Neil King

AIM:

A self motivated and adaptable optical transport engineer with a focus on customer satisfaction, accuracy, and performance. 20 years of transmission network experience which includes; design, planning, operations, second line support, commissioning, provisioning, deployment, implementation, test engineering, change management, order management, cybersecurity, and project management.

WORK EXPERIENCE:

Senior Optical Network Engineer IV (Contract)

ASTREYA, FACEBOOK (Service provider), Optical Network Planning and Configuration.

London, UK (Remote)

Oct 2021 – Present

Optical Network Planning, and Configuration for the deployment of Data Centre DWDM connectivity.

• Optical Network Deployment for Facebook

• DWDM Planning and Configuration

• Line system Deployment (Ciena C/ROADM)

• Long Hall and Short Hall Deployment

• Terminal and ILA

• RAMAN and EDFA considerations

• ORL, Reflectance, and refractance analysis

• Remote commissioning and config

• Intra and Infra Fibre management

• Dark Fibre acceptance and integration

• Migrations and Trouble Tickets

• Liaison with third party field resources

• RSPC for DC, POP, HUT, Structured Cabling and X-connect

• Transponder deploy (Ciena WS and Infinera GX)

• Processes for BOM, SOW, MOP, PEW, TUT, HOD

• DCN, OSPF, MMT, Inband (OSC) and Direct Cat6

• Reverse Logistics

Principle Consultant Optical Transport Engineer (Contract)

Wipro, TEF (Service Provider)

UK, Germany, Spain (Remote)

April 2020 – Oct 2021

Service provider for TEF including Optical Network Planning and configuration. 

• DWDM Planning and configuration (Ciena / ADVA)

• TUT of new circuits

• Provisioning and configuring Ciena 6500

• SDN testing and implementation on the SBI/NBI utilising YANG and NETCONF

• Use case and test case planning and execution for test scenarios

Optical Network Deployment Engineer (Contract)

AWS, DWDM Network Design, Planning, and Deployment

Dublin, Ireland

June 2019 – April 2020

Deployment of Hi-Cap DWDM Network Transport solutions on behalf of AWS. Vendor equipment includes ADVA 3000, Ciena 6500, and Waveserver. Project managing end to end delivery of a large scale multinational network refit.

• Optical Transport Network planning, design, deployment, and implementation

• Responsible for the delivery of spans from design to turn up live

• Engineering project managing new deployment across a global data centre network

• Capacity planning and scaling with BOM orders based on topology solutions and budgetary requirements

• Provisioning and configuring Ciena 6500 and ADVA FSP3000

• Dark fibre and Data centre Xconnects for new span turn up

• Green field data centre deployment including Rack, Space, Power and Connectivity

• Managing data centre engineers and field engineers for network deployment activity

• Change management including, Approvals and Planned Works

• PEW, MW, MOP, HOD, SOW, BOM, LLD, HLD

• AMP, Line System, and OLP deployment including channel balancing and turn up troubleshooting

• IP Subnet planning

• Software, Firmware, and Hardware upgrades

• Linux operating system for implementation of AWS processes

• Python scripting for automation

• Writing and testing Python script templates

• Global follow the sun teamwork

• Visio, Excel, MS Office for planning design and deployment

• OSA, OPM, OTDR, BERT, GbE Test

SECOND LINE TECHNICAL SUPPORT ENGINEER (Permanent)

Proofpoint, Second Line Support of for Email Cybersecurity product

Belfast, UK

June 2018 – June 2019

Second line support and configuration of email cybersecurity product diagnosing software related product issues, IP related transport issues, and server configuration problems.

• Second line support of Proofpoint email security product

• Email rewriting as a function of the email filtering product

• Linux Command line navigation and configuration for server connectivity related issues

• Second line support and configuration for linux and IP-transit

• Network security

• Server migrations 

• TCP/IP, HTTP, DNS, SMTP, FTP, LDAP

• Global follow the sun support with collaboration across teams from EMEA and USA 

• Trouble ticket management including KPI and SLA

• 24/7 on-call support 

TRANSMISSION NETWORK PLANNING ENGINEER (Contract)

KTL, EE (Service Provider), Transmission for Ethernet MPLS Access Network Planning

Birmingham, UK

November 2016 – June 2018

Contracted to clients as an ASP providing planning and design consultancy for the roll out of microwave Ethernet access networks, implementing mobile backhaul connectivity to the 1/10Gbps core network MPLS gateway for 4G. The primary objective was to provide bandwidth implementation and capacity upgrade for mobile eNodeB site deployment of LTE, with the requirement of an AMSR traffic score per transmission link.

