Planning Manager

Planning Manager

Helios Towers is a leading independent telecommunications infrastructure company, having established one of the most extensive tower portfolios across Africa. It builds, owns and operates telecom passive infrastructure, providing services to mobile network operators. Helios Towers currently operates in 8 markets in Africa and Oman in the Middle East.

Overview

As Planning Manager, you will act as an upstream operational orchestrator within the Smart Operating Centre (SOC), shaping service level outcomes before execution. You will leverage Workforce Management (WFM), ICCP predictive insights, real-time alarms, and automated task bundling, transforming planning into a proactive, data-driven discipline.

By integrating planning activities across Maintenance, Energy, Security, Grid Coordination, and Customer Projects, you will ensure cohesive and efficient execution across all field operations. Your role focuses on maximizing operational performance by optimally planning, scheduling, and coordinating all site-based activities through the WFM platform, driving SLA compliance, cost efficiency, and reducing unnecessary site visits.

Role Responsibilities

As a Planning Manager, you will be responsible for:

• Owning integrated planning for corrective maintenance, preventive maintenance (PM), energy operations, grid coordination, and customer or project-related tasks requiring site access.
• Executing all planning activities within the Workforce Management (WFM) system in line with SOC optimization rules, RACI governance, and site access standards.
• Balancing operational demand with resource capacity, geographical clustering, ERT/MTTR expectations, SLA prioritization, and access constraints.
• Leading D-1 and rolling weekly planning cycles, ensuring full PM readiness, including spares availability, tools, site access, and field engineer allocation.
• Validating and consolidating cross-functional plans received from Energy Desk Leads, SOC teams, Customer Projects, and Maintenance Partners.
• Ensuring strict adherence to SLA 6 planning governance, including D-1 PM plan readiness by 14:00, rescheduling thresholds, and integrated SWO reviews.
• Maintaining high data quality and integrity across WFM, ServiceNow (SN), RMS, and ICCP platforms in line with SOC governance requirements.
• Initiating proactive replanning based on weather alerts, fuel shortages, field engineer availability, grid instability, alarm patterns, and predicted outages.
• Driving planning automation initiatives, including SWO batching, predictive PM, and automated clustering to eliminate inefficiencies.
• Supporting S&OP processes to ensure effective capacity alignment with operational demand.

Enhanced KPIs :

• SLA 6 – Adherence to plan (D-1 readiness, weekly forecast accuracy)

• SLA 3 – Contribution to SWO execution

• PM completion executed vs planned

• Plan vs execution variance

• Reduction in unplanned or repeat site visits (due to improved planning)

• Resource utilisation efficiency (FE time optimisation, route efficiency)

• Reduction in operational costs (fuel, travel, repeated PM/CM)

• Data quality score (WFM, SN, RMS, ICCP)

• % Planning automation achieved

Requirements for the Role

To succeed in the role, you will be/will have:

• Minimum 5–7 years in field operations, NOC/SOC, planning, or performance roles.

• Strong expertise in WFM or advanced operational planning technologies.

• Experience coordinating technical field teams in telecom or utility sectors.

• Familiarity with preventive and corrective maintenance processes.

• Exposure to contract/SLA-driven environments and partners.

Desired Skills

• Strong analytical and synthesis capabilities

• Real-time decision making & operational judgement

• Excellent communication and cross-functional influence

• Planning optimisation mindset

• High accountability & ownership

• Strong digital maturity: WFM, ICCP, SN, RMS, analytics tools

Definitions

• SOC: Smart Operating Centre

• WFM: Work Force Management system

• ICCP: Integrated Control Coordination Platform

• SLA: Service Level Agreement

• ERT: Emergency Response Time

• MTTR: Mean Time to Repair

• RACI: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed

• D-1: PM plan for next day must be ready D 1 (previous day) at 14:00

• SLA 3: Service Level Agreement related to Site Work Orders

• SLA 6: Service Level Agreement related to Preventative Maintenance, Refueling & Grid Top-up adherence

• RMS: Remote Monitoring System

• SN: Service Now

• S&OP: Sales and Operations Planning

• PM: Preventative Maintenance

• CM: Corrective Maintenance

Helios Towers is committed to promoting equal opportunities in employment. You and any job applicants will receive equal treatment regardless of age, disability, marital status, pregnancy or maternity, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief.