Remote Network Planning Engineer

Job Description

We are seeking a remote telecom professional with deep legacy transport experience to support a large-scale legacy network site exit and consolidation program. This role focuses on remotely accessing a wide variety of legacy network platforms and transport equipment to validate traffic and dependencies, identify candidates for shutdown, and support the program’s evolution into circuit migration strategy, redesign, and traffic traversal planning.

This is ideal for a telecom industry professional who can quickly understand diverse legacy equipment and how traffic flows across mixed transport environments (TDM / SONET / DWDM), and who has hands-on experience supporting site exits, consolidations, and decommissioning efforts.

Key Responsibilities

• Remotely log into network elements across multiple legacy transport platforms to confirm operational state, determine whether traffic is present, and validate service-impact risk.
• Use TL1 commands, device-level access, and network inventory tools (e.g., TIRKS or similar systems) to validate circuits, services, and dependencies.
• Identify devices and network elements that appear to carry no active traffic, supporting safe shutdown sequencing, documentation, and audit readiness.
• Trace circuits and services end-to-end to understand upstream and downstream dependencies and reduce risk during retirement activities.
• Support site exit and consolidation work, including identifying equipment and circuits suitable for removal or migration.
• As the program progresses beyond zero-traffic shutdowns, support migration strategies, including circuit redesign, redundancy planning, and preparation for non-zero traffic decommission phases.
• Contribute to circuit design strategy and readiness planning where legacy services must be rehomed or redesigned prior to retirement.
• Produce clear, actionable outputs (device validation notes, dependency findings, risk flags, recommended next actions) that enable consistent execution across a large-scale program.
• Partner with network planning, operations, NOC teams, field technicians, and program leadership to align sequencing, reduce risk, and support throughput and governance.

This position will pay $45-54/hour.

Skills and Requirements

• 5–6+ years of telecom experience specifically in transport networks
• Hands-on experience supporting legacy transport environments, including TDM, SONET, and DWDM.
• Practical experience with network inventory systems such as TIRKS (or equivalent legacy inventory tools).
• Working knowledge of TL1 commands and direct interaction with transport network elements.
• Experience with legacy transport platforms and vendors such as Fujitsu, Lucent, Ciena, and Nortel.
• Demonstrated ability to remotely validate network state using device access, counters, alarms, and operational tooling.
• Strong understanding of how traffic traverses legacy transport networks and how to verify the presence or absence of traffic.
• Comfort operating in environments where transport interconnects with routers, switches, and site infrastructure (without being IP-only).
• Ability to work remotely while coordinating effectively with field technicians and/or NOC teams executing physical site work.
• Prior experience working in CenturyLink, CenturyTel, Embarq, Qwest, or Lightcore network environments (strongly preferred).
• Direct experience supporting network decommissioning, site exit, or large-scale consolidation programs.
• Prior field technician or NOC experience, providing strong operational context for remote planning and validation activities.
• Experience supporting complex legacy environments with limited documentation or evolving inventory accuracy.

We are a company committed to creating diverse and inclusive environments where people can bring their full, authentic selves to work every day. We are an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer that believes everyone matters. Qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, national origin, ancestry, genetic factors, age, disability, protected veteran status, military or uniformed service member status, or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to [email protected].