Senior Project Manager Telecom & Construction Markets
Resume:
MARK GRUSCHOW
NETWORK ENGINEERING, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, PROJECT MANAGEMENT
CONTACT
Pensacola, FL
************@*******.***
www.linkedin.com/in/mark-gruschow-5a57691
PROFILE
Over 20 years of experience in telecommunications with expertise in network engineering, technology, and business development. Proven track record in contract negotiation and ensuring data integrity. Strong analytical skills applied to problem-solving and team development. Committed to professional growth and leadership advancement through challenging opportunities.
EDUCATION
Jones International University
Englewood, CO – Finance 1/2005
USAF Technical Training
San Antonio, TX
Network & Switching Systems 1/2000
KEY SKILLS
Business strategy and development
Project management
Forecasting and budgeting
Contract negotiation
Network engineering
Core transport design
Facilities acquisition
Transport network deployment
Dark fiber and Ethernet solutions
Leadership skills
Network Design
Network Testing
Network Troubleshooting
Telecom Network Design
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Communicated and Implemented project statuses, new procedures and technologies that improved efficiency and streamlined operations across critical teams.
providers, CLEC's, metro, regional and Long haul providers & carriers.
• Provided a topology of carrier cable routes within Customer serving area.
Wireless Transport Engineer / Transport Network Optimization
EXPERIENCE
Manager, Engineering & Business Development Redbird Network (Start-Up)
March 2025 – October 2025 (Remote)
• Manage Engineering and Business Development initiatives including work with national engineering consulting firms and Redbird executive team to develop strategic advantages.
• Strong leadership skills with focus on precision in engineering design, review and development, government grant development, private network opportunities and administration of competing priority projects at varying stages of plan, design, and complexity.
• Adhered to NTIA BEAD grant rules covering eligibility, application requirements, and allowed uses while complying with federal regulations such as the Uniform Guidance and the Build America, Buy America Act, ensuring financial accountability, and providing detailed budget information.
• Eligibility: Verified eligibility based on the state’s Broadband Infrastructure Program.
• Application: Submitted through the NTIA Grants Portal and include a signed SF-424 and other required forms like the Consolidated Budget Form.
• Timeliness: Submitted detailed timelines outlining milestone dates.
• Broadband Infrastructure Program: Complied with covered partnerships guidelines for the grant amounts offered.
• Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program: Followed the technology-neutral approach as stated in the requirements.
• Digital Equity Programs: Detailed focus on covered populations as required for grant funds to supplement other federal or state funds.
• Middle Mile Grants: Submitted to demonstrate technical capability and include network design diagrams and a build-out timeline.
• Budget: Detailed budget information was provided and complied with based on the principles of allowability, allocability, and reasonableness.
• Indirect Costs: Included in the budget were negotiated indirect cost rate agreements (NICRA) or opts for the 10% de minimis rate.
• Program Income: Understood the program income without restrictions that subgrantee budgets cannot include profit or fees.
• Compliance: Monitored subrecipients and administer awards in compliance with program terms, including standard terms and conditions, financial and programmatic requirements, and ARRA terms.
• Build America, Buy America (BABA): Complied with BABA, which requires domestic content for construction materials for infrastructure projects.
• Environmental Compliance: Met environmental regulations, including National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements.
• Worker Safety: Created the creation of worker-led health and safety committees.
• Cybersecurity: Submitted a plan to implement a robust cybersecurity measures, including advanced threat detection, securing the software supply chain, and training staff.
Owner/Manager Integrity Construction & Design
June 2023 – July 2025
• Financial and contractual responsibilities
Business Development: Developed and grew business through website creation, advertising and networking.
Securing funding: Responsible for raising and managing capital for the entire project.
Budgeting and payments: Oversaw the budget, approve invoices and made prompt payments to contractors and vendors.
Contract management: Created and executed contracts, securing necessary easements & permits, and fulfilling contractual obligations.
Accounting: Responsible for making sure that we are financially balanced and that all documents are prepared and submitted for taxes.
Oversight and project management
Defining scope and goals: Created the vision, goals, and objectives for the project.
Quality assurance: Ensured that the project met all quality standards and specifications through inspections and approvals.
Safety: Responsible for ensuring safety protocols are followed and coordinating potentially hazardous work to minimize risk.
