Manager - Network Operations Managed Services.Technology Information

JOB PROFILE    -

Title of job: 

Network Operations Manage Service - Manager

Location of the job:

Network Group – Operations

Number of subordinates: 

(Varies per region)

Time span:

12 to 24 Months

Mission/ Core purpose of the Job:

• Control the day-to-day activities of the MTN Regional Radio, Switch and Transmission Network Operations, ensuring optimum performance and expansion of the network continually meeting the needs and expectations of the customer.
• Maintain the efficiency and effectiveness of a MSP engagement by supporting operations, implement and optimised governance models.
• Evaluate and implement outsourcing governance best practice operationally that fits organizational needs and requirements to create measureable business value.
• Provide technical leadership, vision and expertise ensuring staff competencies meet the convergent technological challenges of the future
• To ensure MSP are following MTN specifications and quality standards within budget on maintenance/rollouts/ADHOC works to achieve integrity and optimum performance of the radio, transmission and Switch network.(Access Network).
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Context:

• Operations & Maintenance of Radio, Transmission and Switch infrastructure within the MTN GSM Network.
• Partner with business to provide governance and reporting that focuses on generating insight that will ensure continuous improvements and identify potential issues within the MSP
• The Managed Governance Service shall ensure world-class quality and availability of the Network and services for MTN customers at all times in a cost-effective manner.
• Alignment with MTN SA Management, Operations, Capital Projects, P&O, Procurement structures and Financial Reporting.
• Maintain, plan, implementation, integration, testing of the radio, transmission and switch infrastructure within the MTN Access Network in accordance with OHSACT, ISO 9000/14000 set standards.
• Accountable for multiple equipment vendors, contractors and services, as well as diverse work streams result in a complex area of responsibility.
• Highly competitive environment with customer focus as a key differentiating factor
• Customer demand for alternative technologies, improved performance and cost savings
• Operational, monitoring and managing driven environment
• Compliance to standardisation issues and operational best practices
• Stakeholder commitment and buy-in
• Within the legal, regulatory and commercial environment of MTNSA
• Aligned to MTN SA strategy and business plan, as well as CTO strategy
• Compliance to BEE legislation and company policy
• Aligned to Group best practices and standards

MSP Radio Operations

• Plan, monitor and support the day-to-day functions duties and responsibilities of the MSP Radio Network Operations MSP venders and contractors (End to End)
• Define and manage key Operation business objectives and KPIs to ensure company objectives are met and measure the performance of the MSP venders against those objectives.
• Ensure that effective routine program are in place and monitor the performance of these O&M radio routines in the MSP vender environment meeting MTN specification and quality standards (best practice)
• Maintain a sound working relationship between the MSP venders, MTN network operations department and all associated parties, within the company and external.
• Submit reports/presentations to designated management and venders as per requirements.
• Responsible and Accountable for Field and Tower Maintenance and the general housekeeping and upkeep of all allocated BTS sites ensuring venders are complying SOW according to the contract and a high cost effective standard and Quality
• Ensure that all MTN staff and MSP venders are applying procedures, polices and SOW in their day-to-day activities, which is tracked, monitored and reported, as per MTN instructions and guidelines.
• Ensure that resources, both material and human are available for all Radio Operation activities as per schedule.
• Improve Radio network availability and quality on a continuous basis and in accordance with MTN business objectives
• Manage regular meetings, with staff or MSP venders under your control to manage the MSP vender performance and special projects and communicate/record any activities/issues.
• Identify and assign roles and responsibilities to MTN project Supervisors to deliver in the Region
• Manage all maintenance, vandalised repairs and ADHOC Projects relating to network rollout within the region, ensuring all works carried out within budget and PBC models, which includes BTS implementation, F&T maintenance, Structural, Civil and Electrical builds / upgrades and commissioning.
• Ensure Policies and Procedures are adhered to through ISO 9001,ISO14000 & QMS
• Participate, review regional rollout plans, and contribute to Operational dependencies, programs, or strategies that have an influences cost and customer experience.

