Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wireless Program Specialist

🎯 Role Definition

The Wireless Program Specialist is a cross-functional delivery lead responsible for coordinating wireless network deployment and optimization programs across field, engineering, vendor, and regulatory teams. This role combines technical RF knowledge (LTE/5G/DAS), program and vendor management, site acquisition oversight, compliance (FCC/NEPA), and stakeholder communication to deliver projects on schedule, on budget, and to quality standards. The ideal candidate translates network objectives into executable workstreams, mitigates risks, and provides regular program reporting to senior leadership.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

RF Technician / RF Field Engineer
Project Coordinator or Program Coordinator (Telecom)
Site Acquisition Specialist or Construction Coordinator

Advancement To:

Wireless Program Manager / Senior Program Manager
Network Deployment Manager / Director of Network Deployment
Head of Wireless Operations or Portfolio Manager (Telecom Programs)

Lateral Moves:

RF Engineer / Optimization Engineer
Vendor Management Lead / Procurement Specialist
Site Acquisition Manager or Permitting Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead and manage end-to-end wireless deployment programs (macro cell sites, small cells, DAS, indoor coverage and private networks), creating and maintaining program plans, schedules, budget trackers, milestone roadmaps, and scope documentation to ensure deliveries meet technical and business objectives.
Coordinate cross-functional teams including RF engineering, construction, site acquisition, legal, environmental compliance (NEPA/SHPO), and field construction crews to drive concurrent site builds and minimize schedule slippage while preserving quality and safety standards.
Serve as the primary day-to-day program owner for assigned network rollout waves, maintaining centralized program documentation, change logs, risk/issue registers, and recovery plans that are accessible to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Develop detailed workback schedules for site acquisition, permitting, construction, power provisioning, backhaul provisioning, and integration activities while proactively identifying and removing bottlenecks.
Manage vendor relationships and third-party contractors: negotiate statements of work (SOWs), monitor deliverables and SLAs, run vendor performance reviews, and enforce quality and safety requirements on-site and in deliverables.
Oversee site acquisition and permitting efforts, including lease negotiations, landlord coordination, RF exposure documentation, zoning approvals, and municipal permitting processes to ensure regulatory and contractual compliance.
Coordinate with RF design and optimization teams to translate coverage, capacity, and performance requirements into site-specific build instructions, hardware lists, and field installation acceptance criteria.
Own program-level cost tracking and budget forecasting: prepare cost estimates, track spend vs. budget, approve purchase orders with procurement, and escalate variances with mitigation plans.
Manage commissioning and integration activities by scheduling field integration windows, ensuring backhaul readiness, supporting RF acceptance testing, and validating network KPIs until sites reach steady-state.
Prepare and deliver concise, data-driven program status reports, executive summaries, and stakeholder briefings (including risk heat maps and mitigation status) to senior leadership and cross-functional governance forums.
Implement and maintain program-quality assurance processes, including build checklists, safety audits, punch-list management, and final as-built documentation delivery to asset teams.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives for deployment methodologies, tools, and templates (e.g., standardized site packs, automation for status reporting, or GIS integration) to reduce cycle time and cost-per-site.
Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements (FCC, local ordinances, environmental and historical preservation laws), maintain filing records, and coordinate responses to inspections, audits, and local authority inquiries.
Own escalation management during outages, vendor failures, or permitting delays: define mitigation actions, coordinate cross-team firefights, and document post-incident retrospectives and lessons learned.
Coordinate with procurement and inventory teams to ensure timely delivery of radio equipment, antennas, cabling, power systems, and other site materials; manage logistics, staging, and returns as needed.
Support RF and network optimization activities by scheduling drive tests, indoor DAS sweeps, and post-deployment performance assessments, and ensure corrective actions are tracked to closure.
Manage contract compliance: validate vendor invoices against milestone completions, change orders, and approved budgets, and support dispute resolution with documented evidence and contractual references.
Maintain and update GIS/Kick charts and program dashboards reflecting site status, construction progress, activations, and integration milestones to provide transparency to stakeholders and reduce informational latency.
Lead cross-functional gate reviews and readiness assessments before progression to critical program phases (e.g., construction start, integration cutover, service acceptance).
Facilitate training and handover to operations, maintenance, and NOC teams by delivering as-built documentation, operational procedures, preventive maintenance schedules, and escalation contacts.
Support technology migration or modernization initiatives (e.g., 4G to 5G migrations, MIMO/beamforming rollouts, network slicing preparation, private LTE/5G deployments) by coordinating planning, testing, and phased deployments.
Participate in feasibility studies and site surveys to assess structural, power, and RF suitability; document constraints and recommended mitigations for design and construction teams.
Work with legal, risk, and compliance teams to ensure contractual indemnities, insurance requirements, and safety policies are included and enforced for field activities and vendor engagements.
Drive sustainability and workplace safety initiatives for field operations, ensuring all crews follow OSHA guidelines, company safety policies, and site-specific safety plans during construction and maintenance activities.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of wireless industry trends, 5G standards, IoT connectivity options, CBRS/spectrum developments, and vendor technology roadmaps to inform program planning and vendor selection.