Decision-making: Provide timely answers and approve changes to keep the project moving forward.
Team and stakeholder management
Assembling the team: Selected and hired architects, engineers, contractors, and other professionals.
Communication: I was the central point of communication, working with the client, contractors, governmental bodies, and other stakeholders.
Cooperation: Worked with the contractor and resolved any issues that arose during the project.
Network: In charge of IT asset management, hardware deployments, website creation, IT desktop, laptop and peripheral hardware and software purchases, installations, upgrades and troubleshooting. On boarded employees with Windows using Virtual Desktop, Microsoft 365 project, Microsoft 365, QuickBooks, Contractor Foreman, Linked Phone.
Sr. Wireless Network Engineer T-Mobile
June 2019 – October 2023 (Remote)
• Managed and deployed major optimization projects to inform, execute and support a data driven strategy
aligned with the consolidation of T-Mobile / Sprint wireless networks.
• Organized fiber optimization plans and coordinated implementations/terminations with vendors and internal teams.
• Data analytics, planning, reporting, project management, deployment and integration to accelerate transport network optimization resulting in synergy savings exceeding $15M annually while meeting contractual commitments, vendor and company network performance objectives.
• Team Lead for national fiber projects, status updates to stakeholders, escalation of issues, and problem resolution
• Solve business problems developing data and network solutions.
• Managed and deployed major optimization projects to inform, execute and support a data driven strategy aligned with the consolidation of T-Mobile / Sprint wireless networks.
• Organized fiber optimization plans and coordinated implementations/terminations with vendors and internal teams.
Sr. Wireless Network Engineer Sprint
March 2012 - June 2019 (Remote)
• Manage financial forecasts to OPEX objectives nationwide.
• Worked closely with procurement organization on vendor management initiatives and consistently developed forecast and Engineering SOW for procurement vendor technical requirements.
• Responsible for national engineering; deployment, implementation, integration and execution of fiber transport network. Dark and Leased Ethernet fiber, core, OSP and cell-site integration.
• Consistently exceed planning, design, budget and deployment targets.
• Manage national legacy Sprint core facilities and cell site fiber network including dark and LIT fiber, optimization and capacity management to maintain wireless network integrity and customer experience while achieving OPEX cost savings objectives.
• Engineer Metro and BH Markets• Identifies providers in specific market locations
• Map providers networks on the area of interest to complete the engineered design
• Identify potential Transpop, Aggregate Pop, and BH Pop Locations
• Ensures new POP facilities meet transport, space, power requirements
• Coordinate with the MW, RF and Site Acquisition Teams to drive the final candidate selection
• Pursue least-cost solutions for Telco, Fiber, DIA, SD-WAN and Peering services
• Assist in developing and managing SLA's for POP's, DIA, fiber BH, and Telco/CLEC services
• Negotiate and Request contracts from the selected vendors for circuit orders
• Coordinate with vendors on complying with our network requirements
• Track and Report projected dates for Construction, Delivery, Testing, and Commissioning
• Create, coordinate, and implement MOPs for circuit testing and commissioning
• Identify Ethernet, LIT, Dark Fiber, DS3, DS1, TDM and POTS circuits for upgrade, rehome, and disconnect circuits for cost savings
• Augment the LIT/DWDM network for maximum optimization and cost efficiency
• Systems Used: Sprintvision, Siterra, MACS, BAM, ETS, NRM, NTM, SOWF, Citrix, GIS, ESRI, Salesforce
Core Transport Network Engineer Clearwire
October 2006 - March 2012 (Remote)
• Responsibilities included the negotiation, execution and management of national fiber contracts, POP site leases and interconnect agreements.
• Managed POP site acquisition, core and metro IP based fiber contracts, capacity status and action plans.
• Negotiated vendor contracts, implemented Transport inter-connect agreements with Google, Facebook, FedEx, etc. supporting business development, capacity forecast / planning.
• Successfully managed transport OPEX budget, budget forecasting and variances while implementing effective designs with constant challenges leveraging strong relationships with peer organizations, core business teams and external business partners.
• Created transport engineering planning and design standards, optimized fiber backbone design and implementation, built strong vendor relationships, supported business development, capacity forecast/planning.
• End-to-end accountability to execute and source fiber, engineer/implement transport designs and service delivery.