MSP Transmission Operations

• Control , monitor and support the day-to-day functions duties and responsibilities of the MSP Transmission Network Operations MSP venders and contractors (End to End)
• Participate and review regional transmission operational dependencies or programs or strategies that have an influences cost and customer experience in alignment with MSP venders
• To ensure that the regional Transmission network is developed and maintained such that it has adequate capacity, always operates at optimum quality and offers competitive coverage across all technologies in alignment with MSP venders.
• To identify and escalate Transmission activities to MSP Vender or MTN SA stakeholders high-level support functions when required on all MTN transmission equipment used in MTNSA Network meeting business objectives and NPI’s
• Transmission Operations management of MSP vender on improvements to the transmission network through technical skills – made possible by detailed knowledge of transmission technology features, detailed knowledge of geographical area by understanding of the role of peripheral parties (other departments within MTN and external parties such as Telkom) and the impact of their performance on network quality. Over end to end view is essential to support
• Transmission Operations management of MSP vender on Trouble-shooting optimisation and network improvements to solve network problems and performance.
• Maintain a sound working relationship between the MSP venders, MTN network operations department and all associated parties, within the company and external.
• Submit reports/presentations to designated management and venders as per requirements.
• Improve Transmission network availability and quality on a continuous basis and in accordance with MTN business objectives
• Manage regular meetings, with staff or MSP venders under your control to manage the MSP vender performance and special projects and communicate/record any activities/issues.
• Transmission Operations management of MSP vender  to oversee Corporate/Enterprise faults performance and upgrades

MSP Switch Operations

• Manage the operational day-to-day activities and functions related to all aspects of Regional Switch emergency and maintenance roles at all Switch Centres under the Regions control
• Ensure O&M standardisation across all switching centres is transparent and MSP Venders or any contractors adhere to these principals and guidelines.
• MSP Vender or Contractor liaison and control within the switching environments and all housekeeping processes and procedures are followed reducing and risk when work is been carried out
• Control, monitor and support O&M Maintenance activities (alarms), procedures and processes undertaken by MSP venders or Regional Switching staff.
• Enhancement and improved value adding to current Switch maintenance procedures, documenting and implementing
• Liaison with all Network group and MSP Vender stakeholders who are responsible to maintain or accountable for equipment on site at the switching centres to identify routines that are required to be executed on site and Documentation and implementation into the current maintenance routines, expansion of current practices to encompass all on site Telecom equipment.
• Standardisation of Switch environments to support Central Operations
• Processes and procedure enhancements to new switch HW expansions, commissioning and testing.
• Switch record consolidation to fulfil Central Operations function and alignment with MSP Venders
• All housekeeping processes and procedures are complied with and enhancements.
• MSP Vender and Contractor liaison and control within the switching environments.
• Regional switch store tracking, Asset control of stock levels and aligned to Spare management process
• Oversee Fibre Transmission links/routes/fibre runs are implemented commissioned, integrated and acceptance according to SOW and quality standard.

Communication Management

• Lead and make sure to control/monitor/track operational reporting activities and tasks.
• Responsible and accountable for the end-to-end operational reporting activities (including operational readiness reports) towards the specific MSP.
• Ensure agreed workflows processes are adhered to in terms of MSP vender quotations, approvals and acceptance as documented for processing via requisition process to PO and invoice for payment including OPEX or CAPEX spend is profitable and adding value to the network
• Communicate actively throughout the MSP project, providing effective and status and feedback reports regarding MSP project delivery and support deliverables to all stakeholders, especially relating to risk, change, status, decisions required following good cooperate governance
• Anticipate deviations from plans / schedule timorously and keep all participants and stakeholders informed.
• Resolve and/or escalate issues in a timely fashion, communicating difficult/sensitive information tactfully

Finance Control and Management

• Prepare the mainstream principles of good governance within the RAN Managed Service and analyse financial statements and forecasts;
• Control, monitor and report the utilization of approved project budgets, ensuring that expenditure is in line with agreed PBC and SLA’s including methods and initiatives to maximize cost/benefit ratios.
• Propose measures to improve financial and commercial performance and develop an appropriate cost recovery system; and outline measures of reduction.
• Monitor all operation deliveries to securing SLA fulfillment and customer satisfaction, and also to ensure no over/under deliveries
• Prepare annual budget needs and manage the budget allocations to PBC models (OPEX and CAPEX)

Compliance management

• Monitor all operation deliveries to securing SLA fulfillment and customer satisfaction, and also to ensure no over/under deliveries
• Manage regular meetings, with staff or MSP venders under your control to manage the MSP vender performance and special projects and communicate/record any activities/issues.
• Creating enterprise standards, shared services and aligned business processes to increase organizational efficiency and effectiveness.
• Ensure escalation procedure is followed and that expectations and perceptions of customer are at all times managed in a professional manner.

