Manager - Network Engineering

Ritter Communications has been at the forefront of the local communications industry for more than a century. We began providing telephone service in Northeast Arkansas in 1906. Today, Ritter Communications serves over 92 communities and more than 45,000 customers across Arkansas, northeast Texas, southeast Missouri, and west Tennessee. The company has grown steadily over the years, expanding rapidly and is now the largest privately-held regional broadband fiber, telecom, video and cloud services provider in the Mid-South. Ritter invests heavily in the communities it serves by deploying proven, best-in-class infrastructure and technology, while coupling it with a world-class customer focused experience.

General Summary:

The Network Engineering Manager leads a team of network engineers responsible for designing the voice, transport, IP and access networks for Ritter Communications. This role is also responsible for managing IP transit and peering connections. In addition, this position is responsible for capital program management within the Network Engineering and Infrastructure group. This position involves expert level knowledge and support related to budgeting, equipment specifications, procurement, configurations, and installation assurance in preparation for Network Operations Center to assume management of it.

Essential Job Functions:

• Oversees and manages design of the IP network infrastructure; This includes the Nokia, Cisco, interconnection, IP Transit, Peering and most other aspects of the IP network;
• Oversees and manages the technology standardization, planning and design of the transport network; This includes such things as DWDM lines systems, ROADMs and SONET;
• Oversees and manages design of the xDSL and PON networks; Preference given to experience with Calix and Nokia;
• Manages physical network capacity to ensure that the network is planned and grown in a manner that cost effectively scales with customer demand and capacity growth;
• Develops detailed strategy and plans for migration and ultimate elimination of the existing SONET systems in the network;
• Focuses on network optimizations to drive down Type II costs;
• Prepares project budgets and manage capital and operating expenses on engineering projects;
• Manages, reports and forecasts the capital plan within the Network Planning and Deployment group;
• Supports pre-sales engineering and designs requests for enterprise and wholesale customers as required;
• Works closely with the GIS and Records team to ensure all inside plant network records are updated and accurate;
• Generates quote requests, purchase requests and RFPs;
• Attends various meetings with management, departments and vendors to ensure company objectives are met;
• Participates in inter-departmental planning meetings to coordinate and communicate activities related to the successful completion of projects;
• Work closely with Network Operations personnel to hand-off newly deployed equipment for ongoing surveillance and management; supports NOC escalations;
• Travels to customer sites, project areas, business related events, and other Ritter Communications locations as required;
• Performs other duties as assigned by the CTO.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Expert level knowledge of transport network and IP routing technologies and services;
• Expert knowledge of telecommunications design, installation practices and principals;
• Experience provisioning or commissioning telecommunications network elements such as routers, switches, DSLAMs, PON, TDM, VOIP, DWDM;
• Experience in Ciena, Metaswitch and Nokia platforms a plus;
• Previous experience managing engineering or operations teams a plus;
• Experience with various equipment asset and circuit inventory systems;
• Skill in operating various office equipment such as personal computer, various software programs including Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Outlook, Visio), and telephone systems;
• Must have skills in defining, evaluating, solving and presenting alternatives to complex engineering problems and in applying engineering and economic principles while conducting studies and surveys to analyzing a technical system or design into component parts;
• Skill in reading and interpreting technical documents such as vendor deployment guidelines, white papers and configuration manuals;
• Project Management skills highly desired;
• Ability to communicate with customers, employees, and various business contacts in a professional and courteous manner; Ambitious and goal oriented, with initiative to work until job is complete
• Ability to pay close attention to detail;
• Ability to work independently and make sound decisions using information at hand;
• Ability to work in a team environment;
• Ability to travel for business requirements; must possess a valid Driver's License with a satisfactory driving record.

Education and Experience:

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Networking, or a related field preferred.

Minimum 5 years of relevant telecommunications technical experience required.

Employees must complete 12 months of service in their current role before they are eligible to apply. If an employee has received a promotion in place during the past 12 months, time in the prior position will count as service in their current role. Any exception must be approved by the CEO.

Ritter Communications is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We strive to maintain a drug-free workplace.