Lead Engineer at IpNX Nigeria Limited

The Team Lead, Wi-Fi is responsible for building carrier grade and reliable Wi-Fi network infrastructure and maintaining essential Wi-Fiservices for ipNX customers in accordance with set SLAs. Responsible for planning, designing, implementing, and overseeing the ‘administration and maintenance’ of Wi-Finetwork infrastructure within ipNX (Core) as well as deployments for Customers (Access). Plan, direct and coordinate activities required to fulfil and support Wi-Fi Services to Enterprise customers. Management of existing Wi-Fi Infrastructure and Systems and development of new ones while also overseeing systems administration task as well as asset management. Govern across all areas of service delivery processes, continual service improvement through product enhancements and innovation, customer satisfaction as well as playing a key role in ensuring the highest level of operational service delivery. Provide pre-sales support to the business team(s) as well as assist with product information and training to drive sales/marketing need.

Efficient Network Infrastructure Strategy for Customers:

• Design, plan and implement Wi-Fi infrastructure as per business strategy, objectives and set standards.
• Design, plan and deploy Wi-Fi infrastructure for enterprise customers as per set standards and SLAs.
• Oversee the administration, maintenance and support of enterprise Wi-Fi customers’ infrastructure as per set SLAs.
• Recommend areas of improvements, product enhancements incl. new features and services that meets present and future needs of the customer.
• Provide 2nd line support for all Wi-Fi tickets.
• Ensure 99.9% network availability (incl. usability) for the Wi-Fi Platform and Core Systems.
• Ensure 99.9% service availability (incl. usability) for Wi-Fi Customer services.
• Wi-Fi site / network development to include authentication, access control, policy creation, policy enforcement, roaming, captive portal, scale,redundancy and reliability in controller-based WiFi architectures.

Customer Service

• Plan, write and maintain documentation regarding services that are provided to customers, put together and actively engage customers around end user documentation that will help drive collaboration of WiFi offerings to customers.
• Track, monitor and progress support calls and tickets (incidents) and problem records to ensure timely resolution and excellent customer service.
• Conduct periodic trainings for customers on WiFi and Security.
• Make decisions and recommendations for technical solutions of the WiFi service offering.
• Provide advisory support to customers on network topology best practice and support implementation.
• Pro-actively monitor, support, prevent problems, maintain, upgrade and fix associated services in accordance with service level agreements.
• Log and report documents of customer and employee queries.
• Reinforce SLAs to manage customer expectations and provide suggestions Interpret customer requirements and build into a cohesive, consistent, standardised Wi-Fi architecture solution for continual improvement.

Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with customer care and Sales team on customer engagement/enhancement.
• Participate in industry forums and initiatives to represent the interest of ipNX when it relates to wifi network engineering.
• Be aware of the technologies, ITIL & ISO processes and procedures in use within and adhere to local and regional operational standards.
• Provide regular updates including weekly reports on the health and performance of all internal and customer side wifi services.
• Work with other teams/stakeholders to develop internal systems and processes that drive efficient fulfilment of set SLAs.
• Provide Level 2/3 support and troubleshooting to resolving issues.
• Communicate the understanding of customer issues to them promptly, inform progress, drivingissues through to resolution, offering mitigations where applicable.
• Provide operational support for complex, wireless network deployments, infrastructure.
• Provide regular updates including weekly reports on the health and performance of all internal and customer side infrastructure and services.
• Work with other teams/stakeholders to develop internal systems and processes that drive efficient fulfilment of set SLAs.

Vendor and Asset Management

• Build and maintain vendor relationship and manage the purchase of hardware and software products.
• Ensure that company assets are accounted for, maintained and inventoried accurately.
• Carry out extensive evaluations and integration testing of network elements and document result.
• Close working with wifi network vendors and product specialists.
• Document, build and execute test plans to qualify vendor solutions.

Network Service Support Analysis

• Conduct service support analysis that will identify stretching objectives, drive improvements and deliver benefits in supporting customers whilst maintaining ipNX’s values.
• Wifi site / network development to include authentication, access control, policy creation, policy enforcement, roaming, captive portal, scale, redundancy and reliability in controller based wifi architectures.
• Gather and translate customer requirements into final product design and leverage the available solutions for multiple initiatives, including managed SSIDs on devices.
• Maintain inventories of hardware, software and peripherals across the desktop estate; along with domain account information including rights, security and access groups.
• Analyse user problems or enquiries and follow through to resolution within agreed service level agreements to provide excellent customer service and ensure work continuity.
• Carryout network service revamp and redesign for both prospective/existing customers.
• Analysing and resolving faults, monitoring network environments and ensuring that all equipment complies with industry standards.
• Provide user support by diagnosing network and device problems and implementing technical or procedural solutions.
• Test and evaluate hardware and software to determine efficiency, reliability, or compatibility with existing systems.
• Provide technical support for the network surveillance, provisioning, installation and repair of infrastructures, sales, sales engineering, and marketing departments.

People Management and Training

• Lead, without Micromanaging a team of Wi-Fi System and Project Engineers Incl. Riggers and Interns.
• Carry out people performance evaluation as per set guidelines.
• Hold product training and briefs for departmental staff monthly and other staff (e.g. Sales Staff) quarterly or as required.
• Attend conferences, seminars and trainings (incl. Webinars) related to product and sector.

Educational Qualifications & Functional Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, MIS, Electrical Engineering or other technical discipline (2.2/Upper Credit Minimum)
• Industry Certifications in AWS, CISSP, CCDP, CCNP, and CCIE
• Requires strong knowledge of Cisco routers and switches and of firewalls and web filtering solutions
• Understanding of Communications Networks. Cisco network certification is required
• Keen interest in emerging technologies Cloud, SD-WAN
• A good grasp of Wireless Installations (RF Planning, Design, Installation and Maintenance)
• Good verbal and written communication skills required for interaction with business-users.
• Strong problem-solving skills required for technical issue resolution.
• Organised and structured work habits.
• Strong personal time management to coordinate several tasks simultaneously.
• Ability to confidently communicate with personnel at all levels of the organization.
• Extensive technical knowledge deploying and managing network and infrastructure environment
• Well organized, articulate and has numerate skills
• High degree of Microsoft Office Suite competence [Bonus: Visio, MS Project]
• Exemplary Communication Skills [Face to Face and over the telephone]; Ability to communicate effectively at all levels of an organization.
• Knowledge of network hardware configuration and management, including routers, firewalls, switches etc.
• Ability to quickly learn, understand, and work with new emerging technologies, methodologies and solutions in the cloud/IT technology space
• Excellent analytical and quantitative skills; ability to use hard data and metrics to back up assumptions and develop business cases
• Have an entrepreneurial spirit
• Pre-Sales & Post-Sales Management
• Demonstrable communication, interpersonal and relationship management skills
• Environmental / Industry analysis
• Documentation and Strategic planning skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Project management skills also desirable
• A good grasp of technical (wireless & wireline) installations and willingness to learn more
• Working knowledge of fundamental operations of relevant wireless hardware and other network connectivity equipment including routers and switches
• Good understanding of cloud based systems
• Must demonstrate interpersonal capabilities and leadership.

WORK EXPERIENCE:

• 5+ years of experience as a technical engineer in the wireless communications industry
• At least 3 - 5 years’ experience within the telecoms space
• Experienced in bandwidth capacity management
• Experienced in data communications and networking principles and standards
• Experience in the design of systems which contain a significant connectivity element
• Must have experience track record of achieving and exceeding service delivery and support KPIs
• Experience designing and deploying key WLAN applications including secure mobility, voice over WLAN, location based services, and wireless guest access
• Experience managing large projects team.