Planner II

Lumen Technologies; United States; Remote; USD 68,000 - 99,000; Full time

Job summary

Lumen Technologies is seeking a Planning Engineer II for a remote-based, full-time role within the Local/ILEC Edge Planning team of North American Operations. You will design plans to enable multi-gig services, manage network elements, and forecast capacity needs for both residential and business customers.

You’ll collaborate across engineering and planning functions, develop cost estimates for fiber and copper infrastructure, and prepare planning handoffs.

Qualifications

• 2+ years in Inside plant, Outside plant & Passive Optical Network.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent education and relevant experience.
• Experience with Metro/Ethernet network is a plus.
• Experience with GIS-based planning tools (GSA/GE Smallworld).
• Knowledge of Outside Plant Copper and Fiber optic cable designs.
• Knowledge of Fiber to the Tower/Node architectures and related tech.
• High proficiency with Microsoft Excel and related tools.

Responsibilities

• Research, plan, and release projects to engineering.
• Develop cost estimates for electronics, fiber feeder, and distribution for residential and overbuild projects.
• Prepare lit/dark fiber cost estimates for cell tower projects.
• Create planning handoff packages for engineering partners.
• Forecast capacity requirements using data and inventory for planning.
• Analyze network design options to optimize funding.
• Support additional planning activities such as grants and regulatory programs.

Skills

Inside Plant Experience

Outside Plant Experience

PON knowledge

Metro/Ethernet knowledge

Excel proficiency

Communication & writing

Collaboration skills

Independent work

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

GSA (GE Smallworld)

Google Earth

Fireworks

Job description

Lumen is the trusted network for the AI‑powered world, connecting people, data, and applications through our expansive fiber network and connected ecosystem. We enable secure, high‑performance connectivity across cloud, edge, and AI workloads for enterprises, governments, and communities.

At Lumen, you’ll work on infrastructure customers rely on today and build for what’s next, where performance, security, and resilience matter.

This is a high accountability environment where bold ideas drive real innovation for our customers, partners, and industry. The work is challenging, expectations are clear, and trust is built into how we operate. If you’re ready to take ownership, deliver meaningful impact, and help shape the future of AI‑ready connectivity, join us today.

The Role

Planning Engineer II is a remote-based full-time position, individual contributor who is part of the Local/ILEC Edge Planning team in Lumen’s North American Operations group.

Creates plans to enable Lumen's network in support of multi-gig services/products for residential and business customers. Manages the network elements and evaluates capacity utilization. Forecasts and trends bandwidth growth to produce capacity triggers for bandwidth relief. Submits projects based on capacity triggers. These activities are in support of both Inside & Outside Plant planning activities in the assigned wire centers

The Main Responsibilities

• Research, plan and release projects to engineering.
• Develop electronics, fiber feeder and distribution desktop costing estimate for new residential & overbuild projects.
• Develop lit/dark fiber desktop costing estimate for cell tower projects.
• Develop planning handoff package to engineering partners.
• Anticipate capacity requirements in the network utilizing forecast data, existing network inventory data, strategic planning data.
• Perform network analysis and review to determine optimal network architecture for funding.
• Perform other strategic planning activities including but not limited to Grants, RDOF, as business needs dictate.
• Perform other support activities including but not limited to road moves, rehab, DSI growth & HSI augment.

What We Look For in a Candidate

Minimum:

• 2+ yearsin Inside plant, Outside plant & Passive Optical Network.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent education and relevant experience.
• Experience with Metro/Ethernet network a plus.
• Experience with GSA (GE Smallworld) or any GIS-based planning tools.
• Knowledge of Outside Plant Copper and Fiber Optic Cable (Underground, Aerial, Buried) and manhole and conduit design.
• Knowledge of Fiber to the Tower, Fiber to the Business, Fiber to the Node and Fiber to the Home Architectures and Technologies.
• High level of proficiency with Microsoft Excel or equivalent program. Requires use of systems, including but not limited to GSA, Google Earth, Fireworks, etc.
• Strong writing, analytical and presentation skills.
• Must be highly adept at collaborating and communicating with others, at all levels in the organization.
• Work independently with little or no oversight, be able to self-manage their workload and deliver all projects to meet SLA/deadlines.

Preferred:

• 3+ years of related experience
• Experience in an engineering role that included a substantial business financial focus

Compensation

This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. Individual pay is based on skills, experience and other relevant factors.
Location Based Pay Ranges
$67,703 - $90,270 in these states: AL AR AZ FL GA IA ID IN KS KY LA ME MO MS MT ND NE NM OH OK PA SC SD TN UT VT WI WV WY
$71,088 - $94,784 in these states: CO HI MI MN NC NH NV OR RI
$74,474 - $99,297 in these states: AK CA CT DC DE IL MA MD NJ NY TX VA WA
Lumen offers a comprehensive package featuring a broad range of Health, Life, Voluntary Lifestyle benefits and other perks that enhance your physical, mental, emotional and financial wellbeing. We're able to answer any additional questions you may have about our bonus structure (short-term incentives, long-term incentives and/or sales compensation) as you move through the selection process.

Life at Lumen is human and connected, even in a fast moving, AI‑focused organization. We set clear expectations and trust people to meet them. With real support and shared accountability, teams collaborate better, move faster, and deliver meaningful outcomes.

Our Lumen 8 behaviors guide how we interact, make decisions, and work together, shaping a culture built to perform and win.

If you are selected for a position, there will be a background screen, which may include checks for criminal records and/or motor vehicle reports and/or drug screening, depending on the position requirements. For more information on these checks, please refer to the Post Offer section of our FAQ page . Job-related concerns identified during the background screening may disqualify you from the new position or your current role. Background results will be evaluated on a case‑by‑case basis.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons regardless of race, color, ancestry, citizenship, national origin, religion, veteran status, disability, genetic characteristic or information, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, family status, pregnancy, or other legally protected status (collectively, “protected statuses”). We do not tolerate unlawful discrimination in any employment decisions, including recruiting, hiring, compensation, promotion, benefits, discipline, termination, job assignments or training.

Privacy Notice

Lumen is committed to protecting the privacy and security of personal information collected during the recruitment and hiring process. Our ApplicantPrivacy Notice explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect applicant information, as well as how individuals may request access to or deletion of their personal data.

The job responsibilities described above indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to include a comprehensive inventory of all duties and responsibilities for this job. Job duties and responsibilities are subject to change based on evolving business needs and conditions.

In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

Please be advised that Lumen does not require any form of payment from job applicants during the recruitment process. All legitimate job openings will be posted on our official website or communicated through official company email addresses. If you encounter any job offers that request payment in exchange for employment at Lumen, they are not for employment with us, but may relate to another company with a similar name.

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