Mgr, Engineering Delivery (RF Microwave & Satellite)

GCI Communication Corp•Anchorage, AK

32d

About The Position

GCI's Mgr, Engineering Delivery will provide leadership and direction for engineers and support staff, aligning technical outcomes with objectives and business goals. Manage the successful planning, execution, and delivery of engineering work that is on time, within budget, and to agreed quality standards, ensuring regulatory compliance, design standardization, and high network reliability. Position consists of supporting one or more assigned functional areas within the business group. Scope of responsibility is determined by management and may be modified to align with organizational priorities as business needs change. Facilities Engineering Outside Plant Engineering Wireline & Wireless Core Engineering Wireless (Cellular) RAN Engineering IP Engineering Systems Engineering RF Microwave & Satellite Engineering (see addendum for additional details) RF Microwave & Satellite Engineering Lead the design, deployment, and operational support of point-to-point microwave and satellite transport systems. This role provides technical direction, cross-functional coordination, and mentorship to engineering and field teams while ensuring regulatory compliance, design standardization, and high network reliability.

Requirements

Microwave Network Design
Deep expertise in Point-to-Point microwave design, with strong working knowledge of Pathloss 6 and advanced modeling techniques.
Experience overseeing designs in coastal and arctic environments, including LiDAR-based terrain modeling, interference analysis, space diversity, and congested spectrum scenarios.
Ability to review, validate, and approve complex RF designs rather than perform routine desktop work.
Cross-Functional Leadership
Proven ability to coordinate across engineering, construction, operations, and vendor teams to address site constraints, mounting challenges, power, and backhaul integration early in the project lifecycle.
Working knowledge of IP and transport networking concepts to align microwave and satellite systems with core and access network requirements.
Standards, Documentation & Process
Ownership of design standards, templates, and best practices for microwave radio systems.
Ability to ensure high-quality documentation for field teams, including configuration guides and test procedures suitable for remote deployments.
System Integration & Troubleshooting
Experience guiding teams through lab validation, pre-deployment testing, and commissioning of radio systems.
Strong background in RF and network troubleshooting, including fades, interference, hardware failures, and L1/L2 networking issues, with the ability to direct root-cause analysis and corrective actions.
Hands on Experience on Ericsson and Aviat MW radios.
Frequency Coordination & Regulatory Compliance
Familiarity with FCC microwave licensing and coordination, including spectrum analysis, Form 601 filings, PCNs, interference cases, and waiver requests.
Ability to manage regulatory activities and interface with frequency coordinators and external carriers.
Leadership & Field Enablement
Experience mentoring engineers and supporting field teams, tower crews, and technicians during deployment and troubleshooting activities.
Broad understanding of microwave architectures (all-outdoor, split-mount, all-indoor), transmission media, antenna alignment practices, and installation standards.
A combination of relevant work experience and/or education sufficient to perform the duties of the job may substitute to meet the total years required on a year-for-year basis
High School diploma or equivalent.
Bachelor’s degree in engineering or an engineering technology related discipline.
Minimum of seven (7) years professional engineering experience.
Including a minimum of two (2) years in a supervisory or management role.

Nice To Haves

At least five (5) years of experience in IP-based satellite communications, including GEO and LEO systems.
Background in hybrid satellite/terrestrial networks, link budgets, latency optimization, and high-availability designs for enterprise and remote environments.
Familiarity with modern LEO platforms (e.g., Starlink / OneWeb class) and VSAT technologies.
Master’s degree in engineering or relevant field.
Relevant telecom industry or job specific certifications.

Responsibilities

Fully own the mission, goals, operations, and results of the team and areas of responsibility.
Provide strong leadership to span of control (direct and indirect reports); demonstrate effective leadership in all interactions companywide. This leadership includes generating enthusiasm and shared commitment; identifying and setting direction; teaching, growing, and empowering; owning outcomes; and leading by example.
Establishing the vision and tone for the department, consistent with company culture and mission.
Establishing clear, measurable, and achievable goals and performance expectations and following up appropriately.
Hiring individuals who can accomplish those goals and meet those expectations; providing them the open communication, training, tools, and mentoring needed to be successful and develop professionally; establishing a development path commensurate with capabilities and potential.
Providing clear and accurate feedback to individuals and teams on a timely and consistent basis. Identifying and addressing performance problems early and effectively before they damage GCI’s interests and demoralize other employees.
Effectively managing processes including annual performance reviews, compensation adjustments, promotions, demotions, transfers, and disciplinary actions up to and including termination in an unbiased and consistent manner.
Plan, direct, and coordinate work by assigning projects, setting priorities, monitoring progress and results, and fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Oversee, review, and provide final approval of engineering design specifications, implementation support, delivery configurations, troubleshooting efforts, and performance tuning across multiple technologies ensuring regulatory compliance.
Develop and implement consistent, high‑quality management policies and delivery standards, ensuring regulatory compliance, design standardization, and high network reliability.
Build and lead cross‑departmental teams to collaboratively implement significant improvements to company processes, operations, and practices that support growth and revenue objectives.
Define, communicate, and enforce system standards, rules, requirements, and enhancements.
Establish expectations for continuous learning to address technical skill requirements and ensure team readiness to adopt emerging technologies and support the delivery of new and enhanced services to customers.
Develop and implement training plans and performance goals to support ongoing professional development.
Support the design, development, and implementation of technology solutions, new services, and enhancements to existing products.
Maintain current knowledge of relevant technologies, industry standards, and best practices to ensure effective solution delivery.
Monitor emerging technologies and evolving industry trends to inform future capabilities and improvements.
Develop and maintain a technology knowledge‑sharing roadmap to effectively cascade information, skills, and best practices to direct reports and team members.