Director of Network Planning and IT Automation

Piper Companies is seeking a Director, Network Planning to lead large-scale network strategy and infrastructure planning efforts within the data center and telecommunications industry. The Director, Network Planning role is ideal for a senior leader with deep expertise in global network architecture, capacity planning, and automation-driven infrastructure strategy.

Responsibilities of the Director, Network Planning:

• Lead global network planning strategy, including long-range capacity planning, infrastructure prioritization, and investment alignment to support business growth and customer demand.

• Oversee network capacity deployment planning to ensure infrastructure is delivered in the right markets at the right scale and timing.

• Drive new market expansion planning and infrastructure readiness by partnering with product, sales, finance, and deployment teams.

• Align network planning and architecture strategies with product roadmaps, service requirements, and customer experience objectives.

• Establish and govern network architecture standards, design principles, and scalable planning frameworks across global environments.

• Translate architecture strategy into repeatable deployment models, technical requirements, and implementation patterns.

• Own and advance automation roadmaps, leveraging data-driven workflows to improve efficiency, consistency, and scalability.

• Drive adoption of AI-enabled tools to enhance planning, forecasting, design workflows, and decision-making processes.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, operations, and business stakeholders to align on network priorities and execution plans.

• Develop governance models, performance metrics, and lifecycle strategies related to topology standards, hardware, and risk management.

Qualifications of the Director, Network Planning:

• 10+ years of experience in network planning, architecture, or infrastructure strategy within large-scale Layer 1, Layer 2, or Layer 3 environments.

• Strong expertise in optical, transport, routing, and data center networking architectures.

• Proven experience in long-range capacity planning, investment prioritization, and infrastructure roadmap development.

• Experience supporting market expansion strategies and infrastructure readiness for new products or service launches.

• Hands-on experience with automation tools, APIs, Python, and AI-driven network planning or engineering workflows.

• Deep understanding of fiber infrastructure, transport systems, and scalable network design principles.

• Experience establishing governance frameworks, operational processes, and scalable delivery models.

• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional initiatives across engineering, operations, and business teams.

• Excellent communication, executive presentation, and strategic decision-making skills.

Compensation for the Director, Network Planning includes:

• Salary range: $180,000-$200,000 Base Salary plus Bonus and Stock

• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, and retirement plans

• Paid time off and leadership-level incentives

This job opens for applications on 06/28/2026. Applications for this job will be accepted for at least 30 days from the posting date.

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