New

Network Engineer III - Optical (WaaS)

Zayo Group
life insurance, vision insurance, parental leave, paid time off, 401(k)
United States, Colorado, Boulder
Mar 03, 2026
Company Description Zayo provides mission-critical bandwidth to the world's most impactful companies, fueling the innovations that are transforming our society. Zayo's 141,000-mile network in North America and Europe includes extensive metro connectivity to thousands of buildings and data centers. Zayo's communications infrastructure solutions include dark fiber, private data networks, wavelengths, Ethernet, and dedicated Internet access. Zayo serves wireless and wireline carriers, media, tech, content, finance, healthcare and other large enterprises. Our Network Engineer III - Optical (WaaS) position is responsible for designing, link engineering, and implementing capacity onto the existing DWDM network, with a specific focus on supporting Zayo'sWaves as a Service (WAAS) initiative. This role plays a critical part in Zayo's automation strategy, ensuring that network designs are optimized for automated provisioning and high-velocity service delivery. The successful candidate will balance traditional optical engineering excellence with a forward-thinking approach to network innovation and efficiency. This role is also responsible for effectively communicating with internal order management personnel and various cross-functional teams on the progress of capacity fulfillment. The Network Engineer III is responsible for meeting/exceeding daily and weekly performance targets while actively contributing to the development of automated tooling and standardized design practices that reduce the level of effort for wavelength delivery. NOTE: The team is open to this role working in a remote capacity within the United States. Responsibilities: Responsible for design planning, record creation, and capacity fulfillment throughout the U.S. and Canadian networks, ensuring designs align withWAAS automation standards. Works with Project Managers to effectively deliver service requirements to customers. Designs DWDM network per Network Architecture standards, ensuring scalability for future growth and compatibility withautomated workflows. Provides timely updates to project managers and leadership for service deliverables, due dates, and automation project milestones. Reviews capacity requests for correctness and identifies opportunities to improve data integrity within inventory systems to support automated provisioning. Maintains specific customer commitments and deadlines in the Zayo (Salesforce or future system used) database. Provides support to field operations to resolve provisioning problems; reviews and verifies technical data in an effort to project issues. Opens, forecasts, and maintains a budget based off of the service commitments. Secures quotes from our optical vendors, orders equipment, moves equipment from inventory to the field, writes scopes of works for installation of equipment. Exercises interpersonal skills in working with all internal customers. Performs other related duties or projects as assigned by management. Manage workload to identify critical issues and prioritize those items that must be completed daily. Work around obstacles and roadblocks within the order flow to obtain the priority required by Zayo to meet required due dates. Show initiative in getting work done. Participates in user acceptance testing (UAT)for new automation tools and provides feedback to development teams to improve the engineering user experience. Support manager during customer or network escalations as requested. Perform other miscellaneous duties, including staying abreast of emerging optical technologies andnetwork automation solutions. Qualifications: Requires the ability to meet inflexible deadlines; perform non-predictive multiple tasks; and handle customer conflict to a successful resolution. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Working knowledge of optical systems and signal flow designs through fixed or flex grid networks using ROADM technology. Experience using Microsoft Office or Google programs and project management software. Able to apply principles of logical thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions in controlled situations. Deal with some abstract but mostly concrete variables. Familiarity with the majority of the products listed below: Optical Systems: Fuji, Adva, Ciena, Cisco, Infinera, Nokia Salesforce, ServiceNow, Sitetracker equivalents Telecom inventory systems, Metasolv Microsoft Office and Google programs, specifically Visio, Excel or G equivalent Education & Experience: Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline or equivalent education, training and/or experience. Minimum of five (5) years telecommunications and/or data networking experience. NOTE: Optical Link Engineering experience and working knowledge of Infinera, Ciena, Nokia DWDM platformsare REQUIRED, Metasolv/M6 database experienceis REQUIRED. Estimated base salary range: $77,100 - $118,600 USD/annually The base pay range shown is a guideline and reasonable estimate for this role. It takes into account the wide variety of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions. Actual compensation offered may vary from the posted range based upon geographic location, work experience, skill level, certifications, and other business and organizational needs. Non- sales roles may be eligible to participate in a discretionary annual incentive plan. Sales roles may be eligible to participate in a sales incentive plan. Additionally, this position may be eligible for certain benefits, such as health insurance, life insurance, disability retirement plans, paid time off. The posting will be active for a minimum of 3 days. The active posting will continue to extend by 3 days until the position is filled. Benefits, Rewards & Wellness Excellent Health, Dental & Vision Insurance Retirement 401(k) Savings Plan Generous paid time off policy including paid parental leave Zayo provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, provincial or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.