Service quality management

• Ensure the correct and proper delivery of Operation and maintenance as specified in the Service Level Agreements (SLA) with MSP. (KPI SLA fulfillment)
• Provide feedback on performance to the Field Services organization and other sponsors and ensure that appropriate improvement actions are taken when required (KPI Service Evaluation)
• Monitor all operation deliveries to securing SLA fulfillment and customer satisfaction, also to ensure no over/under deliveries.
• Aligns SLA and WLA between Operators

Staff Management

• Ensure all staff Performance Agreements aligned to business objectives and a cascade of CTO are defined, documented and measured thru meetings and staff participation and agreement
• Ensure that all staff have the right tools to perform their role/function i.e.  Tools, equipment, IT etc and are kept in good working order.
• Ensure work allocation to contracts and work is allocated to staff.
• Ensure MSP vender and staff performance management.
• Knowledge transfer
• Perform an annual assessment of each member of staff as per the company policy, using the above objectives and performance.

Role Dependencies: 

• Good inter-personal skills with MSP Venders and contractors including customers on Access Radio, Transmission and Switch functions to build a good future working relationship and to assist the customer with complaints.
• Changes on the network may result in network outage or call difficulty
• Optimize and refine operational processes and testing services
• Generating Global Standards and track trends on the MSP tools in order to identify problem areas.
• Generate reports updates on projects

Supervisory / Leadership / Managerial Tasks: 

• Lead day to day activities within assigned reference as per Workflow Management processes
• Effectively plan the short to medium rollout of projects to improve network availability and ensure that this adheres to timescales.
• Attend Operation governance meetings (minutes recorded and distributed to accountable stakeholders to action or observe as reference)
• Engineer best practice pertaining to MTN SA.
• Maintain a dynamic environment to ensure maximum performance from all staff
• Manage the complexities of the interaction between the whole host of technologies and services in the Network
• Manage staff training and development.
• Manage of management services to ensure service delivery as per SLA.
• Transfer knowledge and skills to direct staff reports and MSP venders as ONE team
• Keep staff motivated and enhance team spirit.

Lateral Dimensions: These indicate the areas where the individuals could contribute uniquely in addition to the indicated duties, as

                                          well as how they could be affected by others or circumstances not necessarily under their control.

Creativities (improvement/innovation inherent) 

• Improve working methods when identifying problem areas to improve network performance and availability, not undermining safety.
• Continuous improvement and optimisation of Operational process and technical to meet requirements
• Ability to make tasks/functions/workflows easier and accurate
• Knowledge transfer
• Problem solving and lateral thinking
• Continuously view methods for money saving ideas while maintaining good quality standards.
• Continuous development of effective network site progress tracking and monitoring methods.

Vulnerabilities (control span)

• MSP Vender management changes and high staff turn around
• Lack of necessary support from departments within the organisation.
• Poor Network performance and customer relations will increase the likely hood of churn with reduced revenues.
• Short deadlines in implementing change
• Changes in Equipment types
• MTN Network Expansion/s
• New Technologies
• Support of tools and systems
• Transmission availability,
• Switching equipment
• Network  availability
• Delayed input from key stakeholders such as authorities and institutions and internal departments with MTN SA.
• Budgetary constraints and inadequate funding impacting business.
• Dependency on third parties – MSP Venders, sub-contractors, Telkom, Eskom, Local Municipalities, Mobile Operators etc
• Hostile communities
• Geographical spread of BTS sites – time to site so resource and technology to be aligned to meet KPI’s.
• Stock shortages could be caused by bad material planning, admin, contracts, international demand.
• CRIME - hi-jacking, theft, vandalism.

Responsibility towards: 

• Direct reports: Regional Network Manager – Reports and ensure the Operational targets are met improving customer experience
• Matrix reports: GM Network Operations Manager – Adhere to implementation KPI’s and support policies, procedures, work methods specifications and quality standards.
• Key customers: Managed Network Service (MNS), HO SM Support Managers, Radio and Transmission Planning, Network operations, GNOCC Support Mangers
• Key suppliers: Ericsson, Huawei and ZTE, Transmission vendors (Mw and Fibre), Radio Equipment vendors (OEM’s) Telkom, Eskom, Municipalities, C&Q, Sales and Marketing and Landlords etc
• Relations etc.: Partnership. Friendly, professional and helpful relationship

• Decision making and ownership of problems
• Distribution of site numbers of MSP venders in line with headcount and technologies i.e. tools so an even split
• Escalation, technical liaison
• Decisions are made on cost effective business modelling
• Perform your own time management.
• Use own discretion where procedures do not apply.

