Network Operations Senior Advisor (Network Operations)

Job Posting Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Position Objective: The Senior Advisor serves as the principal strategic and technical sounding board to the VP of Network Operations. Orchestrating operational excellence across all network domains and drive the transition from a complex legacy infrastructure to a future-state, zero-touch architecture – targeting TM Forum Autonomous Network Level 4 (ANL 4) maturity and a modernized, unified NOC. Job Description & Responsibilities: • Act as the primary trusted advisor to the VP of Network Operations on long-term strategy, operational risk management, and technology lifecycle investments. • Evaluate and translate emerging technological trends (e.g., 6G readiness, advanced edge computing, network slicing) into actionable, high-yield operational roadmaps. • Advise on the governance of operational frameworks across the entirety of the operator’s footprint to ensure alignment with global standards and corporate KPIs. • Provide strategic direction and operational efficiency oversight across eight core domains: • Mobile Network: Next-gen RAN, vRAN, OpenRAN, and multi-generation (4G/5G/5G-Advanced) core alignment. • Fixed Network: FTTx, GPON, and next-generation fixed access operations. • Transport Network: IP/MPLS, Optical (DWDM), Segment Routing, and microwave backhaul optimization. • Core & Cloud Network: Cloud-native network functions (CNFs/VNFs), telco cloud infrastructure (OpenStack, Kubernetes), and hybrid-cloud operational paradigms. • IT Operations: Alignment of corporate IT infrastructure, workplace tech, and data center operations with network functions. • Cybersecurity: Embedding DevSecOps into network operations, ensuring infrastructure resilience, threat mitigation, and strict regulatory compliance. • OSS/BSS: Transforming legacy Operations and Business Support Systems into agile, microservices-driven architectures. • AIOps Strategy Formulation: Define the overarching AI/ML roadmap for Network Operations to move toward predictive, generative, and closed-loop autonomous operations. • AIOps Implementation: Drive the deployment of Artificial Intelligence for AI Operations (AIOps) platforms to ingest vast streams of telemetry data across Fixed, Mobile, and Cloud networks for real-time anomaly detection and predictive scaling. • Generative AI & LLMs in Ops: Evaluate and pilot Generative AI applications (such as LLM-powered network assistants) to accelerate Tier-1/Tier-2 engineering troubleshooting, synthesize complex RCA (Root Cause Analysis) logs, and automate routine configuration scripts safely. • Data Governance for Networks: Collaborate with Chief Data Officers/IT to establish robust data pipelines, ensuring clean, structured, and real-time network telemetry data is available to train and mature AI models. • AI Governance & Explainability: Ensure AI/ML and closed-loop automation decisions remain auditable and explainable (XAI), preserving engineer trust and regulatory compliance as autonomy increases. • AI Capability Upskilling: Act as a change agent to foster an AI-first mindset across the engineering workforce, advising the VP on the talent and skills gap required to operate a cognitive network. • Lead the transformation of the NOC from siloed, domain-specific monitoring into a unified command center, consolidating EMS/NMS, service assurance, and orchestration tooling across Fixed, Mobile, Transport, Core, Cloud, and IT domains. • Define and continuously optimize the NOC’s tiered support structure (Tier 0 automated remediation through Tier 3 specialist escalation), shifting resolution through automation, runbooks, and AI-assisted diagnostics. • Drive AI/ML-based event correlation, event de-duplication, and noise reduction, ensuring NOC engineers focus exclusively on actionable, service-impacting events. • Own the end-to-end Major Incident Management process, including rapid triage, cross-domain war-room coordination, executive communication, and post-incident root-cause and problem management. • Ensure 24/7 operational resilience through effective staffing model, shift patterns, and escalation matrices that sustain continuous, around-the-clock network assurance aligned with contractual SLA commitments. • NOC-SOC Integration: Partner with the Cybersecurity function to align NOC monitoring and incident-response workflows with Security Operations Center (SOC) processes, ensuring unified visibility into service-impacting and security-impacting events. • Progress the NOC toward TM Forum Autonomous Network Level 4 (ANL 4) — highly autonomous, closed-loop operations — with measurable maturity targets across priority domains. • ANL Level 4 Transition: Architect and drive the migration from manual/reactive troubleshooting to Autonomous Advanced Operations Model Level 4 (Intent-driven, highly autonomous closed-loop operations). • Zero-Touch Self-Healing: Recommend, design, and champion AI/ML-driven initiatives to achieve predictive maintenance, automated anomaly detection, and automated root-cause analysis (RCA) to enable a self-healing infrastructure. • OPEX Optimization: Identify structural inefficiencies across domains and execute modernization programs that significantly reduce operational costs while boosting Network Quality of Experience (QoE). • Energy & Sustainability Optimization: Drive AI-based optimization of RAN and site power usage to cut energy cost, reduce emissions, and improve operational efficiency. • Align all operational transformation workflows, information models, and open APIs with TM Forum Open Digital Architecture (ODA) - including eTOM, SID, and the Functional Framework to enable vendor-agnostic interoperability and support zero-touch, AI-ready operations. • Enforce and mature the FCAPS (Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance, Security) model through modern, automated tooling. Qualifications & Experience: • Bachelor’s Degree in Telecommunications Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Computer Science, or a strictly related technical field is required. • A Master’s Degree (M.Sc. or MBA) is highly preferred • Minimum of 20 years of progressive experience within the Telecommunications or closely related ICT sector. • At least 5 years in a similar executive advisory capacity, or a senior management role within a Tier-1 telecom operator. • Documented history of leading large-scale network transformation, automation, or modernization initiatives that yielded measurable OPEX savings or reliability gains. • Deep understanding of complex network ecosystems (Fixed, Mobile, Transport, Core, IT, Cyber). • Demonstrated experience leading or transforming a large-scale, 24/7 Network Operations Center (NOC), including tiered escalation models, major incident management, and modern NOC tooling (EMS/NMS, ITSM/ticketing, alarm correlation, AIOps platforms). • Comprehensive knowledge of TM Forum Open Digital Architecture (ODA) — including eTOM, SID, and the Functional Frameworkand traditional FCAPS infrastructure management. • Comprehensive knowledge of AI/ML applications in telecom operations (AIOps), network virtualization (NFV/SDN), and orchestration engines. • Industry certifications and memberships (e.g., PMP, ITIL, TOGAF, CCIE, or equivalent) are considered a plus • Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to distill hi

