Head of Network Operations & Maintenance

Position Summary

The Head of Network Operations & Maintenance is responsible for leading nationwide operation, maintenance, monitoring, restoration, and continuous operational readiness of Converge's telecommunications network infrastructure. The role ensures the availability, reliability, resilience, and operational integrity of the Core, Transport, Access, ODN, Network Support Facilities (NSF), Cloud, and Data Center environments. The position provides strategic leadership over all network operations and maintenance activities, establishes operational policies and maintenance standards, drives service reliability initiatives, manages major incident response, and ensures compliance with engineering standards, service level agreements (SLAs), regulatory requirements, and business continuity objectives.

As the Operational Incident Commander during major network events, the role coordinates cross-functional recovery efforts and works closely with Network Planning & Fulfillment, Network Build, Network Resource Management, Network Standards, Quality & Governance (NSQG), and the Network Architecture Committee to ensure efficient restoration and long-term network stability.

Key Responsibilities

1. Operational Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership and direction for nationwide network operations and maintenance across all technology domains.

• Develop operational strategies that ensure high network availability, service continuity, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction.

•Establish operational priorities aligned with the Integrated Network Group's objectives and long-term Network Master Plan.

•Lead and develop a high-performing operations organization through effective workforce planning, succession planning, coaching, and performance management.

2. Network Operations

Direct the 24×7 operation and monitoring of:

• Optical Distribution Network (ODN)

• IP Core Network

• Field Network Operations (FNO)

• Network Support Facilities (NSF)

• Transport Backbone

• Cloud Infrastructure

• Data Centers

• Critical Network Infrastructure

Ensure operational readiness for planned maintenance, emergency restoration, disaster recovery, and business continuity activities.

Drive improvements in operational performance, service stability, and operational excellence.

3. Network Maintenance

• Develop and implement preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance strategies to maximize network reliability and asset lifecycle.

•Establish standardized maintenance procedures, inspection programs, and maintenance schedules for all network infrastructure.

• Monitor maintenance effectiveness through defined KPIs and continual improvement initiatives.

4. Incident and Service Restoration Management

• Serve as the Operational Incident Commander during major service disruptions and declared Business Continuity events.

• Lead cross-functional incident response and restoration activities to minimize customer impact and achieve restoration targets.

• Oversee incident prioritization, escalation, resource mobilization, and service restoration.

• Ensure temporary restoration strategies are implemented where appropriate while permanent engineering solutions are developed.

• Conduct executive incident reviews and provide operational updates to senior leadership.

5. Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

Ensure operational preparedness for emergency response, disaster recovery, and business continuity.

Maintain operational readiness of:

• Network Convergence Points (NCPs)

• Mobile Restoration Teams (MRTs)

• Emergency equipment

• Strategic inventory

• Regional recovery capabilities

Lead operational participation in Business Continuity exercises, disaster simulations, and recovery testing.

6. Service Reliability and Operational Performance

Drive initiatives that improve network stability, availability, and service reliability.

Monitor operational KPIs, including:

• Emergency Response Time

• Network Availability

• Mean Time to Detect (MTTD)

• Mean Time to Restore (MTTR)

• Preventive Maintenance Compliance

• SLA Compliance

• Repeat Incident Rate

• Planned Maintenance Success Rate

Develop action plans to address recurring operational issues and improve network resilience.

7. Cross-Functional Collaboration

Collaborate with:

Network Planning & Fulfillment

Provide operational requirements, maintenance feedback, capacity recommendations, and lessons learned to improve future network designs.

Network Build

Support project acceptance, commissioning, and operational readiness for newly deployed infrastructure.

Network Resource Management & Systems

Ensure accurate network inventory, asset records, configuration management, and operational data integrity.

Network Standards, Quality & Governance (NSQG)

Implement operational standards, support quality inspections, address audit findings, participate in Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and execute Service Improvement Plans (SIPs).

Network PMO

Coordinate maintenance windows, project execution, outage planning, and operational support.

8. Vendor and Contractor Management

Manage the operational performance of Managed Service Providers (MSPs), contractors, and third-party service providers. Ensure compliance with contractual obligations, SLAs, quality standards, and safety requirements. Support vendor evaluations and performance improvement initiatives in partnership with NSQG and Procurement.

9. Health, Safety, Security, and Compliance

Promote a culture of safety, operational discipline, and regulatory compliance.

Ensure adherence to:

• Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) requirements

• Environmental regulations

• Engineering standards

• Corporate policies

• Regulatory requirements

• Information security policies

10. Continuous Improvement

Champion operational excellence through:

• Automation

• Process optimization

• Data-driven decision-making

• Predictive maintenance

• Lessons learned

• Operational innovation

• Technology adoption

Support the implementation of network modernization and digital transformation initiatives.

Job Qualifications:

•Minimum 15 years of progressive experience in telecommunications network operations, maintenance, or engineering.

• At least 8 years in a senior leadership role managing multi-disciplinary network operations.

• Demonstrated experience leading nationwide operations, major incident management, and large-scale maintenance organizations.

• Experience with fiber optic networks, IP/MPLS, transport systems, cloud infrastructure, and data center operations.