Project Manager || Network

IMMEDIATE JOINERS REQUIRED

We are seeking a seasoned Project Manager 3 to lead end-to-end customer migration projects as organizations transition from their current service providers to Business solutions. You will be the customers primary point of contact, orchestrating complex, multi-site network migrations that may include SDWAN (Fortinet, Cisco Meraki), MPLS, VPLS, Broadband, and Wireless (4G/5G) underlay access. This role demands strong technical fluency in telecommunications network design and deployment, as well as rigorous project management discipline to deliver predictable, high-quality outcomes.

What Youll Do (Key Responsibilities)

•                     Own the migration lifecycle: Drive projects from initiation through planning, execution, cutover, and stabilization, ensuring scope, schedule, budget, quality, and customer satisfaction targets are met.

•                     Customer-facing leadership: Serve as the day-to-day contact for enterprise customers; translate technical detail into clear plans, set expectations, and communicate risk/mitigation strategies.

•                     Technical orchestration:

o        Plan and coordinate SDWAN deployments using Fortinet and Cisco Meraki, including edge device staging, policy templates, overlays, and traffic steering.

o        Manage transitions from MPLS/VPLS and legacy WANs to broadband/hybrid underlays; coordinate dual-running periods, routing migration, and DNS/DHCP cutovers.

o        Integrate Wireless xG (LTE/5G) for primary/backup underlay and business continuity, including SIM provisioning and signal validation.

o        Align CPE design (firewalls, SDWAN edges, switches, APs) with network architecture, IP schemas, VLANs, QoS, and security policies.

•                     Cutover planning & execution: Build detailed Method of Procedure (MOP) and Rollback Plans, schedule maintenance windows, coordinate change approvals (CAB), and lead go-lives.

•                     Cross-functional coordination: Work closely with sales engineers, network engineering, field services, provisioning, order management, and operations to remove blockers and deliver on plan.

Required Qualifications (Must-Haves)

•                     5–7 years of project management experience delivering customer-facing network or telecom projects at enterprise scale (multi-site, multi-technology).

•                     Hands-on expertise with SDWAN deployments using Fortinet (FortiGate/FortiManager) and Cisco Meraki (MX, templates, Auto VPN, policies).

•                     Strong working knowledge of MPLS, VPLS, BGP/OSPF, static routing, NAT, QoS, ACLs, VLANs, and overlay/underlay concepts.

•                     Experience planning and executing brownfield migrations (dual-stack/dual-path, phased cutovers, staged routing changes, and rollback).

•                     Familiarity with Wireless xG (LTE/5G) as primary/secondary underlay, including coverage validation and failover testing.

•                     Demonstrated proficiency with telecom service delivery processes (LOA/FOC, site readiness, permits, demarc, dispatch, turn-up, and acceptance).

•                     Project management discipline: advanced skills in scheduling (e.g., MS Project/Smartsheet), critical path, earned value or forecast-to-complete, RAID, change control, and stakeholder communications.

•                     Strong executive communication and customer relationship skills; able to lead technical and business stakeholders through ambiguity.

•                     Ability to read/interpret network diagrams and IP/port inventories, and to collaborate effectively with network engineers.

Preferred Qualifications

•                     Vendor certifications: Fortinet NSE (e.g., NSE 4/5/6/7), Cisco Meraki (CMSS/CMNA), or equivalent.

•                     Exposure to SASE, Zero Trust, cloud on-ramps (AWS/GCP/Azure), and VPN/remote access solutions.

•                     Experience with Change Advisory Boards (CAB) and ITIL-aligned change, incident, and problem processes.

•                     Familiarity with product portfolio (Ethernet Dedicated Internet, EDI; Broadband; Voice; Security; Managed Services).

•                     Experience with multi-tenant and multi-region rollouts, structured pilots, and factory provisioning models.

•                     Data/automation skills for delivery insights (e.g., Excel/Power BI/Smartsheet formulas, APIs, or scripting familiarity).

Core Competencies

•                     Technical Depth: Confident discussing routing, segmentation, SDWAN policies, and underlay dependencies with engineers and customers.

•                     Programmatic Rigor: Builds credible, resource-loaded plans with logical dependencies and manages them to completion.

•                     Stakeholder Management: Balances customer needs with delivery realities; sets clear expectations and drives alignment.

•                     Decision-Making Under Pressure: Leads during cutovers and incident bridges; makes data-informed calls with rollback options.

•                     Communication: Clear, concise, and tailored communications—from executive summaries to detailed MOPs.

•                     Ownership & Accountability: Bias to action, escalates early, and closes the loop on risks/issues.

Success Metrics (KPIs)

•                     On-time migrations (vs. baseline and committed dates)

•                     Quality at cutover (first-time-right %, rollback rate, post-cutover incident volume/MTTR)

•                     Customer satisfaction (CSAT/NPS for migration projects)

•                     Budget adherence (variance, forecast accuracy)

•                     Risk/issue throughput (time to mitigation/closure)

•                     Documentation completeness & audit readiness (playbooks, MOPs, acceptance artifacts)

Tools & Technologies You’ll Use

•                     SDWAN: Fortinet (FortiGate/FortiManager), Cisco Meraki (Dashboard, templates, Auto VPN)

•                     Routing/Switching: BGP, OSPF, static routes, VRRP/HSRP, VLANs, QoS, ACLs

•                     Underlay Services: Broadband, DIA/Ethernet, MPLS/VPLS, LTE/5G

•                     PM & Collaboration: MS Project/Smartsheet, Confluence/SharePoint, JIRA/ServiceNow (or similar), Excel/Power BI

•                     Change Management: CAB workflows, MOP/rollback templates, runbooks

•                     Documentation: Network diagrams (Visio/Draw.io)

Work Conditions

•                     Hours: Primary work hours are Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm US Central Time, with flexibility to support maintenance windows and after-hours cutovers.

Education

•                     Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Telecommunications, Computer Science, or related field; or equivalent relevant experience.