Associate Director, Fibre Architecture and Planning

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At Optus, we don't sit back and let the future happen to us - we're out there making it. By expanding into new technology and relentlessly improving every day, we're creating a better tomorrow for all Australians.

We believe in the strength of a vibrant, diverse and inclusive workforce where backgrounds, perspectives and life experiences of our people help us innovate and create strong connections with our customers.

This role of Associate Director, Fibre Architecture and Planning, reporting to the Senior Director, Fixed Broadband and Access Transport, leads a multidisciplinary team responsible for the end-to-end design and network planning of Optus' national fibre network. It sets the strategic direction, architecture, and design standards for Optus' national fibre network which underpins all Optus network operations and revenue. The position also drives initiatives to reduce long-term unit costs while maintaining customer experience KPIs, collaborating with architecture, design, deployment, and finance teams, and advancing automation tooling and system use cases.

The day to day:

• Coordinate national fibre network strategy, architecture, design standards, and capacity planning to meet performance and customer experience metrics.
• Develop and manage fibre engineering scopes, budgets, schedules, cost models, and long-term cost reduction initiatives in alignment with Optus' network strategy.
• Lead annual operating plan (AOP) programs, including growth, resiliency, and modernisation projects, ensuring governance, budgeting, and timely delivery.
• Manage procurement strategy, vendor governance, contract compliance, and material/service delivery for fibre network programs.
• Drive innovation and automation in planning, design, provisioning, and operations, while maintaining technology roadmaps and evaluating new solutions.
• Provide strategic and technical consultation for new products, enterprise/wholesale bids, and cross-functional network initiatives.
• Lead, develop, and empower multidisciplinary teams, ensuring high engagement, technical skills growth, succession planning, and knowledge in analytics for targeted investments.

What makes you perfect for the job:

• Extensive telecommunications network engineering experience (10+ years), with proven expertise in fibre network architecture, end-to-end design, capacity planning, and performance management at a national scale.
• Demonstrated leadership of multidisciplinary technical teams, with a track record of delivering large-scale network programs, aligning with strategic business objectives, and managing multi-million-dollar capex/opex budgets.
• Strong commercial and financial management, including developing cost models, driving total cost of ownership (TCO) reduction, managing vendor contracts, and leading procurement and tender processes.
• Sophisticated business partnering and influencing skills, capable of working with senior executives, regulatory bodies, vendors, and cross-functional teams to align strategies and deliver outcomes.
• In-depth understanding of emerging fibre and optical network and the ability to develop and implement technology roadmaps that improve performance and reduce costs.
• Proven program governance and operational excellence capabilities, including the delivery of innovative process improvements, risk management, compliance, and ensuring customer experience metrics are met or exceeded.

What's in it for you?

• 3 days in the office, 2 days remote – with flexible hours to suit
• Inclusive carer neutral paid Parental Leave of up to 16 weeks.
• Competitive leave including 2 'Connected Leave' days.
• All Optus employees have access to resources, webinars and support via the 'Parents at Work portal'.
• Own your own growth by accessing an extensive online and facilitator led learning catalogue.
• Connect at work through our employee-led volunteer groups: Culture Connect, Elevate Women, Disability Network, Express Yourself (LGBTQIA+), United Veterans, Yarn Network, Wellbeing Network and Young Professionals.
• Vibrant campus life, variety of facilities including restaurants, cafes, gymnasium, GP, and post office.
• Free Optus bus from Macquarie University Metro Station (every 6-8 minutes); morning and afternoon

Keen to see what it's really like to work at Optus? Search #OptusLife on LinkedIn to go behind the scenes

At Optus, we are strengthened by others and that means valuing diversity and saying 'yes' to embracing individual differences. We are committed to ensuring that our application process provides an equal employment opportunity to all job seekers, including individuals from diverse gender, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, individuals with a disability, individuals identifying as being part of the LGBTQIA+ community, individuals who may have served in the armed forces or who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. We also want to do our best to make our recruitment process inclusive. If you require any adjustments or accessibility support to participate fairly and equitably in the recruitment process, please email or call We're here to help. When you contact us, please advise your preferred method of contact and we will be in touch within 48 hours.

For more information on Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at Optus, please visit