Senior Technician - Fibre - North Rift Valley

Job Title: Field Operations Engineer – Fibre

Primary Reporting: Team Leader – Field Operations
Secondary Reporting: Regional Technical Manager
Department: Technology
Leadership Level: Individual / Team Contribution

Job Summary / Purpose

Successfully undertake all activities relating to routine maintenance, corrective maintenance, root cause analysis and network quality initiatives for the fibre optic network.

Organisation Structure

This position reports to the Team Leader – Field Operations.

Job Magnitude: Team Size

• Number of employees directly reporting to this job: 0
• Number of indirect reports: 0
• Number of 3rd party staff (contractors, consultants, outsourced service providers): 0

Key Responsibilities

• Evaluates, tests, and repairs old or malfunctioning fibre network infrastructure along with scheduled preventive maintenance routines covering: Optical cable, Closure kits, Ducts and Man holes.
• Generate sensor indicators and execute inspections ensuring the fibre optic systems do not contain faults that could destabilize its performance.
• Conducts regular inspections of the assigned system and repairs any defects recognized.
• Prepare and maintain system records and system diagrams.
• Perform fibre optic maintenance including: Point of break /link analysis, splicing, core alignment and splice quality validation using necessary tools and techniques.

Principal Outputs

• Achievement of performance KPIs
• Ensure fibre segment availability of 98%
• Achievement of 80% of TTs within SLA
• Ensure quality fibre splices with a slope of <0.25dB/km within segment

Qualifications – Academic and Professional

• BSc in Electronic/Electrical/Telecommunication Engineering or related field.
• Training in optical fibre technology.
• Higher Diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
• Certification in Fibre technology.

Experience

Two years experience in fibre maintenance. Proven track record in analysing trends, undertaking root cause analysis, identifying key issues and putting in place actions to address and improve network & service availability and quality.

Competencies

Technical Competencies

• Fibre optics maintenance tools and techniques.
• Microsoft Office.
• Customer focus.
• Planning and organizing.
• Troubleshooting.
• Must be able to work at height (certified), in confined spaces and in all weathers.

Functional Competencies

• Team Work: Contributes actively to a working environment in which colleagues work co-operatively with each other, accepting collective responsibility. Teams achieve high standards of performance by continually reviewing objectives and priorities.
• Innovation: Is eager to develop new ideas and concepts for identifying better solutions to current and future problems. Creates a climate in which new approaches are not only welcomed but also expected from everyone in the organisation to continuously improve overall performance and generate new business ideas.
• Managing Risks: Review calculated risks after considering the potential organisational and stakeholder concerns; identifies areas of potential risks and create backup plans for any contingency; encourages others to explore new opportunities for business.
• Analytical Thinking: Comprehend and identify patterns or connections between situations that are not obviously related, and identify key or underlying issues in complex situations. It includes using creative, conceptual or inductive reasoning.

Relationships / Contacts / Communication

Internal

Who: Business Units: Enterprise, Mobile and Mass Market.
Why and How Often: Frequently – to share information, problem solving i.e. network related issues.

External

Who: Customers, Contractors, other network operators.
Why and How Often: Frequently – to share/obtain information, problem solving.

Major Challenges / Problem Solving

Examples of major challenges and problems to be solved in this job:

• Optical fibre network damages due to road constructions/vandalism.
• Maintenance materials/spares/tools.
• Preventive maintenance.
• Acquisition/utilising ones recovered within the network.

Nature of role in solving these problems: make recommendations or final decisions as required.

Own Decisions or Recommendations

Examples of decisions or recommendations the job holder is mandated to make:

• Optical Fibre network damages – deciding on repair approach.
• Maintenance materials/spares/tools – recommending procurement or reuse.
• Preventive maintenance scheduling.
• Acquisition/utilising ones recovered within the network.

Operating Environment

Office and field based environment. Work involves remote locations, multiple interfaces across units, and a multi-functional setting.

Management Planning Cycle (Micro vs Macro Planning)

Daily/weekly/monthly planning based on job demand.