Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wireless Program Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Wireless Program Manager leads large-scale wireless network programs (site builds, 5G/LTE modernization, DAS and small cell deployments, network upgrades) from strategy through closeout. This role combines program and project management, RF/network domain knowledge, vendor management, budget oversight, regulatory compliance, and cross-functional stakeholder leadership to deliver high-quality, on-time, on-budget wireless infrastructure that meets capacity and performance targets.

Core keywords: wireless program manager, 5G deployment, LTE modernization, RF engineering, site acquisition, vendor management, network buildouts, DAS, small cell, network optimization.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Project Manager — Network Infrastructure (5G/LTE buildouts)
RF Engineer / Network Planning Engineer with project lead experience
Site Acquisition Manager or Construction Program Lead

Advancement To:

Senior Program Manager — Wireless Programs
Director of Network Programs / Network Deployment
Head of Wireless Operations or VP, Network Planning & Deployment

Lateral Moves:

Product Manager — Network Services (OSS/BSS)
Vendor/Partner Manager (Strategic Alliances)
Network Performance or Capacity Planning Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Own end-to-end program delivery for wireless network initiatives (5G NR, LTE densification, macro rebuilds, DAS, small cells), including program chartering, scope definition, milestone planning, resource planning, cost management and final acceptance to ensure programs meet business KPIs and regulatory requirements.
Develop and maintain comprehensive program plans, integrated master schedules, critical path analyses, and resource forecasts using MS Project, Primavera, or equivalent tools; proactively adjust plans to mitigate schedule and budget risk.
Manage program budgets and P&L responsibility including cost estimating, forecasting, variance analysis, monthly financial reporting, and driving corrective actions to keep programs within approved spend.
Lead cross-functional teams (RF engineering, construction, site acquisition, legal, municipal permitting, backhaul/transport, core/OSS/BSS, testing) to coordinate deliverables, dependencies, and timelines across the lifecycle of wireless deployments.
Define, implement and govern program management frameworks, stage gates, governance boards, change control processes and escalation paths to maintain consistent program execution and high-quality outcomes.
Create, track and report program KPIs and performance dashboards (site turn-up rates, mean time to repair, RAN availability, throughput, project burn rates) to senior leadership and stakeholders with clear insights and recommended actions.
Lead vendor selection, contracting, and performance management activities; negotiate agreements, SLAs, and statements of work; manage vendor scorecards and drive corrective actions for poor performance.
Oversee site acquisition and permitting activities, ensuring timely coordination with municipalities, landlords, utilities, and contractors; resolve zoning, easement and make-ready issues to avoid schedule slippage.
Coordinate RF design and optimization deliverables: review RF designs, propagation studies, link budgets, interference analysis and integration plans with RF engineers to ensure designs meet coverage and capacity objectives.
Own commissioning and acceptance procedures for new sites including integration testing, drive testing, KPIs validation, cutover planning, rollback procedures and formal sign-off with operations teams.
Ensure regulatory and compliance adherence (FCC, local permitting, construction codes, safety standards) across program activities and maintain documentation for audits and regulatory reviews.
Lead risk identification, mitigation planning, and contingency development; maintain and report program risk registers and ensure proactive contingency execution when risks materialize.
Drive continuous improvement and standardization across program processes — lessons learned, playbooks, templates, productivity initiatives and automation opportunities to accelerate deployment velocity and reduce cost.
Coordinate with transport and backhaul teams to secure capacity and connectivity for new sites, including fiber provisioning, microwave links, and leased circuits; align cutover windows and test plans.
Manage construction and field operations oversight: schedule site turn-ups, safety compliance, quality control, punch-list resolution, and contractor performance monitoring.
Facilitate executive-level program reviews and steering committees; prepare concise, data-backed presentations, decision packages and remedial plans to senior stakeholders and business owners.
Champion cross-functional stakeholder alignment across product, finance, legal, procurement and operations to prioritize workstreams, resolve interdependencies and ensure smooth handoffs to operations and maintenance teams.
Implement and maintain robust documentation and configuration management for program artifacts including design baseline, as-built records, test results, permits, and vendor deliverables.
Lead capacity planning and forecast modeling exercises aligned to traffic growth and business forecasts; provide input into network investment roadmaps and capital planning cycles.
Manage change management, training and operational readiness for network operations center (NOC) and field operations teams prior to service launches or major upgrades.
Oversee quality assurance and acceptance testing regimes, defining test cases, success criteria, and remediation pathways to ensure new assets meet technical and performance standards.
Coordinate multi-site rollouts with minimized customer impact; plan maintenance windows, cutover coordination, and communications with internal partners and customers/operators when required.
Serve as primary escalation point for complex technical, commercial or scheduling issues; lead cross-functional war-rooms to diagnose root cause and drive rapid resolution.
Drive vendor consolidation and sourcing strategies to reduce complexity, optimize cost and increase vendor accountability across the wireless program portfolio.
Monitor industry trends, technology roadmaps (e.g., 5G Standalone, Open RAN), and competitive activity to provide strategic recommendations and influence program direction.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc network performance data requests and exploratory analysis to inform program prioritization, capacity planning and post-deployment optimization.
Contribute to the organization's data & analytics strategy for wireless networks by defining telemetry requirements, KPI definitions and data collection needs for program reporting.
Collaborate with business units and product owners to translate business objectives and analytical needs into engineering requirements, test plans and delivery schedules.
Participate in sprint planning, agile ceremonies and backlog grooming with product and engineering teams to break large program deliverables into executable work packages and incremental deployments.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Program and project management — program lifecycle management, integrated master scheduling, budget/P&L and earned value management (EVM).
Wireless network technologies — 5G NR, LTE (E-UTRA), small cells, DAS, macro sites, RAN architecture, carrier aggregation and spectrum fundamentals.
RF engineering familiarity — link budgeting, propagation modeling, interference mitigation, and RF acceptance testing.
Site acquisition and permitting — zoning, landlord negotiations, municipal permitting processes and utility coordination.
Vendor management & contracting — RFP/RFI processes, SOW development, SLA negotiation and vendor performance metrics.
Tools & platforms — MS Project/Primavera, JIRA/Confluence, iBwave, Atoll (or similar RF planning tools), GIS/mapping tools, Excel advanced modeling and Power BI/Tableau for reporting.
Backhaul and transport knowledge — fiber provisioning, microwave planning, leased circuits, and integration with core/transport networks.
Testing & commissioning — drive testing, integration testing, KPIs validation and handover to operations governance.
Regulatory and compliance — FCC rules, local construction codes, environmental and safety regulations.
Financial acumen — capital planning, cost estimating, forecasting, variance analysis and cost control techniques.
Contract law basics and commercial negotiation — managing contract changes, claims, and escalation.
Data literacy — interpreting NMS/OSS telemetry, KPI dashboards, and using performance data to drive program decisions.

