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Telecommunications Engineer - Core 

Purpose

This role provides regional and system-level engineering, design, and third-level operational support for Southern Company's fiber optic cabling infrastructure, including long-haul transport routes, outside plant facilities, dark fiber, and associated optical transport platforms. The position is responsible for planning, documenting, implementing, and maintaining resilient fiber cabling solutions that support enterprise telecommunications services. The engineer will also support optical and packet transport technologies, including Ciena DWDM, SEL ICON, and Nokia SAR platforms, while collaborating with IOC, Aggregate Services, Edge Services, Field Operations, Power Delivery, vendors, contractors, and other internal and external stakeholders.

Job Responsibilities 

• Engineer, design, and support Southern Company's enterprise fiber optic cabling infrastructure, including long-haul routes, outside plant fiber, dark fiber, splice points, terminations, and physical route diversity.

• Perform field site walks and route assessments to evaluate fiber placement, conduit/path availability, equipment locations, termination points, handholes, splice enclosures, and constructability requirements.

• Develop and review fiber cabling designs, bills of material, installation requirements, cable assignments, fiber counts, splice documentation, and engineering packages for new installations, upgrades, relocations, and restorations.

• Review post-construction fiber test results, including OTDR traces, insertion loss measurements, continuity testing, and acceptance documentation to validate performance against design requirements.

• Maintain accurate fiber records and route documentation in GIS and related systems, including 3GIS, as-built records, fiber assignments, lease information, and network inventory data.

• Provide engineering, procurement, implementation, and third-level support for optical transport platforms and services, including Ciena DWDM, SEL ICON, Nokia SAR, and related telecommunications infrastructure.

• Analyze traffic growth, circuit demand, and network utilization to recommend DWDM capacity additions, route enhancements, and transport network improvements.

• Identify, document, and communicate transport and fiber infrastructure risks, including single points of failure, route diversity concerns, capacity constraints, aging facilities, and restoration vulnerabilities.

• Support incident response, disaster recovery, backhaul restoration, emergency fiber deployments, and service restoration activities as needed.

• Coordinate with engineering teams, field operations, contractors, vendors, and business partners to ensure fiber and transport work is planned, implemented, tested, documented, and turned over successfully.

• Manage dark fiber leases, carrier coordination, vendor deliverables, service contracts, invoice validation, and related logistics.

• Participate in vendor evaluations, contract discussions, and procurement activities for fiber cabling, optical transport equipment, maintenance services, and related telecommunications solutions.

• Manage assigned work within approved schedules, budgets, standards, and service commitments while balancing multiple concurrent projects and operational priorities.

Job Requirements

• Strong working knowledge of fiber optic cabling engineering, including outside plant route design, cable sizing, fiber counts, splice planning, terminations, testing, restoration, and documentation.

• Experience with long-haul optical transport networks, DWDM systems, and related telecommunications platforms; experience with Ciena DWDM, SEL ICON, and Nokia SAR equipment is preferred.

• Knowledge of Layer 1, Layer 2, and Layer 3 network concepts, including Ethernet, TCP/IP, MPLS, and optical transport services.

• Ability to interpret and produce engineering drawings, fiber route documentation, test results, as-built records, GIS data, and technical design packages.

• Understanding of telecommunications construction practices, safety requirements, IT security requirements, and applicable company standards, policies, and procedures.

• Financial acumen to support budget planning, cost tracking, invoice validation, contract review, and risk management for telecommunications projects and services.

• Ability to triage and manage Telecom Services Core work requests, prioritize competing demands, and deliver solutions with minimal supervision.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 and related productivity, documentation, and collaboration tools.

• Knowledge of Southern Company's enterprise networks, operating practices, and core business processes is preferred.

Competencies

• Perform all work safely and in alignment with company safety expectations.

• Apply sound engineering judgment, analytical discipline, and structured problem-solving to fiber, optical transport, and infrastructure challenges.

• Organize work effectively, manage multiple detailed priorities, meet schedules, and deliver on customer and operational commitments.

• Communicate complex technical information clearly through professional oral, written, and presentation skills.

• Build productive relationships and work collaboratively with internal teams, leadership, vendors, contractors, and external partners.

• Negotiate, influence, and coordinate across organizations to resolve issues and support successful project outcomes.

• Demonstrate initiative, adaptability, accountability, and a strong work ethic while supporting operational and project priorities.

• Provide and accept feedback in a team-oriented environment.

• Demonstrate Southern Company Our Values in daily work and stakeholder interactions.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering required; Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, or a related field.

Work Location and Hours:

• The successful candidate must live in the Southern Company footprint and travel to telecom locations, project sites, and meetings throughout the system as required.

• Subject to 24x7 call-out rotation and emergency response support.

This position falls under the company's Insider Threat Program and will have access to, and control over sensitive data, systems or assets. Enhanced personnel screening, which includes a background review, drug screen and psychological assessment, will be required if you are selected for this position  

* This job description does not, nor is it intended to represent an exhaustive listing of all duties, tasks or responsibilities for the position listed.  Based upon individual experience and teamwork load, responsibilities are assigned in varying degrees.