The Change Management Engineer is a technical resource in the change management workgroup. The Change Management Engineer is responsible for planning and implementing network changes including grooms, and software updates, reviewing change requests, and assisting in customer communication. This position is also responsible for escalations out of repair and working with vendors to determine the root cause of network events.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Responsible for managing escalations from internal workgroups to resolution.
• Work with Vendors to conduct a root cause analysis and collaborate with engineering to determine if network changes should be implemented to prevent future occurrences.
• Analyze, diagnose, and correct network hardware and/or software problems associated with the delivery of data transport to minimize network downtime.
• Mentor repair technicians to reduce escalations and MTTR.
• Responsible for researching, designing, planning, and implementing network grooms including the creation of MOPs, conducting a change impact analysis, submission of change requests for approval, and facilitating resources.
• Assist Core Engineering with the implementation of network changes.
• Create system support documentation including instructional procedures, test plans, and problem documentation.
• Plan and deploy new software versions to network equipment.
• Additional duties as assigned

 

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, and SKILLS:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required.
• Must be detail oriented and highly organized.
• Experience with Ciena, Cisco, Cyan, Telco Systems, Adtran, Calix, Juniper and Adva.
• Experience with Network Edge, Transport and Access technologies such as DSL, GPON, SONET, and ROADM.
• In depth knowledge of MEF and CE2.0 Ethernet products and standards, including y.1731 statistics collection, y.1564 testing.
• Advanced knowledge of Ethernet and IP required. Successful candidate will have the skills necessary to troubleshoot layers 1-4 of the OSI Model.
• In depth knowledge of connection-oriented Ethernet standards including MPLS-TP, G.8032, PBB-TE.
• In depth knowledge of industry protocols including IP, MPLS, OSPF, ISIS, BGP, VRRP, VLANs, Spanning tree, and 802.1q.
• Solid optical troubleshooting skills using OTDR, OSA, BERT and optical power meters.
• Experience with passive and active OADM & ROADM DWDM systems.
• Strong detail-oriented project management skills.
• Ability to build and foster collaborative relationships.
• Capable of working and learning independently with minimal supervision.
• Strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to make decisions independently.

 

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

• 6+ years of relevant telecommunications experience.
• BS or BA in Telecommunications, Computer Science, or equivalent experience.

If you have a passion for finding untapped talent, driving company growth, and helping individuals find rewarding careers then come join our fun, fast-growing team as a HR Talent Specialist at FirstLight. This position will manage the full recruiting cycle company-wide, including but not limited to obtaining hiring approvals, sourcing candidates, training and supporting hiring managers through the hiring process, and developing and managing an internship program.

This position has the flexibility to work remotely from anywhere in Pennsylvania, New England, or New York or work from one of our many beautiful offices. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Work closely with hiring managers to gain a comprehensive understanding of hiring needs, developing and executing creative strategies to source qualified candidates through a wide variety of channels.
• Manage search processes from start to finish keeping the HR Manager and leadership up to date on the status of open positions.
• Write and update job descriptions to accurately reflect job duties and attract quality candidates.
• Coach hiring managers on interview best practices. Schedule and participate in interviews regularly, ensuring company and legal compliance with staffing procedures and processes.
• Distribute job offers and prepare candidates for a successful first day by answering questions, reviewing benefit package, and helping them get necessary documents returned.
• Build out current internship program to further develop the pipeline of talent.
• Work with HR team to enhance training programs for internal candidates to successfully fill internal openings.
• Develop and manage the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program company-wide.

• Complete special projects and other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, AND SKILLS: 

• 2-5 years relevant recruiting experience in a fast-paced high-volume environment. Technical recruiting experience (particularly within telecommunications) strongly preferred.
• Excellent professional writing skills with the ability to craft accurate job descriptions and postings.
• Demonstrated experience enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
• Ability to build strong rapport quickly with candidates and managers at all levels the organization.
• Strong knowledge of labor laws, particularly as they apply to recruiting.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Telecommunications/technology experience preferred, but not required

The OSP Make Ready Specialist is responsible for processing all required utility make ready needed to obtain a license in a timely and compliant manner to allow the OSP construction team to safely attach to utility poles. Essential Duties And Responsibilities:

• Issue utility make ready packages to approved contractors for review and cost estimate.
• Tracks and follows up on pending estimates to ensure they are obtained within strict time frames.
• Communicate with other third party attachers to coordinate additional make ready that may be required.
• Troubleshooting resolutions to decrease delays and/or expenses.
• Actively seeks to develop business rapport with licensing stakeholders, utility representatives, contractors, and vendors, exhibiting professionalism while representing the company.
• Completes purchase requisitions for licensing and make-ready work. Reviews final invoices for accuracy, addressing discrepancies with the vendor.
• Updates both internal and external electronic databases. Maintains files and documentation thoroughly and accurately in accordance with company policy and accepted industry standards.
• Communicates make ready and licensing developments with internal departments to keep projects moving.
• Complete special projects and other duties as assigned.

  QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, and SKILLS:  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the qualifications, knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Must have thorough knowledge of applicable outside plant make ready regulations as well as industry standards and procedures. Should possess strong computer skills with an ability to type 60-65 words per minute and be proficient in Excel, Outlook, and Word, as well as have an aptitude to learn and navigate multiple operating systems. Ability to communicate professionally through all types of media with utilities, contractors, municipalities, and associates, exhibiting poise, composure, and confidence when confronting high-pressure situations. Must have strong work ethic, be well organized, and reliable. Ability to work independently and with a team in a fast-paced and high volume environment with emphasis on accuracy and timeliness. EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:  High School Diploma (or GED or High School Equivalence Certificate) with a minimum of two (2) years relevant experience. Associates Degree in business administration, engineering, or related field with three (3) years relevant experience preferred; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

FirstLight is seeking an experienced and success oriented Sales Engineer to support FirstLight’s Enterprise sales team!

FirstLight, headquartered in Albany, NY, provides fiber optic data, voice, and high-speed Internet services to enterprise, carrier and wholesale customers in Upstate New York and Northern New England utilizing its own fiber optic network. FirstLight offers a robust suite of advanced telecommunications services, including dedicated Internet access, Ethernet, traditional TDM solutions, SIP trunks, virtual PBX and Data Center Colocation. Summary: Sales Engineers are the primary technical resource for the sales force developing and costing network designs. Sales Engineers are responsible for actively driving and managing the technology evaluation stage of the sales process to a successful conclusion. Working in conjunction with the sales team, the Sales Engineer acts as the key technical advisor and product advocate for FirstLight services. The Sales Engineer must be able to articulate the technology and product positioning to both business and technical users within assigned accounts. He or she must be able to establish and maintain strong relationships throughout the sales cycle. Working in conjunction with the assigned Account Manager, the Sales Engineer will conduct a customer needs assessment and then develop a communications solution tailored to meet those customer needs. Responsibilities:

• Provides pre-sales technical support to the FirstLight Sales team
• Able to present FirstLight’s service capabilities to both technical teams as well as business-oriented members within customers/prospects
• Able to translate customers’ requirements into a winning solution including the design of the services, costing of the components of the solution and creation of business cases to support the opportunity
• Responsible for presenting the services at field events such as conferences, seminars, etc.
• Able to respond to functional and technical elements of RFIs/RFPs
• Able to convey customer requirements to internal teams within FirstLight
• Acts as a liaison between the customer and FirstLight engineering and technical operations personnel and contractors during the design, construction and installation process.
• Able to travel throughout sales territory

Qualifications:  Ideal candidates must be self-motivated with a proven track record in telecommunications sales and knowledge of technology. Comfortable in a dynamic atmosphere of a technical organization developing solutions tailored to large business customers’ needs. Must possess strong presentation skills and be comfortable presenting to all levels within a business including C-level management. Must be able to communicate effectively in written responses to emails, RFPs, and when submitting reports. Organized, persuasive and analytical, the ideal candidate must be able to eliminate sales obstacles through creative and adaptive approaches. 3-5+ years relevant experience in service provider sales engineering. A solid understanding of the competitive landscape is essential. Experience and familiarity with new and emerging telecommunications technology, including but not limited to fiber optics, Ethernet, virtual PBX, managed services and software as a service (SAAS) with a strong desire to continuously learn new skills and technologies quickly. Education and/or Experience: A B.S. in Engineering or a related field is strongly preferred. Computer Skills  To perform this job successfully, an individual should have strong working knowledge of the Microsoft suite including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio and Outlook. The candidate also needs to have experience working with mapping software including Google Earth and knowledge of Sugar CRM software a plus