• National Transport Engineering: Responsible for national engineering design and planning transport network projects to include dark DWDM and LIT fiber, integration, core transport connectivity, aggregate of microwave backhaul, build / launch 3G, 4G, 5G (WiMax and LTE) network.
• Aggressive planning, design and deployment of Dark Fiber transport network using GIS, ESRI, Mapping.
• Successful launch of 4G production network, PICO and LTE network.
• Aligned transport design with RF & MW search ring and financial objectives in nationwide markets.
• Developed design standards, project schedules, documentation, provisioning, maintained data integrity and service delivery.
Wireless Transport Engineer / Transport Network Optimization Alcatel Telecom
October 2006 to March 2007
• Utilized Granite, DACs dumps, & LEC information to provide network topology & analysis
• Identified underutilized & termed circuits for disconnect on DS1, DS3, & OC3-OC192 levels
• Installed TCP/IP networks (LAN's), and 802.11 wireless technologies (WLAN's)
• Provided a roll plan for maximum network optimization & cost savings
• Provided market analysis on carrier transport capability, facility and space availability
• Identified dark fiber
Wireless Transport Engineer / Transport Network Optimization Ericsson Telecom
March 2006 to October 2006
• Cutover and Optimization of TDMA, CDMA, GSM, & UMTS for Cingular Transport Network
• DACS / Sonet analysis and optimization during network migration and consolidation
• Provide direction to swing cell sites between MSCs in support of cell re-homes prior to the decommissioning of a MSCs
• Updated and verified circuit information in Cingular Granite Database
• Installed & Programmed TCP/IP networks and 802.11 wireless technologies
• Utilized Billtamer in order to calculate network traffic tariffs and LCR
Voice/Data/Video Network Engineer Verizon
December 2005 to March 2006
• Directed site personnel in fault isolation on the following optical network elements: OC3-192,ATM, Sonet, VHO, MHE, SHE, EDFA, HUB, OLT, FDH, FDT, and ONT
• Provide performance monitoring, trend analysis, and fault isolation
• Responsible for company wide communications regarding network issues
Ericsson Mini-Link Microwave Engineer Ericsson
August 2004 to December 2005
• Performed T1 expansions for Sprint Network in 2 Florida markets
• Designed and installed hardware configuration for Ericsson Mini-Link cell sites
• Programmed and configured Mini-Link software including DB levels and cell alignments Wireless Network Engineer
• Performed E-911 audit for AT&T Wireless/ Cingular network merger
• Performed network audit utilizing Nokia and Ericsson MSC/BSC, Nortel, and Lucent switches; Alcatel1630 & 1631 DACS, Tellabs 532 & 5500 DACS, WLS (Wireless Location Sensor), and AMU (ABIS Monitoring Unit), & routers
• Designed MOP's, FOA's (First office application), programs, scripts, and reports reflecting network inconsistencies
• Utilized the following applications: NetAnalyst, Citrix, Netcool, AMS, Geometrix, and ED
Senior NOC Engineer Vartec Telecom
October 2001 to August 2004
• Proficient in the isolation and resolution of network issues on the DMS 250, 300, 500, DEX600E, Alcatel 3600+, SS7 network, and Titan-5500 DACS systems.
• Possess a sound understanding on DS0, DS1, DS3, and OC level relationships.
• Maintained & monitored internal TCP/IP networks (LAN's)
• Processed and utilized reports associated with circuit design to manage network efficiencies
• Maintained least cost routing to ensuring diversity in the network
Technical Support Engineer / NOC Nortel Networks
October 2000 to October 2001
• Perform surveillance, monitoring, maintenance, upgrades and translations for global customers to include the wireless platform as well as land line switches.
• Skilled in software programs such as FMS, Iris Eng, AROS, Remedy, Harris and Procom Plus.
• Assisted Nortel ETAS, ITAS and hardware support departments.
• Provided new employee training on procedural software applications and systems.
NOC Technician II Mpower Communications
April 2000 to October 2000
• Provided maintenance and software/hardware fault isolation of the DMS 500 and SS7 network.
• Skilled in the use of SERVORD, Translations/data tables, SPM's, log reports, and OM's.
• Performed switch upgrades to the latest software and hardware versions.
• Managed isolation and resolution of trouble tickets while providing customer service for local/long distance service and support for regional CLEC's.
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