstrating the ability to drive innovation and network efficiency in a rapidly changing and cost competitive industry. Strong project management and organization skills are necessary to thrive in this role. Ability to communicate effectively and articulate technical information is an absolute must. This individual will be proficient in routing and switching fundamentals, DWDM engineering and design best practices, as have experience with a broad list of network hardware manufacturers to include, but not limited to; Ciena, Infinera, Nokia, Juniper, Cisco, Adva, etc.

Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Telecommunications, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or a related field.
Proven experience in a leadership role within the telecommunications industry, with a focus on network planning.
In-depth knowledge of fiber optics, wavelengths, and IP technologies.
Strong analytical and strategic planning skills, with the ability to translate market insights into actionable plans.
Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to engage with cross-functional teams and senior leadership.
Financial acumen and experience managing budgets for large-scale network projects.
Familiarity with regulatory requirements and industry standards.

Responsibilities

Provide leadership, vision and direct oversight for all planning groups with direct accountability
Drive development of multiple strategic projects including infrastructure build outs, capability enablement, market optimization, and data integrity.
Work closely with Architecture, Engineering, Optimization, NCC, and Product teams to identify top priority initiatives, assign subject matter experts, and maintain a roadmap and capital forecast.
Directly support the cross functional teams by providing leadership and prioritization, removing roadblocks, and implement process and system improvements to improve efficiency.
Develop and document program operation for each initiative.
Provide regular reporting on performance.
Provide regular readouts on initiative progress to management.
Determine reports necessary to perform assessments of the performance of the department
Manage vendors as needed to provide products and services needed to perform groups’ activities
Develop comprehensive market assessments to identify opportunities for network expansion and improvement of cost and network performance.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align network plans with business objectives and market demands.
Utilize industry intelligence to anticipate trends and technological advancements, ensuring the network remains at the forefront of innovation.
Create and manage a strategic roadmap for the evolution of the fiber, wavelengths, and IP network infrastructure.
Coordinate with product development teams to align network enhancements with product offerings and customer requirements.
Ensure timely execution of network projects in accordance with the established roadmap.
Maintain capital forecasts for planned network projects based on measured run rates and calculated exhaust dates of capacity.
Develop and present budget proposals for network planning initiatives, ensuring alignment with overall company financial goals and strategic initiatives.
Collaborate with finance and executive teams to secure budget approvals and allocate resources effectively.
Monitor and control expenditures throughout the project lifecycle to ensure projects stay on budget.
Implement robust network hardening strategies to enhance security, reliability, and resilience.
Work closely with supporting teams to identify and mitigate potential threats to the network infrastructure or issues impacting ability to effectively operate / maintain the network.
Continuously evaluate and enhance disaster recovery and business continuity plans.