Senior Specialist/Engineer Service Operations

Overview WELCOME TO SITA We're the team that keeps airports moving, airlines flying safely, and borders operating around the world. Every day, millions of passengers rely on technology delivered by SITA, often without ever knowing we're there.

At Heathrow Airport, our Radio & Cellular Service Operations team supports one of the UK's largest and most complex operational communications environments. Our services underpin airport operations, emergency response, engineering teams, airlines, ground handlers and numerous airport partners, providing the resilient communications that help keep one of the world's busiest international airports operating safely and efficiently.

If you're passionate about solving complex engineering challenges, working with mission-critical technologies and making a tangible difference every day, we'd like to hear from you.

ABOUT THE ROLE As a Senior Specialist - Mission Critical Radio & Cellular Systems, you will provide technical leadership for the operational support, maintenance and continual improvement of Heathrow Airport's critical communications infrastructure.

Working across a diverse technology estate spanning legacy and modern radio systems, RF over Fibre Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS), public and private cellular infrastructure and IP-based communications platforms, you'll lead the resolution of complex technical issues while helping shape the future direction of operational communications at Heathrow.

This role combines advanced engineering expertise with operational leadership, supplier management, service transition and stakeholder engagement. You'll work closely with customers, project teams, equipment manufacturers and engineering partners to ensure services remain resilient, supportable and ready to meet Heathrow's evolving operational requirements.

You'll work across one of the most diverse operational communications estates in the UK, including:

• Mission Critical TETRA radio systems
• Commercial DMR and PMR radio systems
• Legacy MPT1327 infrastructure
• RF over Fibre Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS)
• Multi-Operator Cellular Infrastructure (2G/3G/4G/5G)
• Mission Critical Dispatch Systems
• Fibre and IP communications infrastructure
• Radio subscriber devices, vehicle installations and associated accessories
• Airport-wide antenna and RF distribution systems

Supporting critical infrastructure across terminals, tunnels, plant rooms, communications rooms, baggage facilities, engineering areas and airside operational environments. You'll help operate and evolve one of the UK's most technically diverse mission critical communications environments, working with industry leading technologies that keep Heathrow Airport connected every minute of every day.

You'll be trusted to lead, innovate and influence the future direction of operational communications while working alongside experienced engineers who are passionate about delivering exceptional service.

WHAT YOU'LL DO Technical Leadership

• Provide senior technical leadership for Heathrow's mission critical Radio & Cellular infrastructure, ensuring high levels of service availability, resilience and operational performance.
• Lead the investigation and resolution of complex technical incidents, acting as the senior technical escalation point for Service Operations.
• Coordinate technical recovery activities during major incidents, working alongside resolver groups, vendors and customer stakeholders to minimize operational impact.
• Mentor and coach engineers, providing technical guidance, knowledge sharing and support for professional development.
• Support the operational acceptance of new technologies and services, ensuring they meet Service Operations supportability requirements before transition into live service.

Service Operations & Engineering

• Ensure the operational integrity of Radio & Cellular services through proactive monitoring, preventative maintenance, technical assurance and continual service improvement.
• Plan and oversee preventative maintenance programs across radio infrastructure, RF over Fibre systems, cellular infrastructure and associated operational equipment.
• Perform advanced fault diagnosis across RF, Fibre, IP and infrastructure environments using appropriate engineering tools and methodologies.
• Conduct RF performance investigations including spectrum analysis, antenna testing, VSWR and Distance to Fault (DTF) measurements, system optimization and coverage validation.
• Support infrastructure upgrades, equipment commissioning, lifecycle replacement programs and configuration management activities.
• Maintain accurate technical documentation, engineering standards, configuration records and operational procedures.

Operational Governance & Service Improvement

• Lead Problem Management investigations, Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and the implementation of corrective and preventative actions.
• Drive continual service improvement through operational trend analysis, performance reporting and engineering best practice.
• Develop and maintain operational procedures, known error documentation and technical knowledge repositories.
• Ensure engineering activities comply with SITA governance, ITIL processes, quality standards and airport safety requirements.
• Support Service Transition activities, technical assurance reviews and operational readiness assessments for new services.

Supplier & Commercial Management

• Manage technical relationships with equipment manufacturers, maintenance partners and specialist engineering suppliers.
• Coordinate vendor support activities, ensuring technical deliverables and contractual service levels are achieved.
• Support operational budget planning, lifecycle forecasting and asset replacement strategies across the Radio & Cellular estate.
• Provide technical input into procurement activities, supplier evaluations, technology selection and commercial proposals.
• Manage operational spare holdings and recommend stock strategies that maintain service resilience while optimizing cost.

Customer & Stakeholder Management

• Act as the senior technical point of contact during complex incidents, planned engineering activities and service improvement initiatives.
• Build trusted relationships with Heathrow Airport stakeholders, operational teams and project delivery organizations.
• Liaise with external organizations including:
  • Ofcom
  • UK Power Networks
  • Mobile Network Operators
  • Emergency Service communications providers
  • Equipment manufacturers and specialist engineering partners
• Represent Service Operations during technical governance meetings, operational readiness reviews and customer service meetings.

Innovation & Future Technologies

• Support the evaluation, introduction and operational support of emerging communications technologies including private LTE/5G, Neutral Host solutions, Push to Talk over Cellular (PoC), advanced monitoring platforms and automation.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency through enhanced monitoring, automation, engineering standards and modernization initiatives.

Qualifications WHO YOU ARE You're an experienced communications engineer who enjoys solving technically challenging problems in demanding operational environments.

You take ownership, remain calm under pressure and enjoy collaborating with customers, suppliers and engineering teams to deliver reliable services.

You're equally comfortable leading the recovery of a major operational incident, mentoring colleagues, reviewing technical designs or working hands on in the field.

Most importantly, you're passionate about delivering resilient communications services that support critical national infrastructure.

MUST HAVE

• Significant experience supporting mission critical radio communications or cellular infrastructure.
• Strong technical knowledge of PMR, DMR and TETRA technologies.
• Experience supporting RF over Fibre Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) and associated RF infrastructure.
• Strong understanding of RF engineering principles including antenna systems, feeders, Fibre distribution and coverage optimization.
• Experience troubleshooting IP networking within operational communications environments.
• Excellent analytical and fault diagnosis skills.
• Experience leading technical incident resolution, Problem Management and Root Cause Analysis.
• Working knowledge of ITIL Service Management processes.
• Experience managing technical suppliers and vendor escalations.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Experience mentoring or providing technical leadership to engineering teams.
• Ability to obtain and maintain Heathrow Airport security clearance.

NICE TO HAVE

• Experience with Motorola, Teltronic, Hytera, Frequentis or equivalent mission critical communications platforms.
• Experience supporting public or private LTE/5G infrastructure.
• Knowledge of Network Management Systems and operational monitoring platforms.
• Experience using RF test equipment including spectrum analyzers, antenna analyzers and Fibre test equipment.
• Experience supporting critical infrastructure or regulated operational environments.
• ITIL Foundation (or higher).
• Manufacturer or industry certifications in radio or cellular technologies.
• Knowledge of UK spectrum licensing and regulatory requirements.
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