Planning Engineer III (Sr. Transport Planning Engineer)

About the role

This role develops network growth, capacity, and evolution plans for a national core transport network and supporting metropolitan transport networks, with a focus on SONET consolidation and migration planning. The position involves building implementation-ready planning packages for design and field engineering teams, managing project funding, and supporting network modernization initiatives. This role provides technical leadership and mentoring across engineering and operations teams while ensuring compliance with applicable telecommunications standards and regulations.

Responsibilities

• Develop SONET network growth and capacity plans across the core backbone and metropolitan transport networks.
• Build implementation-ready engineering and planning packages for design and field engineering teams.
• Pull and analyze transport inventory to size augments and plan consolidation and migration activity.
• Forecast capacity demand and identify relief, consolidation, and modernization requirements.
• Manage capital and expense budgets for assigned planning projects.
• Cookordination with planning stakeholders across engineering and operations to align scope, sequence, and readiness.
• Mentor and train junior engineers.
• Ensure planning work complies with applicable telecommunications standards and regulations.

Requirements

• 5+ years of transport network planning or network engineering experience.
• Hands-on SONET transport planning experience, including capacity management and consolidation or migration planning.
• Working knowledge of optical transport networks and DWDM.
• Proficiency in TIRKS and MetaSolv for transport inventory and planning.
• Demonstrated ability to build implementation-ready planning packages handed off to design or field engineering.
• Capacity planning and forecasting experience.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to coordinate across engineering and operations teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with a Tier 1 US telecom or ILEC service provider.
• Familiarity with one or more legacy transport planning and inventory systems: CNDC ASPEN Portal, LCAM, Fireworks, or CORE.
• Knowledge of central office infrastructure, including power, alarms, and common systems.
• Capital and expense budget management experience.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and mentoring junior engineers.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Benefits

Everforth Apex offers a range of supplemental benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and other insurance plans that offer an optional layer of financial protection. We offer an ESPP (employee stock purchase program) and a 401K program which allows you to contribute typically within 30 days of starting, with a company match after 12 months of tenure. Everforth Apex also offers a HSA (Health Savings Account on the HDHP plan), a SupportLinc Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with up to 8 free counseling sessions, a corporate discount savings program and other discounts. In terms of professional development, Everforth Apex hosts an on-demand training program, provides access to certification prep and a library of technical and leadership courses/books/seminars once you have 6+ months of tenure, and certification discounts and other perks to associations that include CompTIA and IIBA. Everforth Apex has a dedicated customer service team for our Consultants that can address questions around benefits and other resources, as well as a certified Career Coach. You can access a full list of our benefits, programs, support teams and resources within our ‘Welcome Packet’ as well, which an Everforth Apex team member can provide.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We do not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, genetic information, registered domestic partner status, marital status, disability, status as a crime victim, protected veteran status, political affiliation, union membership, or any other characteristic protected by law. Everforth Apex will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law.