Telecom Discipline Lead

Arora Engineers LLC; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

ARORA ENGINEERS, LLC. seeks a highly experienced Telecommunications Engineer to act as Principal Designer and Lead Telecommunications Engineer for aviation, transportation, and institutional projects.

You will establish enterprise telecom architecture, lead design from concept to construction, and mentor engineers and BIM/CAD staff to deliver high‑quality, standards‑driven solutions. You will coordinate with project managers and executives, evolve technology strategies, and develop master plans

Qualifications

• Extensive knowledge of telecommunications engineering principles and design methodologies.
• Strong understanding of enterprise telecommunications architecture and network infrastructure.
• Expertise in Outside Plant (OSP), structured cabling, fiber networks, and distribution systems.
• Thorough understanding of telecom room design, equipment space planning, and integration coordination.
• Strong knowledge of aviation, transportation, and mission-critical telecom systems.
• Experience with design processes from planning through construction administration.
• Familiarity with industry codes (BICSI, NEC, TIA, ANSI).
• Excellent communication, leadership, and organizational skills.
• Ability to mentor staff and supervise multiple projects.
• Proficiency in Revit, AutoCAD, Bluebeam, and collaboration platforms.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the Principal Designer and Lead Telecommunications Engineer on major projects.
• Lead planning, engineering, and design from concept through construction administration.
• Establish system architecture and engineering approaches for complex projects.
• Develop engineering documents, specifications, narratives, calculations, and reports.
• Maintain engineering standards, specifications, and best practices.
• Perform QA/QC reviews for constructability and standards compliance.
• Mentor engineers, designers, and BIM/CAD staff.
• Coordinate with other disciplines and interface with clients and vendors.
• Support proposals, scope development, and fee estimates.

Skills

Telecommunications engineering

Enterprise architecture

OSP design

Structured cabling

BIM coordination

Leadership

Technical writing

Client engagement

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/IT/Telecommunications

PE license preferred

RCDD certification preferred

15+ years telecom design experience

5+ years leading telecom projects

Tools

Revit

AutoCAD

Bluebeam

Microsoft Office

Autodesk Construction Cloud

Job description

Overall Responsibility

The Telecommunications Discipline provides senior technical leadership for the planning, design, and implementation of telecommunications systems supporting complex aviation, transportation, and infrastructure projects. Serving as the Principal Designer and Lead Telecommunications Engineer on major assignments, this position is responsible for establishing enterprise telecommunications architecture, technology strategy, and telecommunications system design approaches, maintaining technical quality, developing engineering standards, and mentoring engineering staff.

The Telecommunications Engineer leads the design of enterprise telecommunications infrastructure including outside plant (OSP), structured cabling systems (ISP), fiber optic networks, telecommunications rooms, carrier services, network infrastructure, wireless communications, and mission‑critical communications facilities. The role partners closely with Project Managers, Discipline Leads, and executive leadership to deliver coordinated, high‑quality engineering solutions while advancing the Telecommunications practice through technical excellence, innovation, and client engagement.

Essential Functions

• Serve as the Principal Designer and Lead Telecommunications Engineer on major telecommunications projects.
• Lead telecommunications planning, engineering, and design from concept development through construction administration.
• Establish telecommunications system architecture and engineering approaches for complex projects.
• Develop complete engineering documents including drawings, specifications, narratives, calculations, and technical reports.
• Develop and maintain telecommunications engineering standards, specifications, details, and best practices.
• Perform technical QA/QC reviews to ensure consistency, constructability, and compliance with company and client standards.
• Develop airport and campus telecommunications master plans.
• Perform technology roadmaps and enterprise infrastructure planning.
• Mentor and provide technical leadership to telecommunications engineers, designers, and BIM/CAD staff.
• Coordinate telecommunications systems with Security, Passenger Systems, Information Technology, Electrical, Mechanical, Civil, Architectural, Structural, and other engineering disciplines.
• Participate throughout planning, design, bidding, procurement, construction, testing, commissioning, and project closeout.
• Interface directly with clients, consultants, vendors, utility providers, and telecommunications service providers.
• Support project teams by providing technical guidance and resolving complex engineering issues.
• Assist with technical resource planning and workload coordination across telecommunications projects.
• Support proposal development including technical approaches, scope development, fee estimates, and client presentations.
• Represent Arora during client meetings, workshops, design reviews, and technical presentations.
• Evaluate emerging telecommunications technologies and recommend practical engineering solutions that improve project delivery and client value.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Primary Technical Responsibilities