Soft Skills

Strong leadership and people-management skills with experience leading cross-functional teams and remote/field resources.
Excellent stakeholder management: ability to influence executives, negotiate with vendors, and align competing priorities across business units.
Clear and persuasive written and verbal communication; experience preparing executive briefings and technical-to-business translations.
Problem-solving and structured thinking — ability to analyze complex issues, prioritize root causes and drive resolution with measurable outcomes.
Change management and organizational readiness skills to support transitions from project to operations.
Time management and the ability to manage multiple concurrent programs under tight deadlines.
Conflict resolution and negotiation skills to de-escalate issues and renegotiate timelines or scopes.
Attention to detail and strong documentation discipline for auditability and knowledge transfer.
Customer-first mindset with the ability to balance operational constraints and business objectives.
Resilience and adaptability in fast-moving or ambiguous technology deployments.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, Computer Science, Construction Management, Business Administration, or related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree (MEng, MS, MBA) or specialized certifications (PMP, PgMP, Certified ScrumMaster, ITIL) and industry training in wireless technologies.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Electrical / Telecommunications Engineering
Network Engineering / Computer Science
Business Administration / Project Management
Construction Management / Civil Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

6–12+ years in program/project management with at least 4+ years directly managing wireless network deployments (site builds, 5G/LTE, DAS, small cell).

Preferred:

8+ years of progressive responsibility in wireless program delivery with demonstrated success managing multi-million dollar capital programs, cross-functional stakeholder alignment, vendor ecosystems, and delivering large multi-site rollouts on schedule and within budget.
Practical experience with RF teams, field construction, site acquisition, regulatory permitting, vendor contracts and operational handover to NOC/operations.