• Project managing new deployment across a UK wide network upgrade

• Managing field engineers for network deployment activity

• Microwave link design with IQ Link design tool for Siae and NEC MW

• Transmission and Ethernet/MPLS access topology planning for LTE

• IP Circuiting on Netcracker (NRM)

• Capacity planning and cluster planning

• Line of sight analysis on desktop and survey reported

• VSAT implementation

• LLD and HLD on excel, power point and visio

• Writing BOM, SOW, MOP, HOD

• Fibre feasibility planning for site core network integration

• Microsoft excel tracking including pivot and lookup

• ADC Build and Nemesis

NETWORK OPTICAL TRANSPORT ENGINEER (Contract)

ASTREYA, GOOGLE, (Service Provider), Optical Network Operations 1st and 2nd line support.

Dublin, Ireland

January 2016 – October 2016

Contracted into Google providing second line operations support across a vendor agnostic international network, with primary objectives being to troubleshoot DWDM transport network issues to restore MPLS Ethernet capacity and service. Additional duties included optical acceptance and turn up and test of new optical services. 

• Troubleshooting DWDM optical transport network to maintain MPLS router ethernet connectivity meeting SLA

• Linux scripting for configuration and operating system navigation

• Troubleshooting OSI layer 1 and layer 2

• MPLS IP Transport Troubleshooting

• Provisioning and configuring Ciena 6500

• Optical acceptance of new optical services including OMS, OCh, and OTU

• Juniper and Cisco login for IP focused transmission troubleshooting

• DWDM Vendors: Ciena, Infinera, ALU, NSN, BTI

• Report writing and documentation for PEW, MOP, SOW, RMA, HOD, RFO

• Dark fibre troubleshooting

• Change management and incident management

• Firmware, hardware, and software upgrades

• OTDR, BERT, OSA analysis for optical troubleshooting

• DWDM Equipment: ADVA, Infinera, Ciena, NSN, ALU

TRANSMISSION NETWORK ENGINEER (Contract)                                                                     

KTL, VODAFONE (Service Provider), Transmission Network Deployment

Dublin, Ireland

October 2015 – January 2016

Consultant transmission engineering on various mobile backhaul network transmission related projects as a partner in Three and Vodafone Ireland.

• Transmission level 2 support and configuration for Ethernet, IP, GSM, UMTS and LTE

• Leased line configuration and deployment

• Migrations and integration of new services

• Writing MOP and SOW and implementing planned engineering works

• Transmission network planning on Excel, Visio, and Cramer

TRANSMISSION NETWORK ENGINEER LEAD (Contract)                                                         

KTL, VODAFONE IRELAND (Service Provider), Transmission Network Deployment

Dublin, Ireland

July 2013 – August 2015                                                                                                               

Lead TX engineer for end to end project delivery of Vodafone Ireland Backhaul Evolution Program. Comprehensive mobile backhaul network upgrade project providing RAN transmission planning, microwave link engineering, configuration, implementation, and operations support for the roll out of RAN Transmission Ethernet access networks utilising IP and MPLS for GSM / UMTS / LTE integration. Technologies included SIAE access Ethernet microwave, Ericsson RBS and NodeB, ALU 1350 SDH, and Tellabs 8600 MPLS service router.

• Technical lead on the Vodafone BEP access network upgrade 

• Transmission access network planning (ATM/TDM/ETHERNET/IP/MICROWAVE)

• IP Subnet planning, configuration and troubleshooting for DCN, Traffic, and OAM

• Provisioning and configuration for IP, Ethernet, SDH, and MPLS 

• Configuration of Tellabs and Siae hardware utilising MPLS, L2VLAN & L3VPN, IP Transit

• RBS and EnodeB transmission integration for GSM900, UMTS900, UMTS2100, and LTE

• Troubleshooting access transmission networks including technical Support engineering

• LLD and HLD on Visio, Excel and Cramer network planning tool

• Software, hardware and firmware upgrades including test engineering

• Incident management and change management

• Writing MOP, SOW, and BOM including PEW for migrations, integrations, and upgrades

BACK OFFICE OPTICAL TRANSPORT NETWORK ENGINEER (Contract)

Huawei, Transmission Network Second Line Support

Zurich, Switzerland

July 2012 – July 2013

Second line network management and support across a multi-vendor transport network incorporating SDH, DWDM, and Ethernet. The SDH transmission network was implemented with Nokia Siemens Networks and Nortel Networks. The DWDM network was composed of Huawei 8800, Nortel 6500, and ADVA 3000 FSP. And the Ethernet solution was built over Nokia Siemens Networks TNMS, Huawei 8800, Nortel portfolio and ADVA 3000 FSP.