• Develop enterprise telecommunications architecture for airport, transportation, and institutional facilities.
• Design Outside Plant (OSP) telecommunications infrastructure including duct banks, manholes, handholes, conduit systems, and fiber optic distribution networks.
• Design structured cabling systems including copper and fiber optic infrastructure.
• Develop Telecommunications Room (MDF/IDF) layouts, equipment room designs, and telecommunications space planning.
• Design enterprise LAN/WAN telecommunications infrastructure supporting owner-furnished network electronics.
• Coordinate carrier entrance facilities and telecommunications service provider requirements.
• Support design of Network Operations Centers (NOCs), data centers, communications rooms, and mission‑critical facilities.
• Design wireless communications infrastructure including Wi‑Fi, Cellular DAS, and Emergency Responder Radio Coverage Systems (ERRCS).
• Perform telecommunications infrastructure assessments, technology studies, and modernization planning.
• Develop engineering specifications, sequence narratives, and design criteria.
• Review equipment submittals, RFIs, shop drawings, and construction documentation.
• Support field investigations, construction observations, testing, and commissioning activities.
• Develop and maintain reusable engineering standards, typical details, design templates, specifications, and best practices to improve consistency and efficiency across the Telecommunications practice.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Provide senior technical leadership for the Telecommunications practice.
• Mentor junior engineers, designers, and BIM/CAD staff while fostering technical growth and professional development.
• Support onboarding and technical training of new staff.
• Promote engineering consistency through development of standards, design guides, and QA/QC procedures.
• Collaborate with Discipline Leads and Project Managers to improve technical delivery across the Special Systems practice.
• Participate in technical lessons learned and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Assist executive leadership with long‑term technical planning and practice development.

Requirements

Needed Skills

• Extensive knowledge of telecommunications engineering principles and design methodologies.
• Strong understanding of enterprise telecommunications architecture and network infrastructure.
• Expertise in Outside Plant (OSP), structured cabling systems, fiber optic networks, and telecommunications distribution systems.
• Thorough understanding of telecommunications room design, equipment space planning, and infrastructure coordination.
• Strong knowledge of aviation, transportation, or mission‑critical telecommunications systems.
• Thorough understanding of engineering design processes from planning through construction administration.
• Strong understanding of applicable industry codes, standards, and best practices, including BICSI, NEC, TIA, ANSI, and related telecommunications standards.
• Exceptional communication, leadership, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor technical staff and support multiple concurrent projects.
• Strong technical writing and presentation skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain productive relationships with clients, consultants, contractors, vendors, and internal project teams.
• Proficiency with Revit, AutoCAD, Bluebeam, Microsoft Office, and Autodesk Construction Cloud or similar collaboration platforms.
• Working knowledge of BIM coordination, clash detection, and multidisciplinary project delivery.

Education/Experience Minimum

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Information Technology, Telecommunications, Infrastructure Systems, or related field required.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred but not required.
• RCDD certification preferred.
• Equivalent combinations of education, certifications, and directly applicable telecommunications engineering experience will be considered.
• Minimum fifteen (15) years of progressive telecommunications engineering and design experience.
• Minimum five (5) years serving as the Lead Telecommunications Engineer, Principal Designer, or Technical Lead on complex infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary engineering coordination efforts.
• Minimum three (3) years providing technical leadership, mentoring, or supervision of engineering staff.
• Experience managing telecommunications design efforts from planning through construction administration.
• Aviation, transportation, mission‑critical, higher education, healthcare, or other large infrastructure project experience strongly preferred.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: ARORA ENGINEERS, LLC. (ARORA) – Arora provides clients in the aviation, transportation, education, government, and commercial/institutional sectors with engineering services for intelligent infrastructure solutions. Through smart design, construction management, and facilities maintenance management, we rethink industry needs to help keep clients on the cutting edge and add value to a project. Arora is a growing firm that welcomes individuals with a thirst for knowledge and the energy to tackle projects that help take the infrastructure of our world to the next level.

DISCLAIMER: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of employees assigned to this position.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against, on the basis of these factors or of disability.