| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Telecom and Field Services |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | O&M Manager |
| Direct reports | Fibre Splicer |
| Experience | 3 to 6 years in fibre or transmission networks |
Fibre Network Engineer job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Fibre Network Engineer
Department: Telecom and Field Services
Reports to: O&M Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Fibre Network Engineer plans, maintains and restores the optical fibre network that carries a telecom operator traffic. The role reports to the O&M Manager or a transmission manager. A good fibre network engineer keeps fibre links healthy and available, localizes and restores fibre cuts fast, plans and supervises new fibre routes and splicing, keeps route records accurate, works with the splicing teams and contractors, and keeps the backbone that carries voice and data running so the whole network above it stays up.
Key responsibilities
- Plan and design fibre routes and capacity for network expansion and links.
- Maintain fibre link health and act on high loss and degraded routes.
- Localize fibre cuts using test tools and drive fast restoration.
- Supervise splicing, laying and termination work by teams and contractors.
- Keep accurate fibre route, joint and core records for the network.
- Test new fibre links and accept them before they carry traffic.
- Coordinate right of way, permissions and contractors for fibre work.
- Reduce repeat fibre faults by fixing root causes on weak routes.
- Support transmission and backhaul planning that runs over fibre.
- Report fibre uptime, faults and restoration times to the manager.
Requirements
- Diploma or degree in electronics or telecom engineering
- Experience in optical fibre networks
- Knowledge of OTDR and splicing
- 3 to 6 years in fibre or transmission networks
KRAs and KPIs for a Fibre Network Engineer
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Fibre uptime | Fibre link availability held above the agreed service level |
| Restoration time | Fibre cuts restored within the agreed target time |
| Splice quality | Average splice loss kept within the agreed limit |
| Route records | Fibre route and core records kept accurate above target |
| Repeat faults | Repeat faults on the same route kept below the agreed level |
| Link acceptance | New links tested and accepted within the agreed time |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: OTDR, Power meter and light source, Splicing machine, GIS and route mapping tools, MS Excel.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Transmission Engineer, O&M Manager, Network Planning Engineer
Interview questions for a Fibre Network Engineer
- How do you localize a fibre cut and drive its restoration?
- How do you read an OTDR trace to find a fault or high loss?
- How do you supervise splicing to keep splice loss low?
- How do you keep fibre route and core records accurate?
- How do you reduce repeat faults on a weak fibre route?
- How do you accept a new fibre link before it carries traffic?
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What does a Fibre Network Engineer do?
A Fibre Network Engineer plans, maintains and restores the optical fibre network that carries a telecom operator traffic. They keep fibre links healthy, localize and restore cuts fast, supervise splicing and new routes, and keep route records accurate. They keep the backbone running so the network above it stays up.
What is OTDR used for in fibre networks?
An OTDR, or optical time domain reflectometer, tests a fibre by sending light and reading what comes back. It shows the loss along the fibre and the distance to a break, joint or fault. Fibre engineers use it to find cuts, measure splice loss and check link health.
What qualifications does a Fibre Network Engineer need?
Most roles ask for a diploma or degree in electronics or telecom engineering with experience in optical fibre networks and knowledge of OTDR and splicing. Employers value fast fault localization, splicing supervision and accurate route records, since a single cut can take large areas of the network down.