Bachelor’s Degree in Telecommunications Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Computer Science, or a strictly related technical field is required. A Master’s Degree (M.Sc. or MBA) is highly preferred. Minimum of 20 years of progressive experience within the Telecommunications or closely related ICT sector. At least 5 years in a similar executive advisory capacity, or a senior management role within a Tier-1 telecom operator. Documented history of leading large-scale network transformation, automation, or modernization initiatives that yielded measurable OPEX savings or reliability gains. Deep understanding of complex network ecosystems (Fixed, Mobile, Transport, Core, IT, Cyber). Demonstrated experience leading or transforming a large-scale, 24/7 Network Operations Center (NOC), including tiered escalation models, major incident management, and modern NOC tooling (EMS/NMS, ITSM/ticketing, alarm correlation, AIOps platforms). Comprehensive knowledge of TM Forum Open Digital Architecture (ODA) — including eTOM, SID, and the Functional Frameworkand traditional FCAPS infrastructure management. Comprehensive knowledge of AI/ML applications in telecom operations (AIOps), network virtualization (NFV/SDN), and orchestration engines. Industry certifications and memberships (e.g., PMP, ITIL, TOGAF, CCIE, or equivalent) are considered a plus

Act as the primary trusted advisor to the VP of Network Operations on long-term strategy, operational risk management, and technology lifecycle investments. Evaluate and translate emerging technological trends into actionable, high-yield operational roadmaps. Advise on the governance of operational frameworks across the operator’s footprint to ensure alignment with global standards and KPIs. Provide strategic direction and operational efficiency oversight across eight core domains: Mobile Network, Fixed Network, Transport Network, Core & Cloud Network, IT Operations, Cybersecurity, OSS/BSS. Lead the transformation of the NOC from siloed, domain-specific monitoring into a unified command center. Define and continuously optimize the NOC’s tiered support structure. Drive AI/ML-based event correlation, de-duplication, and noise reduction. Own end-to-end Major Incident Management. Ensure 24/7 operational resilience with appropriate staffing and escalation. NOC-SOC Integration with Security Operations Center. Progress NOC toward TM Forum ANL 4 maturity. Architect and drive migration to Autonomous Advanced Operations Model Level 4. Champion AI/ML-driven predictive maintenance and self-healing capabilities. Align operational workflows with TM Forum Open Digital Architecture (ODA). Enforce FCAPS through automated tooling.