RAN Lead

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

Location: Midrand South Africa

Duration: 6 month contract

Role purpose and scope

• Support creation & development of infrastructure joint venture Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV's) across companies markets focussing on Towers, Power & RAN (BTS and microwave)
• SPV Technology Strategy, Architecture and Operating model design for the SPV's
• Source, drive and negotiate strategic partnerships – vendors, investors, and customers
• Support the resourcing of Group and in-market SPV teams (headcount resources)
• Alignment with Group technology strategy and supply chain processes
• Drive infrastructure sharing, co-build initiatives across ALL market within the Vodacom Group in partnership with other MNO's, TowerCos or 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 Tower, power and RAN asset classes
• Engage with company and market stakeholders, e.g. Group Chief Network Office (CNO) and market Chief Technical Officers (CTOs) and/or relevant technical personnel to drive all tower related infrastructure development

Role Deliverables

a. TowerCo Set-up & Strategy

• Define the technology strategy, architecture, and operating model for the TowerCo/SPV
• 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 active and passive network infrastructure comprising of towers, power and RAN across markets
• Facilitate due diligence of existing network infrastructure, where required and in consultation with the relevant team and local markets
• Facilitate the compilation of SPV fibre network deployment plans in consultation with the SPV partner/s, Group and local markets
• Lead integrated network planning across RAN, microwave backhaul, and core interconnects
• Develop capacity forecasts, coverage plans, and deployment strategies
• Ensure optimisation of Capex, Opex, and network performance
• Ensure network plans align with business case and inputs used are well benchmarked and realistic
• Prepare specifications of infrastructure required to be used in RFP's

c.

Infrastructure & Assets (Tower, Power, Passive)

• Define requirements for tower infrastructure, power systems, and site design
• Enable multi-tenancy, infrastructure sharing, and co-build models
• Oversee planning for site acquisition, build, acceptance, and lifecycle management

d. IT, OSS/BSS & Cybersecurity

• Develop an End-to-end network architecture, comprising of network, IT (ERP, OSS/BSS, NOC platforms), Cybersecurity, NOC and FFO capability
• Ensure cybersecurity frameworks, governance, and compliance across all systems
• Integrate systems to enable end-to-end operational visibility and automation

e. 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

f. Stakeholder & Regulatory Engagement

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

g. Execution

• Support implementation / execution of plans

h. 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

i. 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 telecommunications networking, with strong exposure to network strategy, RF (RAN) planning, and fibre network planning
• Proven experience in end-to-end network planning, including RAN, fibre (FTTH/FTTB/FTTS,
• Metro, NLD), backhaul, and core interconnect
• Demonstrated experience in large-scale network rollout planning, due diligence, and business case development
• Experience working in multi-market or Group Technology environments and supporting strategic infrastructure initiatives