Engineer at Safaricom PLC

We are pleased to announce the following vacancy in the Network Planning and Design Department within the Technology Division.  In keeping with our current business needs, we are looking for a person who meets the criteria indicated below.

Reporting to the Team Manager, Access Network Design, the position holder will carry optimally plan for the 2G/3G Core Access Network to be equipped to accommodate new traffic and growth (and fluctuations in traffic patterns in broader terms) over time, while fulfilling the Quality of Service (QoS) requirements for Safaricom PLC Mobile Network.

Responsibilities

• Planning, forecasting and managing BSC/RNC element additions and expansions.
• Preparation of HLD and predicting traffic demand of different technologies (Including and not limited to GSM Voice/GPRS/EDGE and 3G Voice/Data) in the country, region, BSC/RNC, LAC/RAC and suggest required RAN capacity addition and expansion in all aspects ahead of time to avoid congestion.
• Conducts network architecture design and feasibility studies.
• Preparing the Handshaking plan for BSC/RNC elements with Core.
• Suggest re-parenting of BSS/UTRAN elements based on Core Access capacity.
• Working on the topology planning and proposing the required re-homing and/or re-parenting as needed
• Monitoring and maintaining the utilization on all the interfaces and H/W resources of the BSCs including but not limited to Abis (TDM/IP), A (TDM/IP), Gb (TDM/IP), HSL, SIGTRAN, GSL, GPH, CPU, TRH, STEB.
• Work on BSS, PCU, TC, Gb, Abis, A, GSL, HSL and SIGTRAN capacity dimensioning, planning and load optimization.
• Planning, dimensioning, redesigning and optimizing LAC/RAC borders. Analyzing CCCH and signaling load to come up with feasible solutions be it LAC optimization or signaling link expansions.
• Performs high level CS/PS Traffic monitoring and forecasting.
• Prepare monthly and quarterly expansion requirements based on forecast.
• Tracking and following up the BSC/RNC projects with vendors and subcontractors.
• Maintain traffic model factors like mErl/Subs, Location Update/Subs, Signaling Load/Subs, kbps/sub, activity factor, HSPA usage, smartphone percentage etc
• Monitoring Iub utilization all over the network and handling the regular Iub Expansions process.
• Manage and design new capacity addition and expansions on Iub, IuCS, IuPS, DPU, EPB, SPU and other processing cards.
• Perform and assist BSC/RNC internal parameter audit on quarterly basis.
• Develop and evaluate network performance criteria and measurement methods.
• Study and assist in preparation of business case study for management decisions and changes in technical strategies.
• Providing technical and analytical support for new technology/architecture.
• Compiling and presenting recurring and ad-hoc reports regarding network capacity, project plans and network elements.
• Updating documentation on RAN nodes, H-W/S-W version, location and interconnectivity
• Deployment on-air and decommissioning dates.
• BSC and RNC hardware and software requirement projections for timely execution.
• Quality monitoring on KPIs eg CSSR, paging SR, LAC/RAC/TAC size managements and mapping corrections, CPU Utilizations, Interface Utilization, packet drops on IP interfaces.
• Manage BSC/RNC Capacity Requirements, traffic rearrangements, new equipment loading, equipment decommissioning and redeployment etc.
• BOQ Preparation and alterations according to network requirements and evolution.
• Equipment rollout requirements, planning and executions (Evaluation, surveys, Installations, Commissioning, Integrations and Loading)
• Align vendor RAN technologies/Roadmap/s with the Safaricom/RAN strategy
• Provide support in the development and implementation of Radio Access Network Strategies.
• New BSC/RNC Hub requirements evolutions, surveys, advisory etc.
• BSC License usage monitoring and management
• BSC Feature testing, trials, activation and parameters standardization
• Continuous Network modernization
• Support Core network, radio and transmission planning teams in their modernization and capacity upgrades.
• Accurate Documentation of network equipment, on-air dates
• Proactive solutions to emerging network challenges

Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical or Telecommunication Engineering, with an emphasis in Radio communications;
• Experience in telecommunication with a minimum of 3 year of 2G/3G hands on experience in Radio Network planning/operation.
• Knowledge in traffic modeling and capacity dimensioning, forecasting and management. Knowledge in tele-traffic Engineering is a plus;
• Practical knowledge on use of radio planning tool and capacity planning tools.
• Practical knowledge of interoperability between 4G, 3G and 2G networks.
• Candidates with experience in Nokia and/or Huawei equipment will have an added advantage;
• A team player with excellent problem solving skills.