• Transmission second line support and configuration meeting SLA’s

• LLD for DWDM, SDH and Ethernet on excel, Cramer, power point and visio

• Provisioning and configuring DWDM, SDH, and ETHERNET

• OTDR, BERT, OSA analysis for optical troubleshooting

• 24 hour rotational on-call cover for outages

• Planned engineering works, preventative maintenance, and migrations

• Software, hardware and firmware upgrades

• Test engineering and technical support engineering

• Engineering documentation and report writing including RFO, BOM, SOW, and MOP

• IP and Ethernet Transport deployment, implementation and troubleshooting

• Equipment: TN1X, TN4X, TN16X, TN64X, OME6500, 6500 CPL, Huawei 8800, Adva 3000

NETWORK COMMISSIONING ENGINEER (Contract)

Teligence, DWDM Network Deployment

UK Wide

January 2012 – July 2012

Commissioning and configuring Ciena 4200 DWDM and Ciena/Nortel 6500 DWDM Networks for UK wide implementation of MSAN and ROADM systems, with the objective being the deployment of Next Generation Networks.

• DWDM 6500 CPL and 4200 network commissioning, deployment and implementation

• Troubleshooting, test engineering, and technical support engineering

• Software hardware and firmware upgrades

• Visio as-built implementation and handover documentation

• Hot staging equipment prior to implementation

• BERT/GigE testing and OSA for DWDM channel analysis

• OTDR, BERT, OSA analysis for optical troubleshooting

TRANSMISSION NETWORK TECHNICIAN (Contract)

BT, Network Operations Centre

Dublin, Ireland

August 2011 – January 2012

First line support of DWDM, SDH, IP, and Mobile networks, with vendor equipment including Huawei 8800, Nortel SDH, Cisco IP, and Ericsson RBS.

• Trouble ticket management

• SPOC

• Network acceptance

• Troubleshooting

• Teamwork and escalations

• Equipment: TN1X, TN4X, TN16X, TN64X, OME6500, 6500 CPL

• OTDR, BERT, OSA analysis for optical troubleshooting

NETWORK COMMISSIONING ENGINEER TEAM LEADER (Contract)

Greenwoods Communications, GPON Network Deployment

Northern Ireland wide                                       

March 2010 – August 2011

Configuring and commissioning Next Generation Access for Gigabit Passive Optical Networks over DWDM, for BT roll out of FTTC in exchanges all over Northern Ireland. GbE access commissioning required configuring the Huawei MA5600 series OLT layer two switch implementing IP on a logical VLAN, with the DWDM core being Ciena 4200 DWDM. 

• Teamleader

• Commissioning Huawei MA5600 and Ciena 4200 for ETHERNET and DWDM

• Troubleshooting and test engineering including BERT and GigE

• Planned engineering works

• Software hardware and firmware upgrades

• 24 hour maintenance cover on-call including remote and local support

• Engineering documentation and report writing

• Managing third party customer relationships

• OTDR, BERT, OSA analysis for optical troubleshooting

PRODUCTION TECHNICIAN 

Andor Technology, Production

Northern Ireland wide                                       

October 2009 – March 2010

Building confocal laser combiners and packing for shipping.

• Confocal laser combiner production

• Packing and shipping

ORDER MANAGER (Permanent)

Nortel Networks, EMEA Customer Service Centre

Belfast, Northern Ireland

November 2007 – July 2009

Using SAP as a job function to arrange delivery and fulfilment of telecommunications hardware, with communication to the customer being through phone and email. 

• EMEA telecommunications order management

• SAP Operations

• Helping operators and vendors by phone and email in the EMEA region

• Account management

• Resolving order escalations

OPTICAL TEST TECHNICIAN (Permanent)

Nortel Networks, Manufacturing Campus

Belfast, Northern Ireland

August 1999 – November 2007      

Responsibilities included testing and configuring Nortel’s optical kit in hot staged networks on the manufacturing campus and at customer sites, with fault finding at the system stage and at circuit board level. Further responsibilities involved writing and maintaining technical documentation and developing training material and test procedures. Additionally, involvement in several Six Sigma projects helped achieve system and process improvements in many aspects of the engineering environment. 

• Commissioning and configuring Nortel equipment portfolio

• SDH, CWDM, DWDM, Ethernet

• TN1X, TN4X, TN16X, TN64X, OME6500, 6500 CPL

• BERT and OSA testing

• Technical support engineering

• Test engineering software/hardware/firmware

• Network deployment and implementation 

• Environmental stress screening of network elements for fault diagnosis

• Power point presentations (internal and external)

• Engineering documentation and reports

• Continuous improvement of systems and procedures

• OTDR, BERT, OSA analysis for optical troubleshooting

EDUCATION:

SKILLS PROFILE:

• Transmission and Access Network planning and design

INDUSTRY CERTIFICATIONS:

HOBBIES:

REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

A self motivated and adaptable network engineer with a focus on customer satisfaction, accuracy, and performance. 20 years of transmission network experience which includes; design, planning, operations, second line support, commissioning, provisioning, deployment, implementation, test engineering, change management, order management, cybersecurity, and project management.

Masters Degree in Telecommunications