Automation Developer (NSO/Automation & RFP)

About Bharti Airtel

Bharti Airtel Limited is a prominent global telecommunications company with a presence in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. It is recognized as one of the top three mobile service providers worldwide by subscriber count. In India, Airtel offers a comprehensive suite of services including 2G, 3G, and 4G wireless, mobile commerce, fixed-line services, high-speed DSL broadband, IPTV, DTH, and enterprise solutions. The company served over 331 million customers globally as of June 2015. More information is available at www.airtel.com.

NSO Transformation Lead Role Overview

The NSO Transformation Lead will spearhead the evaluation, replacement, and modernization of the existing Network Services Orchestrator (NSO) platform within the transport domain. This role is pivotal in managing the Request for Proposal (RFP) process, vendor selection, architectural design, and implementation strategy for a next-generation orchestration platform. The goal is to enable end-to-end zero-touch design and provisioning for both B2B and B2C telecom services. Collaboration with transport network engineering, OSS/BSS, automation, and service delivery teams is essential to define requirements and ensure the new platform effectively supports scalable service lifecycle management, automation, and closed-loop operations.

Key Responsibilities

• NSO Transformation Strategy: Define the future architecture for the NSO platform in the transport domain, develop a migration strategy from the current NSO to advanced orchestration solutions, and establish an automation maturity roadmap for end-to-end zero-touch service lifecycle management. Ensure alignment with broader network automation and digital transformation initiatives.
• RFP Development & Execution: Lead the creation and issuance of the RFP for the NSO platform replacement. Define comprehensive functional, technical, operational, and commercial requirements. Develop detailed evaluation criteria and scoring mechanisms. Coordinate with procurement, legal, and technical departments throughout the RFP process, including managing vendor presentations, Proofs of Concept (PoCs), and solution evaluations.
• Service Design & Automation: Design service models and automation frameworks for various transport services like L2VPN, L3VPN, Ethernet, Internet, and wholesale connectivity. Implement model-driven orchestration and intent-based provisioning. Develop zero-touch provisioning workflows spanning network and OSS layers.
• Integration Architecture: Define the integration architecture with key systems including OSS, inventory, assurance, BSS/Order Management, SDN controllers, and domain controllers. Enable closed-loop automation through telemetry and assurance systems.
• Transport Domain Alignment: Ensure the orchestration platform supports critical transport technologies such as IP/MPLS, Optical Transport, DWDM, and packet transport networks, while maintaining compatibility with multi-vendor environments.
• Vendor & Stakeholder Management: Manage relationships with NSO vendors, system integrators, and automation partners. Engage with internal stakeholders across network engineering, operations, IT/OSS, service delivery, and procurement. Facilitate workshops to gather detailed requirements.
• Implementation & Migration Planning: Develop a comprehensive migration strategy from the existing orchestration platform, create an implementation roadmap with a phased rollout plan, and provide support for service migration and operational readiness.

Key Deliverables

• NSO target architecture blueprint
• RFP document for orchestration platform replacement
• Vendor evaluation framework
• Automation roadmap
• Service modeling framework
• Migration and transformation plan

Required Skills & Experience

Technical Skills

• Proficiency with Network Service Orchestration platforms (e.g., Cisco NSO, ONAP).
• Strong understanding of model-driven orchestration and YANG modeling.
• Experience with transport network technologies including IP/MPLS, Optical/DWDM, Carrier Ethernet.
• Experience in OSS/BSS integration.
• Knowledge of SDN and network automation frameworks.
• Familiarity with REST APIs, NETCONF, gNMI, and telemetry.
• Experience with DevOps automation tools.

Telecom Domain Knowledge

• Expertise in transport network architecture.
• Understanding of B2B and B2C service provisioning.
• Knowledge of service lifecycle management.
• Familiarity with Telecom OSS architecture (eTOM / TM Forum standards).

Soft Skills

• Proven experience in RFP preparation and vendor evaluation.
• Capability to lead cross-functional transformation initiatives.
• Strong stakeholder management abilities.
• Excellent technical documentation and presentation skills.

Experience Required

A minimum of 10-15 years of experience in telecom networks or OSS, with at least 5 years specifically in network orchestration/automation. Experience in the transport network domain is essential. Prior experience in RFP creation and vendor selection is highly advantageous.

Education

A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Telecommunications, Computer Science, Electronics & Communication Engineering, or Network Engineering is required.

Additional Information

This role is based in Gurugram, India.