IT Consultant Sr

Entergy•Jackson, MS

4h•Hybrid

About The Position

Individual contributor role responsible for design engineering and project planning/execution in support of Entergy’s Telecommunication Transport Network, including inside plant, outside plant, signals, communication systems and protocols, creation and maintenance of all associated records, plus other duties as assigned. Provide telecom engineering support as described below for Entergy’s Eastern Region operating footprint, which is roughly the western half of the state of Mississippi.  Frequent day travel and occasional overnight travel are required to adequately support requirements of this position. This position can be filled as an IT Consultant or Senior IT Consultant. To be considered for the Senior IT Consultant classification, the candidate must fulfil all subsequently-listed responsibilities, PLUS demonstrate the ability to: Lead resolution of complex technical problems through coordination of efforts with Entergy IT personnel, customers, and vendors. Provide expert analysis of proposed network changes regarding need, immediate impact, future capability, required supportive skills, and the respective cost for each, including opportunity cost. Develop strategic and tactical plans for network expansion, reliability improvements, operational improvements, etc., required to support the ever-changing needs of a multi-state utility. Serve as a Technical Mentor and SME for more junior engineers as needed. Provide Telecom engineering services for over 440 sites within Eastern Region, including, but not limited to: office buildings, operational centers, power generating stations, substation control houses, telecom shelters, microwave radio shelters, outdoor equipment cabinets, etc., all of which are connected by over 2700 route miles of various types of fiber cable plus 29 digital microwave hops. Support Entergy’s operational companies through project scoping; estimate development; design and execution of new OPGW, ADSS, and underground fiber optic cable construction. Design and implement new packet transport and support “legacy” time division-multiplexed communication systems on fiber optic cable plant and/or digital microwave systems, all aligned to meet all identified needs as well as anticipated future service requirements. Interact with and serve a variety of internal customers, including Entergy Transmission, Relay Design, Grid Operations, Generation, Facilities, and IT. Plan, develop, and deliver detailed engineering packages to drive work and support actions of skilled craftsmen in the field as they install, test, and turn up fiber optic cable plant, communication systems, and communication services. Plan and implement changes to infrastructure and systems using Entergy’s change management processes and systems, create supporting documentation such as detailed work procedures, coordinate and obtain outage clearances from various entities, etc. Create and maintain GIS information, hardware records, system design, and service provisioning records in Entergy Telecom’s operational support system, Connect Master. Adhere to and continually look for opportunities to improve Entergy Telecom Engineering design standards, being mindful of master sources, such as the National Electric Code, the National Electric Safety Code, Telcordia, industry best practices, etc. Collaborate with fellow engineers and technicians to create and implement the best solutions possible within the framework of any given project, looking for systemic relationships beyond the immediate project scope, identifying mutual dependencies, benefits, or impacts.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical or Electronic Engineering, Electrical or Electronic Engineering Technology, a related field, or equivalent work experience.
Sr. IT Consultant: 10+ years of directly relevant experience; 12+ years of directly relevant experience desired.
Be a knowledge-seeking self-starter who can function without the immediate and constant direction of management and peers. A demonstrated ability to identify knowledge gaps and independently seek information required to fill gaps is strongly desired.
Be well-versed in all aspects of telecom engineering: 1) inside/outside plant design and construction, 2) system-level design of telecom transmission systems, 3) packet-based transport, namely MPLS-TP, 4) time-division multiplexing systems such as SONET, 1/0 DCS, channel banks, and 5) system and service documentation using a relational database system.
Have a solid, working knowledge of IP.
Be skilled with design and productivity software, including Excel, Word, Visio, Outlook, and collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams.
Be skilled in construction and design considerations regarding outside plant, such as right-of-way, materials, installation techniques, documentation requirements, creation of job specifications, working with and directing the actions of construction contractors, etc.
Embrace Entergy’s safety culture and employ safety principles when designing new projects and improving existing systems and infrastructure.
Demonstrate flexibility and a readiness to learn new technologies and new processes, continually striving to improve the quality of their own work product and improve capability/reliability of Entergy’s network.
Demonstrate excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills, whether across organizations within the company or vertically within the IT-Telecom organization or outside the company.
Be familiar with electric utility organization, operation, and regulation.

Nice To Haves

Relevant professional certifications or licenses are desired.
Have relevant, direct experience using a GIS database system, such as Connect Master, ArcGIS, Small World, etc.
Be familiar with electronic work management systems, such as Service NOW, Remedy, etc.
Be skilled with telecommunication-centric operational support systems, such as Connect Master, MetaSolv, TIRKS, etc.

Responsibilities

Lead resolution of complex technical problems through coordination of efforts with Entergy IT personnel, customers, and vendors.
Provide expert analysis of proposed network changes regarding need, immediate impact, future capability, required supportive skills, and the respective cost for each, including opportunity cost.
Develop strategic and tactical plans for network expansion, reliability improvements, operational improvements, etc., required to support the ever-changing needs of a multi-state utility.
Serve as a Technical Mentor and SME for more junior engineers as needed.
Provide Telecom engineering services for over 440 sites within Eastern Region, including, but not limited to: office buildings, operational centers, power generating stations, substation control houses, telecom shelters, microwave radio shelters, outdoor equipment cabinets, etc., all of which are connected by over 2700 route miles of various types of fiber cable plus 29 digital microwave hops.
Support Entergy’s operational companies through project scoping; estimate development; design and execution of new OPGW, ADSS, and underground fiber optic cable construction.
Design and implement new packet transport and support “legacy” time division-multiplexed communication systems on fiber optic cable plant and/or digital microwave systems, all aligned to meet all identified needs as well as anticipated future service requirements.
Interact with and serve a variety of internal customers, including Entergy Transmission, Relay Design, Grid Operations, Generation, Facilities, and IT.
Plan, develop, and deliver detailed engineering packages to drive work and support actions of skilled craftsmen in the field as they install, test, and turn up fiber optic cable plant, communication systems, and communication services.
Plan and implement changes to infrastructure and systems using Entergy’s change management processes and systems, create supporting documentation such as detailed work procedures, coordinate and obtain outage clearances from various entities, etc.
Create and maintain GIS information, hardware records, system design, and service provisioning records in Entergy Telecom’s operational support system, Connect Master.
Adhere to and continually look for opportunities to improve Entergy Telecom Engineering design standards, being mindful of master sources, such as the National Electric Code, the National Electric Safety Code, Telcordia, industry best practices, etc.
Collaborate with fellow engineers and technicians to create and implement the best solutions possible within the framework of any given project, looking for systemic relationships beyond the immediate project scope, identifying mutual dependencies, benefits, or impacts.