Fixed Networks Project Manager – DWDM / IP & Optics (6-Month Renewable Contract)

Fixed Networks Project Manager: DWDM / IP & Optics

Location: Gauteng, South Africa

Employment Type: 6-Month Contract, renewable subject to project requirements and performance

Start Date: 1 October 2026

Remuneration: Market-related, based on qualifications and experience

Industry: Telecommunications – Fixed Networks / Transmission / IP & Optical Networks

About the Role

Siris ICT is seeking an experienced Fixed Networks Project Manager to manage the end-to-end delivery of telecommunications network deployment projects, with particular emphasis on DWDM, IP and Optical Networks.

The successful candidate will be responsible for planning, executing, monitoring and controlling network rollout projects, coordinating customer and internal stakeholders, managing subcontractors and technical resources, and ensuring projects are delivered safely and in accordance with agreed scope, schedule, cost, quality and customer requirements.

The position requires a hands-on Project Manager who is comfortable working in a technically complex telecommunications deployment environment and interfacing directly with customers, engineering teams, field implementation teams, subcontractors, vendors and senior management.

Previous Nokia and/or Vodacom project experience will be a strong advantage.

Key Responsibilities

The Project Manager will be responsible for:

• Develop and maintain detailed Project Management Plans, rollout plans, schedules, resource forecasts and project phase plans.
• Manage the end-to-end deployment of DWDM, IP, Optical and Fixed Network infrastructure.
• Act as a key customer interface for all project deployment and delivery activities.
• Coordinate internal engineering, logistics, implementation, integration, commissioning and acceptance teams.
• Manage external suppliers, subcontractors and field implementation resources.
• Allocate project activities, responsibilities and priorities to ensure achievement of rollout targets.
• Establish project baselines and continuously monitor scope, schedule, cost, resources, quality and delivery performance.
• Track project activities, work orders, dependencies, milestones and deliverables through to closure.
• Identify project risks, issues, constraints and dependencies and develop appropriate mitigation and contingency plans.
• Escalate critical issues and project roadblocks in a timely manner and drive corrective actions to closure.
• Monitor project financial performance, including resource utilisation, costs, forecasts, estimate-to-complete and cost-at-completion.
• Analyse deviations against project cost and schedule baselines and implement corrective actions.
• Manage customer expectations and identify changes or additional customer requirements.
• Conduct regular project progress meetings and stakeholder reviews.
• Prepare and publish accurate daily, weekly/fortnightly and monthly project reports, dashboards and management updates.
• Ensure project documentation, quality requirements, acceptance documentation and project close-out activities are completed.
• Ensure compliance with applicable Health & Safety, quality, customer and site-access requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement and lessons learned across project delivery.

These responsibilities directly reflect the SOW's requirements for execution and control against baseline plans, work-order tracking, issue escalation, corrective actions, project metrics, risk management, close-out and periodic reporting. The customer's four core PM deliverable areas are customer/resource/cost management, project planning, project execution, and reporting/quality/H&S management.

Technical Experience Required

Candidates should have solid telecommunications project management experience, preferably within Fixed Networks, and practical exposure to several of the following:

DWDM / Optical Transport Networks, IP Networks, IP/MPLS, Optical transmission Fibre transmission networks, Metro/Core networks, Network equipment rollout, Equipment installation, Integration & commissioning, Network migration/cutover, Site readiness, Network acceptance and handover

Candidates do not necessarily need to be detailed design engineers, but they must have sufficient technical understanding to effectively manage technical teams, challenge rollout plans, understand dependencies and risks, and communicate credibly with customer engineering and operations teams.

Qualifications and Experience

Minimum / preferred requirements:

• Relevant Degree, National Diploma or equivalent tertiary qualification in Telecommunications, Electronic/Electrical Engineering, Information Technology or a related technical discipline.
• A recognised Project Management qualification/certification is highly desirable.
• PMP certification will be a strong advantage.
• Demonstrable telecommunications project management experience.
• Experience managing DWDM and/or IP/Optical network rollout projects is strongly preferred.
• Experience managing multiple subcontractors, suppliers and technical teams.
• Experience working within structured project governance and reporting environments.
• Strong understanding of project scope, schedule, cost, risk, quality and stakeholder management.
• Previous Nokia equipment project/delivery experience will be advantageous.
• Previous Vodacom network rollout/project experience will be advantageous.
• Experience managing multiple subcontractors.

Skills and Competencies

The ideal candidate should demonstrate strong project planning and control, customer management, stakeholder management, subcontractor management, risk and issue management, commercial awareness, problem-solving, reporting and communication skills.

The candidate must be able to work under pressure in a delivery-driven environment, manage multiple workstreams concurrently and proactively identify potential schedule, resource, cost and technical risks before they affect project milestones.

Experience with Microsoft Project, Excel, PowerPoint, Office 365, SharePoint and project reporting/dashboard tools would be advantageous. The SOW specifically identifies Office 365, SharePoint/OneDrive and Nokia-specific deployment systems as part of the project delivery environment.

Mandatory Requirements

Candidates must:

• Be based in Gauteng or able to work predominantly within Gauteng.
• Hold a valid South African driver's licence.
• Have access to their own reliable vehicle.
• Be willing and able to travel to customer offices, network sites and project locations as required.
• Be available to commence the assignment on or around 1 October 2026.
• Be available for an initial 6-month contract, with the possibility of renewal based on performance

Advantageous Experience

• Particular preference will be given to candidates who have a combination of:
• Nokia + Vodacom + DWDM + IP/Optics + Project Management
• Exposure to Nokia's project delivery environment, processes and tools would therefore be particularly valuable, although suitably experienced candidates from other telecommunications OEMs, operators, system integrators or network deployment organisations should also be considered.

H&S training requirements

• SA ID Copy / Passport and work permit
• Annexure 3 Medical
• Legal Liability
• OHS Act & HIRA
• Security Clearance

Application

Interested candidates should submit an updated CV clearly indicating:

• DWDM/IP/Optical projects delivered; project size and scope; customer/operator experience; Nokia and/or Vodacom experience where applicable; project-management qualifications/PMP status; availability; current location; and expected contract remuneration.

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Midrand, Gauteng: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Application Question(s):

• Do you have DWDM or IP/Optics project management experience?
• Do you have Nokia DWDW equipment