• Assign tasks, responsibilities and resources to MTNSA operational and MS Providers for the purpose improving network performance and improved customer experience.
• Vender SLA and WLA management of invoice approval payments
• Coordinate, manage, track and prepare reports on all network site activities within the region.
• To request assistance from colleagues or support staff as required.
• To halt any activities in progress in their environment which:-
• In any way jeopardise the integrity of the network.
• Does not comply with MTN specification.
• Fails to meet Health and Safety requirements.
• To approve / reject site EMS or WRF ADHOC works, plans and quotes for all upgrade projects on maintaining sites
• Authorised to sign off invoices for all rollout work done in the allocated region.
• Approval of staff leave, overtime & Callout , out of town, staff allowances/claims and local expenditure
• Mange emergency operations decisions in good judgement not placing the network or business at risk

• Standard 10
• National Diploma N6, S4, T3 in electrical light-current / electronics / communication engineering or National Diploma in Project Management/Engineering/Business
• Experience working in a medium Telecommunication organization

Experience:

• 5 years’ management experience in GSM network Operational environment or  at least 3 years in a management role within MNS Governance telecommunications environment
• Demonstrated experience in managing subcontractors and MSP vendors.
• Experience in contract agreements and specifications of equipment for the GSM and telecoms networks
• Compiling SOW or technical support documents for MNS
• Management of SLA and WLA’s
• Experience in supervising others

Training:

• Corporate governance
• GSM and Telecommunication courses including digital transmission and radio techniques.
• People Management for New Managers
• Project Management for Non-Project Managers
• Risk Management
• Leadership Training
• Finance For Non-Financial Managers
• Site Building Training
• Managing Relationships in the Workplace

Knowledge:

• A good knowledge of the operation, maintenance, planning and implementation of Digital Transmission, Microwave RF & Fibre transmission and multiplexing systems.
• Thorough knowledge of MTN South Africa general administration policies, including approval ceilings and jurisdiction.
• Importance of customer service orientation
• In-depth understanding of network concepts e.g. GSM Radio/Transmission operations
• Community Collaboration
• Computer & Information Technology Appreciation
• Performance Appraisal
• Performance Improvement
• Planning and Budgeting
• Planning and Organising
• Project Delivery
• Project Planning and Control
• Stakeholder Relations Management
• Telecommunications Business Savvy
• Training Needs Identification

Skills / physical competencies:

• Motivated and innovative self-starter able to face the challenges of evolving technology re-evaluating objectives, procedures, processes to continuously improve network performance.
• Must have a natural leadership ability with the necessary skills to control, motivate and lead staff to achieve excellence.
• Have good communication skills resolving conflict and negotiate win-win solutions
• Prepared to work long hours.
• Handles working under stress and meeting deadlines.
• Uses initiative in solving technical problems.
• Can work in elevated positions, not scared of heights.
• Competent on / off road driving ability.

Behavioural qualities:

• Self-Disciplined, motivated, energetic self –starter with exemplary work ethos.
• Proven initiative with the ability to work under stress while meeting deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to motivate & control contractors and staff.
• Be of sober disposition
• Sound interpersonal relationships.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to motivate and control MNS and contractors.
• Has no fear of heights.

General working conditions/ Inherent requirements/ Tools of trade (e.g. shift work, drivers license (code), vehicle (make) specific tools (e.g. dial in facility, special cell phone, etc), special clothing, environmental requirements, etc.)

• Current EB code 8 “Driver’s Licence
• Be prepared to travel away from home from time to time
• Prepared to work long hours.
• Use of company vehicle in line with the company policy
• Driving in high-risk areas and travelling high mileages is mandatory.
• Working at elevated heights and in extreme environmental conditions is a requirement.
• The use of safety climbing equipment while working at elevated heights is compulsory.
• Computer skills

Key Performance Indicators (e.g. Quality, Time, Cost, Value)

• Ensuring the Network Quality and Performance meets all nationally set objectives.
• Meet the minimum requirements of the LRA and OHSA.
• Comply to ISO90001 & ISO14000 quality systems.
• Adherence to legislation and approval processes.
• MSP Vendor service delivery as per SLA or WLA
• Queries resolution within required timeframe.
• Adherence to NTW project deadlines as per BP.
• Budget control.

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