Secondary Functions

Provide analytics support for program performance metrics, trending cost-per-site, time-to-activate, and vendor performance KPIs; develop actionable recommendations from data.
Support ad-hoc business requests such as executive briefings, budget scenario analyses, and build-versus-buy evaluations.
Contribute to creation and maintenance of corporate program templates, playbooks, and runbooks that capture best practices for wireless deployments.
Collaborate with business units to translate service-level requirements and commercial priorities into tactical deployment plans and resource allocations.
Participate in sprint planning and agile-style ceremonies to coordinate incremental deliverables for cross-functional teams where applicable (e.g., tool development, automation features).
Mentor junior program coordinators and field staff on program processes, documentation standards, and vendor engagement best practices.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proven RF fundamentals and wireless network knowledge: LTE, NR (5G), small cells, macro sites, DAS/indoor systems, RF propagation concepts, and drive-test fundamentals.
Site acquisition, permitting and zoning expertise including experience negotiating leases and working with municipal planning departments and landlords.
Vendor and contract management: SOW development, SLA enforcement, invoice validation, change order processing and vendor performance tracking.
Project and program management tools and methodologies: MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, Confluence, or equivalent tools for schedule, risk, and task management.
Strong budgeting and financial management skills: cost estimation, tracking, variance analysis, and forecasting for multi-site programs.
Familiarity with backhaul technologies (fiber, microwave) and coordination workflows for provisioning and splicing activities.
Knowledge of regulatory and compliance frameworks: FCC rules, NEPA/SHPO processes, RF exposure and environmental permitting requirements.
Proficiency with GIS & asset tracking systems, as-built documentation practices, and integration of field status into centralized dashboards.
Technical document preparation: site packs, BOMs, construction drawings, installation procedures, acceptance test plans and as-built deliverables.
Experience with troubleshooting field issues, commissioning processes, post-activation optimization, and RF acceptance testing.
Basic scripting or data manipulation skills (Excel advanced formulas, VBA, or SQL) to analyze program metrics and automate reporting.
Familiarity with telecommunications safety standards and construction/site safety best practices (OSHA, PPE, RF safety).
Experience with IoT/private network deployments, CBRS, and modern 5G features (MIMO, beamforming) is highly desirable.

Soft Skills

Exceptional stakeholder communication: able to translate technical status into executive-level summaries and influence cross-functional partners.
Strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams and shifting priorities.
Proactive problem-solving and critical thinking to identify root causes, propose mitigation plans, and drive timely resolutions.
Negotiation and conflict-resolution skills to manage vendors, landlords, and municipal stakeholders effectively.
Leadership presence and the ability to lead cross-functional teams without direct authority; mentorship and coaching for junior staff.
Attention to detail for contract review, acceptance criteria, and QA processes while maintaining big-picture program perspective.
Adaptability and resilience in fast-paced, dynamic deployment environments with changing technical constraints and regulatory conditions.
Analytical mindset with a comfort level interpreting KPIs, trend lines, and making data-driven recommendations.
Customer-service orientation to align program outcomes with business priorities, enterprise SLAs, and external partner expectations.
Collaborative team player with a demonstrated ability to build relationships across engineering, operations, procurement, and legal functions.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, Computer Science, Construction Management, or related technical/engineering discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Engineering, Telecommunications Management, MBA, or relevant advanced certification (PMP, PgMP, or vendor-specific certifications).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Electrical or Telecommunications Engineering
Network Engineering / Computer Science
Construction Management / Project Management
Business Administration (with telecom focus)
Radio Frequency Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years of progressive experience in wireless network deployment, site acquisition, or RF program support.

Preferred: 5+ years managing multi-site wireless deployment programs or large-scale network modernization projects, with direct exposure to 4G/5G rollouts, vendor management, and regulatory compliance.