Senior Network Engineer - Optical

This is a remote position.

Position Title: Senior Network Engineer - Optical

Base Salary: $110,000 to $165,000 annually DOE

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.

Ziply Fiber is a local internet service provider dedicated to elevating the connected lives of the communities we serve. We offer the fastest home internet in the nation, a refreshingly great customer experience, and affordable plans that put customers in charge.

As our state-of-the-art fiber network expands, so does our need for team members who can help us grow and realize our goals.

Our Company Values:

• Genuinely Caring: We treat customers and colleagues like neighbors, with empathy and full attention.

• Empowering You: We help customers choose what is best for them, and we support employees in implementing new ideas and solutions.

• Innovation and Improvement: We constantly seek ways to improve how we serve customers and each other. 

• Earning Your Trust: We build trust through clear, honest, human communication.

Job Summary

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:

The Essential Duties and Responsibilities listed below are a range of duties performed by the employee and not intended to reflect all duties performed.

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.

Required 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.

· Strong attention to detail and problem-solving skills.

· Ambitious and goal-oriented, with the initiative to see a job through to completion.

· Proven ability to lead projects, mentor other engineers, and drive technical decisions with limited supervision.

· Ability to work independently as well as part of a team.

Work Authorization

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the US for any employer. Sponsorship is not available for this position.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This role requires the ability to bend, stoop, sit, walk, or stand for prolonged periods and to work in office settings as well as equipment rooms, data centers, and field or project sites. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and may work in and around telecommunications and DC power equipment. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision (for fiber and cabling work), peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

Work is performed in a combination of office, data center / equipment room, and field or project-site environments. Office work involves extensive use of a computer, keyboard, mouse, and multi-line telephone system. Field and equipment-room work may involve exposure to varying temperatures, noise, and telecommunications and power equipment. Travel to job and project sites is required, and the position participates in an on-call rotation.

At all times, Ziply Fiber must be your primary employer. Unless otherwise prohibited by law, employees may not hold outside employment nor be self-employed without obtaining approval in writing from Ziply Fiber. In holding outside employment or self-employment, employees should ensure that participation does not conflict with responsibilities to Ziply Fiber or its business interests.

Diverse Workforce / EEO:

Ziply Fiber is an equal opportunity employer. Ziply Fiber will consider all qualified candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, and the presence of a non-job-related handicap or disability or any other legally protected status.

Ziply Fiber requires a pre-employment background check as conditions of employment. Ziply Fiber may require a pre-employment drug screening.

Ziply Fiber is a drug free workplace.