Site Closure Fibre Planner (North West)

Site Closure Fibre Planner - Telecommunications

Rate: £350 per day (outside IR35)

Location: North West England

Duration: initial 3 months with likely long-term extension

Working model: Remote with minimal site visits

A full UK driving licence is required as you will be required to travel to a number of sites.

It is essential that you have extensive experience with decommissioning network sites/site closures.

About the Role:

An international telecommunications organisation is seeking an experienced Site Closure Fibre Planner to join their Fibre Networks team. You will play a crucial role in enabling the successful decommissioning of network sites across the UK. You’ll be at the heart of one of the largest site rationalisation efforts in the industry. You will support the planning, design, and audit of complex fibre networks, and ensuring seamless migration of services during critical outages.

Key responsibilities

• Plan and design fibre solutions to enable the decommissioning of legacy network sites, ensuring service continuity during cutovers
• Prepare high-level and low-level designs including fibre schematics, splicing schedules, and routing plans
• Work closely with the Fibre Delivery Manager to align planning output with overall delivery timelines and programme milestones
• Collaborate with build partners, offshore planning teams, and internal stakeholders to deliver high-quality job packs
• Ensure the affected network is accurately represented in GIS , and coordinate the necessary updates with offshore GIS teams
• Instruct and interpret fibre audits to confirm the live network matches records, and that plans are feasible and executable
• Raise planning risks and potential blockers (e.g. lack of records, unknown fibre routing, capacity constraints) early and clearly
• Attending project meetings and providing updates on key sites, blockers, and planning readiness
• Maintain strong communication across multiple teams (build partners, network planning, delivery, and network ceasing teams)
• Uphold planning standards and contribute to process improvement as closures transition from elective network sites to forced site closures

Skills & Experience

• Extensive experience in fibre planning and network design that must be within site closures/decommissioning network sites and large-scale core network or diversionary works projects.
• GIS experience and knowledge of telecommunications networks are essential.
• Proficiency with GIS tools (e.g. GE Smallworld).
• Understanding of fibre routing, cable types, joints, and splicing logic.
• Confidence preparing technical documentation (LLDs, schematics, splicing schedules) to a high standard.
• Able to work collaboratively across multiple teams and geographies, including with offshore planning support.
• Experience dealing with legacy network topologies, customer migrations, and high-risk cable outages.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to remain calm under pressure.
• Clear communicator with an ability to challenge constructively when needed.

Qualifications

• IOSH, Construction Skills Certification Scheme accreditation or similar.
• NEBOSH accredited.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Excellent Microsoft office skills.