[Hiring] Senior Network Engineer @Ziply Fiber

Role Description

The Senior Optical Engineer is responsible for designing, engineering, and supporting the continued growth of Ziply Fiber’s optical transport network. This role focuses on ROADM-based DWDM, OTN, and coherent 100G/400G wavelength services, while helping align the optical layer with the IP/MPLS core network. As a senior technical contributor, this position provides optical engineering expertise, technical leadership, and mentorship, while partnering with network architecture and operations to deliver a scalable, reliable, and future-ready transport network.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Design & Planning
  • Perform optical link engineering — wavelength and route planning, optical power and loss budgets, OSNR analysis, chromatic dispersion and PMD management, and EDFA/Raman amplifier placement.
  • Design ROADM-based DWDM topologies (fixed and flex-grid) and specify coherent transponders and muxponders for 100G/400G wavelength services.
  • Own the end-to-end design of DWDM and optical transport solutions, developed in partnership with network architecture, and define the technical standards and reference designs that guide implementation.
  • Deliver wavelength services to the core IP network in a way that complements the architecture and redundancy goals for IP services.
  • Plan and prepare detailed equipment installation specifications and drawings.
  • Streamline and standardize implementation methods and procedures to support scale.
  • Partner with systems engineering to automate network provisioning and turn-up tasks wherever possible.
• Technical Leadership & Strategy
  • Serve as the optical-layer subject-matter expert, providing technical guidance and mentorship to engineers and leading design and peer reviews.
  • Develop multi-year optical capacity and technology roadmaps, including migration planning from legacy SONET/TDM toward OTN and coherent transport.
  • Lead vendor and technology evaluation and selection, including RFI/RFP processes, lab and proof-of-concept testing, and standardization of platforms and methods.
• Deployment & Turn-up
  • Commission and turn up optical systems using OTDRs, optical spectrum analyzers, and optical power meters; validate span loss, OSNR, and channel power before service activation.
  • Isolate and resolve optical-layer faults end-to-end across multi-vendor network segments.
  • Participate in the oversight and installation of DWDM and IP network layers.
  • Coordinate with third-party fiber providers as needed to successfully turn up DWDM systems.
  • Provision DWDM wavelengths for customers and for internal core-network capacity.
  • Provision DWDM wavelengths and associated muxes to deliver OC-192 circuits to the TDM team. The DWDM team’s minimum circuit size is OC-192/10G; smaller circuits are handled by the TDM team.
  • Connect DC power to DWDM equipment and/or routers.
  • Ensure new IP POPs are accessible once the DWDM network is in place.
• Capacity, Coordination & Support
  • Work with the core network engineering team to ensure capacity is provisioned for a congestion-free, fully protected IP network.
  • Support the core IP network with the implementation of DWDM wavelengths as needed for capacity.
  • Hand off newly deployed equipment and customer services to Network Operations for ongoing surveillance and management.
  • Keep all site records accurate and up to date.
  • Generate quote requests, purchase requests, and RFPs.
  • Attend meetings with management, internal departments, and vendors, and participate in inter-departmental planning to coordinate project activities and meet company objectives.
  • Travel to job and project sites as required.
  • Participate in the on-call rotation for DWDM outages.
• Other Duties
  • Performs other duties as required to support the business and evolving organization.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• Minimum of five (5) years of network engineering experience, including at least three (3) years in DWDM and optical transport.
• Strong IP/MPLS networking knowledge — including BGP, IS-IS or OSPF, and MPLS — in a packet-optical or converged core environment.
• Working knowledge of DWDM/ROADM, OTN (G.709), SONET/SDH, and coherent 100G/400G wavelength services.
• Understanding of optical fundamentals: single-mode vs. multi-mode fiber, optical power/loss budgets, OSNR, chromatic dispersion, PMD, and optical amplification (EDFA/Raman).
• Hands-on experience with at least one major optical transport platform (e.g., Ciena, Nokia, Infinera, or Cisco NCS), with the ability to work across multiple vendor platforms.
• Experience with optical test equipment such as OTDRs, optical spectrum analyzers, and optical power meters.
• Strong knowledge of telecommunications design, installation practices, and principles.
• Experience provisioning or commissioning telecommunications network elements such as routers, switches, DSLAMs, PON, TDM, VoIP, and DWDM.
• Experience with equipment asset and circuit inventory systems.
• Proficiency reading and interpreting technical documents such as vendor deployment guidelines, white papers, and configuration manuals.
• Excellent troubleshooting and analytical skills.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including nights, weekends, and on-call as needed.
• Ability to drive on behalf of the company in a safe and responsible manner.
• Must have and maintain a valid driver’s license, auto insurance, and a satisfactory driving record.
• Must complete a pre-employment drug screening.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, telecommunications, computer science, information technology, or a related technical field.
• Scripting and automation experience (e.g., Python on Linux) and certifications such as Cisco CCNP, Juniper JNCIP, or a vendor optical certification.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent time management skills and the ability to prioritize.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with all levels of the organization and to interact with customers and vendors in a courteous, professional manner.
• Ability to provide excellent customer service.
• Proficiency with standard office software, including Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook, Visio), and telephone systems.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, 401k, flexible spending account, paid sick leave and paid time off, parental leave, quarterly performance bonus, training, career growth and education reimbursement programs.