| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Telecom and Field Services |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | O&M Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 3 to 6 years in transmission networks |
Transmission 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: Transmission Engineer
Department: Telecom and Field Services
Reports to: O&M Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Transmission Engineer plans and maintains the backhaul that carries traffic between telecom sites, over microwave and fibre links. The role reports to the O&M Manager or a transmission manager. A good transmission engineer keeps transmission links available, plans links and capacity for new and growing sites, restores link faults fast, aligns and commissions microwave links, keeps link records accurate, and keeps the backbone connections that tie the network together healthy so traffic flows and no site is cut off from the core.
Key responsibilities
- Plan transmission links and capacity over microwave and fibre for the network.
- Maintain transmission link availability and act on degraded links.
- Restore transmission faults fast so no site is cut off from the core.
- Align, configure and commission microwave links for new sites.
- Monitor link performance and capacity and plan upgrades in time.
- Coordinate with fibre and O&M teams on backhaul and link faults.
- Keep transmission network records and link details accurate and current.
- Support new site integration from the transmission side during rollout.
- Reduce repeat link faults by fixing the root causes on weak links.
- Report transmission uptime, faults and capacity to the manager.
Requirements
- Diploma or degree in electronics or telecom engineering
- Experience in transmission or microwave networks
- Knowledge of backhaul technology
- 3 to 6 years in transmission networks
KRAs and KPIs for a Transmission 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 |
|---|---|
| Link availability | Transmission link availability held above the agreed service level |
| Fault restoration | Transmission faults restored within the agreed target time |
| Link commissioning | New links commissioned within the agreed time above target |
| Capacity | Congested links upgraded before they breach the threshold |
| Repeat faults | Repeat faults on the same link kept below the agreed level |
| Records | Transmission link records kept accurate above target |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Transmission management systems, Microwave alignment tools, Test instruments, MS Excel, Planning tools.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: O&M Manager, Network Planning Engineer, Circle Operations Manager
Interview questions for a Transmission Engineer
- How do you restore a transmission link that has taken a site off air?
- How do you align and commission a microwave link?
- How do you plan link capacity for a growing site?
- How do you monitor transmission performance and spot degradation?
- How do you reduce repeat faults on a weak link?
- How do you coordinate with fibre and O&M teams on a backhaul fault?
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What does a Transmission Engineer do?
A Transmission Engineer plans and maintains the backhaul that carries traffic between telecom sites over microwave and fibre links. They keep links available, plan capacity, restore faults fast, align and commission microwave links, and keep the backbone connections healthy so no site is cut off from the core.
What is backhaul in telecom?
Backhaul is the set of links that carry traffic from cell sites back to the core network, usually over microwave or fibre. Without healthy backhaul a site cannot pass calls and data even if its radio works. Transmission engineers plan and maintain this backhaul so sites stay connected.
What qualifications does a Transmission Engineer need?
Most roles ask for a diploma or degree in electronics or telecom engineering with experience in transmission or microwave networks and knowledge of backhaul technology. Employers value fast fault restoration, microwave commissioning and capacity planning, since a link fault can isolate sites from the core network.