Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wireless Program Assistant

🎯 Role Definition

The Wireless Program Assistant plays a central operational and coordination role on wireless deployment and maintenance programs. This individual supports program managers by coordinating field crews and vendors, tracking project schedules and budgets, maintaining asset and inventory records, preparing regulatory filings, managing work order lifecycles, and compiling program-level reporting. The ideal candidate combines strong administrative and technical aptitude, familiarity with wireless construction and RF test basics, and demonstrated ability to drive execution across geographically distributed teams.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Program Coordinator (Telecom) or Project Coordinator
Field Operations Coordinator or Field Technician
Administrative Assistant with telecom exposure

Advancement To:

Wireless Program Manager
Wireless Project Manager / Deployment Manager
Operations Manager — Network Programs

Lateral Moves:

Vendor Management Specialist
RF / Site Survey Technician
Asset & Inventory Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Coordinate daily field activity for wireless construction and maintenance programs including scheduling tower crews, subcontractors, and third-party vendors to meet project timelines and deployment milestones.
Maintain and update program schedules and Gantt charts across multiple sites, identify critical path items, and proactively communicate schedule risks and mitigation plans to program managers and stakeholders.
Manage the end-to-end work order lifecycle: intake, assignment, status tracking, escalation, closeout, and documentation to ensure SLA compliance and accurate billing.
Serve as the central point of contact between on-site technicians, RF engineers, and program leadership to ensure issues discovered in the field are triaged, documented, and resolved promptly.
Prepare and submit regulatory filings and compliance documentation related to FCC notifications, local permits, and municipal approvals; track approval status and follow up with authorities or consultants.
Conduct and coordinate site survey logistics including site access requests, technician confirmations, safety briefings, and field data capture (photos, GPS coordinates, equipment lists).
Validate and reconcile inventory and asset records for radios, antennas, cabling, power systems, and spare parts; manage barcode/asset-tag updates in the asset management system.
Support procurement and P.O. processes for program materials: prepare P.O. requests, track deliveries, validate invoices, and coordinate returns or warranty RMA actions with vendors.
Create and distribute weekly/monthly program performance reports, KPI dashboards, and executive summaries highlighting schedule adherence, budget status, open actions, change orders, and risk registers.
Coordinate test plans and acceptance activities including RF verification, commissioning checklists, throughput / throughput testing, and drive test data collection with RF engineers.
Track and document all change orders and scope modifications; prepare change order requests, obtain approvals, and update schedules and budgets accordingly.
Maintain detailed program documentation in the program repository: site folders, CAD/GIS updates, as-built drawings, installation photos, and configuration records to support audits and future maintenance.
Assist with vendor selection and onboarding activities including reviewing vendor qualifications, preparing SOW templates, collecting insurance & compliance documents, and scheduling kickoff meetings.
Monitor program budgets and expense tracking: compile expense reports, code expenditures to program-level cost centers, and escalate budget variances to program leadership.
Facilitate weekly program stand-ups and cross-functional coordination meetings, prepare agendas, take minutes, and track open items to closure.
Support quality assurance and safety processes by ensuring that site-specific safety plans, permits, and lockout/tagout procedures are documented and confirmed prior to work commencement.
Manage escalations from field teams related to site access, power, landlord coordination, or equipment shortages, and coordinate remediation with internal teams or vendors.
Update GIS / site mapping systems with verified coordinates, site status, and equipment inventory changes to maintain accurate network planning inputs.
Maintain communications with property owners, landlords, and municipal contacts regarding site permissions, access windows, and local ordinance constraints.
Execute provisioning support activities such as SIM/UICC coordination, inventory staging for commissioning, and logistics planning for remote site deployments.
Coordinate warranty and service ticket follow-up for installed equipment, track vendor response times, and ensure warranty claims are documented and resolved.
Support the creation of standard operating procedures (SOPs), templates, and playbooks for wireless program execution to increase repeatability and reduce onboarding time for new hires.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Assist with development and continuous improvement of program templates, checklists, and automated status reports for faster program delivery.
Help coordinate training and onboarding sessions for new field staff and vendors on program tools, systems, and site safety protocols.
Perform periodic audits of closed site files to validate data completeness and compliance with contractual obligations.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Work Order & Service Management Systems (e.g., ServiceNow, Salesforce Field Service, ClickSoftware) — ability to create, update, and close work orders with appropriate documentation.
Project scheduling tools (MS Project, Smartsheet, Asana, or JIRA) for maintaining program schedules and milestone tracking.
Asset and inventory management systems (SAP, Oracle NetSuite, GoIVY, or asset tagging workflows) and basic barcode scanning processes.
GIS and mapping tools (ESRI ArcGIS, Google Earth, or internal GIS viewers) to update site coordinates and view site clustering.
Basic RF knowledge including terminology (dBm, RSSI, throughput), understanding of site components (antenna types, RRUs, feeders) and commissioning test outputs.
Experience with permit and municipal filing processes, including understanding of local zoning, right-of-way, and pole attachment permitting workflows.
Familiarity with procurement workflows, purchase orders, invoice reconciliation, and vendor RMA/warranty processes.
Microsoft Office/Google Workspace proficiency (advanced Excel for pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, data consolidation; PowerPoint for executive reporting).
Experience with drive test data, RF acceptance testing logs, or commissioning documentation is a plus.
Exposure to telecom standards and regulations (FCC rules, NEPA, E911 routing considerations) and safety compliance requirements.
Basic GIS coordinate capture and verification using GPS-enabled devices or mobile apps.
Knowledge of telecom construction workflows (civil, power, backhaul coordination) and rooftop/tower site access procedures.

Soft Skills

Strong verbal and written communication skills for coordinating cross-functional teams, drafting status reports, and interacting with vendors and landlords.
Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple programs, prioritize tasks, and track dozens of concurrent site activities.
Problem-solving and critical thinking to triage field issues, propose practical mitigations, and escalate when necessary.
Attention to detail and accuracy for record-keeping, compliance documentation, and inventory reconciliation.
Customer-service orientation when working with internal stakeholders, external vendors, and site property contacts.
Time management and follow-through, ensuring tasks are completed on schedule and information is communicated proactively.
Adaptability and resilience in dynamic field environments and when handling last-minute schedule changes or site access problems.
Team collaborator who can work with engineers, procurement, legal, and finance to move projects forward.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED required. Associate degree or technical certificate preferred.

Preferred Education:

Associate or Bachelor's degree in Telecommunications, Electrical Engineering Technology, Business Administration, Project Management, or related technical field.
Certifications such as CAPM, PMP (aspiring), CompTIA Network+ or telecom-specific training are a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Telecommunications / Wireless Engineering
Electrical / Electronics Technology
Project Management / Business Administration
Supply Chain / Operations Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1-4 years of program support, field coordination, or telecom operations experience.

Preferred: 2-5 years supporting wireless deployments, field operations, or telecom program coordination with demonstrated experience in vendor management, permitting, and work order systems.