Fibre Lead

Role title: Group Technology Fibre Lead: Infrastructure Development & Sharing

Location: Midrand South Africa

Duration: 6 months

Role purpose and scope

• Support creation & development of infrastructure joint venture Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV's) across companies markets focussing on Fibre (FTTH/B, FTTS, Metro, NLD)
• SPV Technology Strategy, Architecture and Operating model design for the SPV's
• Source, drive and negotiate strategic partnerships – vendors, investors, and customers
• Alignment with Group technology strategy and supply chain processes
• Drive infrastructure sharing, co-build initiatives across ALL market within the Group in partnership with other MNO's, OTT players, Hyperscalers e.g. (Google, Meta, Microsoft, AWS) or any other 3rd party equity investors
• Overlay demand, network plans and finalise costing
• Support the Programme Management Office, Group SCM and Group Commercial teams for infrastructure development and sharing across ALL fibre asset classes
• Engage with Group and market stakeholders, e.g. Group Chief Network Office (CNO) and market Chief Technical Officers (CTOs) and/or relevant technical personnel to drive all fibre infrastructure development, sharing and JV initiatives across the markets

Role Deliverables

a. FibreCo Set-up & Strategy

• Define the technology strategy, architecture, and operating model
• Support business case development, due diligence, and market assessments
• Align network and infrastructure plans to investment and commercial objectives

b. End-to-End Network Planning

• Compile a view of existing network infrastructure for NLD/Metro/FTTH/FTTB/FTTS
• Facilitate due diligence of existing network infrastructure, where required and in consultation with the relevant Group Technology team and local markets
• Facilitate network plans based on agreed criteria for input into business cases
• Facilitate the compilation of fibre network deployment plans in consultation with partner/s, Group and local markets
• End-to-end network architecture for FibreCo (Backhaul and FTTx) across network, IT, Cyber, NOC, BNG/OLT/ONT dimensioning
• Optimise business structure, partnership and resourcing plan to cater for launch, interim and to be scenarios
• Prepare scope of work required for RFP and facilitate RFP's with SCM for POC and wider scale deployments
• Prepare specifications of infrastructure required to be used in RFP's
• Ensure network plans align with business cases and inputs used are well benchmarked and realistic

c. IT, OSS/BSS & Cybersecurity

• Develop an End-to-end network architecture
• Ensure cybersecurity frameworks, governance, and compliance across all systems
• Integrate systems to enable end-to-end operational visibility and automation

d. Programme & Delivery Management

• Lead end-to-end deployment plans (plan, build, operate phases)
• Manage vendors, partners, and RFP processes for network and infrastructure rollout
• Support execution governance, reporting, and stakeholder alignment

e. Stakeholder & Regulatory Engagement

• Engage with internal leadership, investors, and regulators
• Support licensing, legal agreements, and infrastructure partnerships
• Provide technical input into JV negotiations and commercial frameworks

f. Execution

• Support implementation / execution of plans

g. Legal and Regulatory

• Input into detailed Stakeholder engagement plan, Engage with Regulators and secure licenses
• Support legal with Shareholder agreements, Master lease agreements and all related legal drafts

h. Governance

• Regular steering committees in the business-critical areas
• Regular EXCO updates

Must have technical / professional qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Telecommunications Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Geomatics, or related technical discipline.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years' experience in networkstrategy, RF planning, fibre network planning, or integrated network design within telecoms environments
• Proven experience in end-to-end network planning (RAN, fibre/FTTx, backhaul, and core interconnects)
• Demonstrated experience in large-scale network rollout planning, due diligence, and business case development
• Exposure to multi-market or group-level planning environments is advantageous