First Light Fiber is looking for a highly skilled technical sales professional, with deep specialty in Cisco Collaboration Solutions, but strong proficiency in horizontal Cisco technology domains (Routing/Switching, Security, Data Center, Wireless).  Responsible for providing architectural design expertise on high value opportunities.   Collaborate with the sales, leadership, engineering peers, partners, and customers to develop winning and innovative business solutions and proposals by leveraging expertise, technical depth in architectural models and complimentary technologies, services and solutions.  Provides leadership in driving an architectural approach to understanding customer technical and service requirements within area of architectural specialization, including an in-depth knowledge of the competitive landscape.  Business/Market awareness allowing expertise an in-depth understanding to perform a business to technology translation integrating into the overall solution.  Technical advisor for their area to customer/field/partner architecting a long term (multi-year) business built solution. Responsibilities

• Identify Opportunities
  • Support territory surrounding identification of specialized opportunities
  • Support account planning when specialized opportunities are identified, especially on dedicated accounts
  • Impact market awareness by participating in seminars, showcases, public events, etc.
• Develop & Present Solutions
  • Provide technical qualification for opportunity and can expertly recommend a Cisco Validated Design or an alternative solution
  • Actively recommend solutions options for customer and serve as liaison for driving product and solution innovations.
  • Design customized solutions for specific customers and industries within specialty
  • Produce Bill of Materials including all equipment and professional services required for project completion
  • Identify and engage appropriate post-sales support resources to position a service sell
  • Leverage existing business relationships with the Account Team internally, and various technology and business groups within customers' organizations to recommend innovative customer solutions.
  • Provide leadership and guidance in technical responses to customer RFP's. Trial and demonstration support.
  • Perform executive-level presentations for customers, partners, and prospects.
• Close
  • Adjust design based on customer negotiation process
  • Synch with post-sales engineer and provide adequate documentation for clear handoff to post-sales organization
  • Document technology-focused PoC/PoV if applicable to multiple customers and share findings with Solution Architect community.
• Personal & Organizational Development
  • Research and report on Cisco’s competition to develop "best of breed" white papers in area of technology specialization.
  • Publish white papers in specialty area.
  • Seek out opportunities to partner with and mentor less-experienced teammates within specialty, to share leading practices and help strengthen capabilities.
  • Leverage specialty expertise to help address customer concerns/issues and expedite a deal through the sales process.
  • Educate customer-focused resources on revenue opportunities within specialty
  • Promote new and innovative approaches to addressing business challenges and problems.

Skills & Behaviors

• Business Acumen
  • Maintain a detailed-level of expertise of the business economics and trends within specialty, and how Cisco solutions add financial and strategic value.
  • Expert at understanding Cisco vision and technology; articulate the vision from the customer perspective and create unique, novel value propositions around Cisco solutions
  • Expert understanding of customer business drivers and how to map these to a customer network platform, including identification of improvement areas in network design
  • Interact at a senior technical level within an account. Be a trusted technical advisor to the account team and customer
• Technical Acumen
  • Advanced knowledge of Cisco Collaboration Technologies.
  • Strong understanding of internetworking industry trends, including new products and solutions
  • Strong understanding of competitive product and solution landscape and can articulate trade-offs between Cisco and competitor products
  • Advanced knowledge in Routing & Switching
  • Advanced knowledge in Networking Platform Design
  • Expert technical consulting skills, including ability to define trade-offs, ask probing questions, and incorporate customer solutions into a broader technology environment
  • Expert knowledge in solution design
  • CCNP Collaboration preferred. Cisco CCIE Collaboration highly desired.
• Leadership Ability
  • Viewed internally as the lead mentor in providing technical and career guidance for peers
  • Leads internal virtual teams in domain area and actively collaborates to share best practices and areas of technical innovation
  • Able to drive solution delivery for specific opportunity
  • Has responsibility and demonstrates leadership in organizing special interest teams, industry events, and competitive teams.
  • Clearly and succinctly convey information and ideas, including expert executive communication and presentation skills
  • Probe customer business needs with insightful questions and demonstrate ability to recommend appropriate solutions and defend recommendations in a competitive environment
  • Expert at identifying and leading the appropriate resources (internal and external) required to develop and execute major customer strategic initiatives
  • Expertly recognize contentious situations and build consensus both within Cisco and with customer organizations
  • Promote new and innovative approaches to addressing business challenges and problems.