Utility Telecom Engineer

Position Overview

The Telecom Engineer is responsible for assessing, upgrading, and reinforcing telecommunications infrastructure to ensure resilience during seismic events. This role combines telecom engineering expertise with seismic design principles to enhance the reliability, safety, and compliance of fiber, microwave, wireless, and utility communication systems. The engineer will work cross-functionally with civil, structural, operations, and utility teams to deliver retrofit projects that meet regulatory and industry standards.

Key Responsibilities

Seismic Retrofit & Infrastructure Upgrades

• Assess existing telecommunications systems to identify seismic vulnerabilities and structural risks.
• Design, plan, and implement seismic retrofit upgrades for fiber optic networks, microwave paths, wireless systems, and supporting structures.
• Collaborate with civil and structural engineering teams to integrate telecom requirements into retrofit plans.
• Ensure all retrofit activities adhere to seismic safety codes, utility regulations, and resilience standards.

Network Reliability & Maintenance

• Monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot telecom infrastructure to ensure high availability and system uptime.
• Perform preventive maintenance, system inspections, and equipment upgrades.
• Support fault analysis, root cause investigation, and restoration activities.

Compliance & Documentation

• Ensure full compliance with NERC CIP, FCC regulations, and applicable utility standards.
• Maintain accurate documentation for network configurations, retrofit plans, maintenance records, and compliance audits.
• Prepare technical reports and support regulatory reviews.

Project & Vendor Management

• Manage telecom retrofit and upgrade projects from planning through execution and close-out.
• Develop project schedules, track budgets, and coordinate equipment procurement.
• Work closely with internal teams, contractors, and vendors to ensure timely and high-quality deliverables.
• Provide training and guidance to operations teams on new infrastructure standards and retrofit modifications.

Required Skills & Qualifications

Technical Expertise

• Strong knowledge of fiber optic systems, IP networking, microwave radio, and wireless communication technologies.
• Experience with utility communication protocols such as DNP3 and IEC 61850.
• Proficiency with routing, switching, VLANs, network design, and monitoring tools.

Seismic & Resilience Knowledge

• Familiarity with seismic design principles, retrofit methodologies, and infrastructure hardening practices.
• Understanding of resilience engineering for telecom and utility networks.

Regulatory & Compliance Knowledge

• Working knowledge of NERC CIP requirements, FCC licensing, and utility safety standards.
• Ability to interpret and apply relevant codes, regulations, and compliance frameworks.

Project Management

• Experience managing engineering projects involving timelines, budgets, procurement, and cross-functional coordination.
• Skilled in vendor management and contract oversight.

Problem-Solving & Analytical Skills

• Strong troubleshooting and diagnostic capabilities for complex telecom systems.
• Ability to assess risks, develop mitigation plans, and make data-driven decisions.

Soft Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Effective collaboration with engineering, operations, IT, and external partners.
• Ability to convey technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor s degree in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Prior experience in telecom engineering within utility, critical infrastructure, or industrial environments preferred.
• Experience working on seismic retrofit or resilience-focused projects is highly desirable.