Technology Sourcing Manager, Cell Site Backhaul Solutions Sourcing

T-Mobile•Frisco, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

At T-Mobile, our VIC (Voice, Interconnection & Contract Compliance) team is responsible for sourcing and managing the commercial relationships that power the nation's largest and fastest 5G network. As a Technology Sourcing Manager on the Network Backhaul team, you will own the end-to-end procurement of transport circuits connecting T-Mobile's cell sites, macro towers, and small cells to our core network — and the long-haul and metro circuits that interconnect our core infrastructure across the country. You will build and maintain strategic supplier relationships across a large and diverse ecosystem of national carriers, regional fiber providers, cable MSOs, satellite operators, and subsea cable partners. You will negotiate and execute all commercial terms, drive competitive sourcing events, and partner closely with network engineering and transport planning teams to translate complex technical requirements into commercial outcomes that balance cost, speed to deploy, and network resiliency. This role procures various circuit and service types in support of T-Mobile's Cell Site and Core Network connectivity, including Dedicated Internet Access (DIA), Carrier Ethernet / Ethernet over Fiber (EoF), Wavelength Services (DWDM / CWDM), Dark Fiber (IRU / Term Lease), MPLS / IP-VPN, Satellite Backhaul, Subsea / Submarine Cable Capacity, and Fixed Wireless / Microwave (PtP / PtMP).

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree plus 5 years of related experience OR Advanced degree with 3 years of related experience (Required)
Acceptable areas of study include Business, Finance, Technology, Engineering, or related field (Required)
4–7 years – Experience in technology sourcing, telecom procurement, or a similar role supporting network infrastructure (Required)
4–7 years – Experience managing Business Requirements, Project Plans, Project Schedules, and associated project materials in a mid to large size company (Required)
Project Management: ability to manage multiple concurrent sourcing and contract initiatives (Required)
Proficiency in Microsoft Office(Excel financial modeling, PowerPoint presentations, Word) (Required)
Contract drafting and negotiation — MSAs, service orders, IRU/lease agreements (Required)
Strong Communication skills — written and verbal, including executive-level presentations (Required)
Strategic Sourcing methodology (RFP, RFI, RFQ) and competitive bid management (Required)
At least 18 years of age
Legally authorized to work in the United States

Nice To Haves

Experience working with telecom carriers, fiber providers, or network infrastructure vendors (Preferred)
Experience sourcing or negotiating dark fiber IRU agreements, wavelength services, or satellite backhaul contracts (Preferred)
Certified Property Manager (CPM) (Preferred)
Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) (Preferred)
Supply chain or sourcing certifications such as CPSM or CSCP (Preferred)
Deep knowledge of telecom transport services: fiber, Ethernet (MEF CE 2.0), wavelength/DWDM, dark fiber IRU, DIA, MPLS
Familiarity with satellite backhaul procurement (LEO/GEO) and fixed wireless / microwave services
Understanding of subsea/submarine cable capacity markets and IRU structures
Knowledge of network deployment lifecycle: site activation timelines, SDIs, FOC management, and jeopardy resolution
Financial modeling: NPV, TCO analysis, CapEx/OpEx trade-offs for large-scale network sourcing decisions
Ability to manage a high-volume supplier environment (50+ vendors) across multiple geographic markets
Familiarity with 5G RAN architecture, C-RAN / O-RAN transport requirements, and xHaul (fronthaul/midhaul/backhaul) concepts
Experience with procurement analytics tools, spend analysis platforms, or AI-powered vendor benchmarking tools

Responsibilities

Competitively source backhaul circuit spend through RFP, RFI, and RFQ processes, spanning the full category scope above across national and regional supplier portfolios
Draft, negotiate, and execute contractual documents including Master Service Agreements (MSAs), service orders, IRU agreements, dark fiber leases, letter agreements, and purchase orders for high-volume circuit procurement
Drive sourcing strategies for large-scale, high-volume circuit deployments (1G / 10G / 100G+), balancing total cost of ownership (TCO), speed to deploy, and network resiliency
Develop and apply financial models comparing lit service vs. dark fiber IRU trade-offs, including NPV, CapEx/OpEx analysis, and long-term cost projections
Manage a portfolio of 50+ national and regional telecom suppliers through scorecard development, performance management, and quarterly business reviews (QBRs)
Liaise with network engineering, transport planning, and operations teams to interpret technical specifications — route diversity, latency thresholds, SDI requirements, SRLG constraints — into commercial and financial outcomes
Lead supplier escalations related to service delivery intervals (SDIs), FOC date jeopardies, outage events, SLA breaches, and billing disputes
Prepare and present business cases, sourcing strategies, and supplier recommendations for executive review and approval
Conduct risk assessments across the supplier base, identifying single-source dependencies, geographic concentration risks, and financial viability concerns
Support sourcing plan management, project status reporting, and supplier issue tracking across nationwide network deployment programs