I once read a job ad that said “Communications Engineer, Oil & Gas, Milan” and thought, “Telecom degree, I’m a perfect match.” Then I got to the experience line: 10 to 15 years in oil and gas or petrochemical projects. That ad was a very different thing from what I’d pictured.
That’s exactly what this Telecommunications Engineer role in Milan is like. It looks like a normal telecom job. It isn’t, and you’ll waste a lot of time if you apply without understanding what it really is.
What this job actually is
The listing is for a freelance contract running until the end of February 2028, on-site in Milan, during the Detail Design EPC phase. It’s a PMC (Project Management Consultant) role, which means you’re on the client’s side, not the contractor’s.
You won’t be pulling cable or crimping connectors. Your job is to check that the people who do that work are doing it correctly. You review network architectures, vendor documents and specifications, then join factory acceptance tests (FAT), site acceptance tests (SAT), commissioning and start-up.
Think of it as being the person who asks “show me” in every meeting. That is the job.
The systems you’re expected to know
The listing names a lot of systems. Here’s what they mean in practice:
- Fiber optics and structured cabling: the backbone of a plant. Think long runs, hazardous areas, and outdoor routes.
- LAN/WAN and industrial Ethernet: not the office kind. Rugged switches, ring topologies, redundancy protocols like RSTP or PRP/HSR.
- Wireless networks: plant-wide Wi-Fi, sometimes private LTE.
- IP telephony: phones that still need to work during an emergency.
- PAGA (Public Address / General Alarm): loudspeakers across the plant. Boring until the day a gas alarm goes off.
- CCTV: cameras, video management, storage, and retention rules.
- Radio systems: handhelds and repeaters for operations and emergency teams.
- DCS, SIS, PLC, SCADA integration: how all of the above talks to the control systems.
If a few of these are unfamiliar, that’s normal. Most telecom graduates have only touched two or three. Industrial plants use all of them together.
Who this role is really for
Let me be honest, because most job blogs aren’t. The ad asks for 10 to 15 years of experience. LinkedIn even flags the match as low for profiles missing the required qualifications. This is a senior role. If you’re a fresh graduate or have two or three years of experience, applying won’t hurt, but don’t expect a call.
I’ve seen people burn a whole weekend rewriting a CV for a role that was never meant for them. The better move is to read the ad as a map of where you could be in a few years.
If you do have the background, you’re probably one of these:
- A telecom or instrumentation engineer who has worked on EPC contractor or owner’s engineer teams
- Someone who has done FAT/SAT on oil and gas, petrochemical or similar projects
- A freelancer or contractor already used to moving between projects
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Step by step: how to approach this listing
Step 1: Check the hard filters first.
Three things decide it quickly: years of experience in oil and gas or petrochemical, PMC/Owner’s Engineer or EPC execution experience, and fluent English. If you miss two of the three, save your energy.
Step 2: Match your past projects to their list.
Take their bullet points and write one real example for each from your own work. Not “I know SCADA,” but “I verified the SCADA to telecom interface on X project and found Y problem.”
Step 3: Rewrite your CV around outcomes.
Hiring managers for this kind of role see dozens of CVs listing the same standards. What sets you apart is the stuff you caught. A missed cable bend radius. A wrong switch firmware version found at FAT. A radio coverage gap discovered before start-up.
Step 4: Be ready to talk about cybersecurity.
The ad mentions industrial cybersecurity twice, once in the purpose and once in the requirements. Expect questions about IEC 62443, network segmentation between IT and OT, and how you’d review a vendor’s remote access setup.
Step 5: Prepare for a freelance reality check.
This is a contract that ends in February 2028. Ask about the contract structure, the payment terms, and whether relocation or accommodation in Milan is covered. Don’t assume. These details are usually not in the ad, and they matter a lot.
Step 6: Apply quickly, but not carelessly.
LinkedIn shows it as posted a week ago with dozens of applicants and an “actively reviewing” status. Applying early helps, but a rushed, generic CV doesn’t.
What the day-to-day probably looks like
Based on how PMC roles usually work, expect this kind of week:
- Reading vendor drawings and finding the one thing that doesn’t match the specification
- Reviewing a network architecture and asking why there’s a single point of failure
- Meetings with the client, the EPC contractor and vendors, often with different opinions
- Joining a FAT where a vendor’s switches or PAGA system get tested before shipping
- Tracking open issues, risks and delays
Tools you’ll likely touch: Visio or AutoCAD for drawings, Excel for punch lists, a document management system for submittals, and Wireshark or a cable certifier like a Fluke DSX for checks. For fiber, an OTDR report is something you should be able to read confidently.
Nobody expects you to be the best at every tool. They expect you to know what a good result looks like.
Mistakes to avoid
- Treating it like an IT networking job. Plant networks are about uptime and safety, not just speed. A reboot at the wrong time can stop production.
- Listing standards you can’t talk about. If your CV says ISA, IEC, IEEE, ANSI, API and NFPA, someone will ask you about one of them. Only list what you’ve really worked with.
- Ignoring the PMC mindset. A common mistake is acting like a contractor, trying to fix everything yourself. In this role you review, challenge, and document.
- Skipping the soft skills. The ad says “excellent communication and stakeholder management” for a reason. Many problems on these projects are people problems.
- Not reading the whole ad. Phrases like “Detail Design EPC” and “till end February 2028” tell you the project phase and how long the work lasts.
- Applying without a plan B. If this one doesn’t work out, you’ll want other similar roles bookmarked.
If you’re not there yet
If you read all this and thought “I’m not ready,” that’s useful information, not a failure. A realistic path looks like this:
- Get into an instrumentation, telecom or automation role on an industrial project, even a junior one
- Learn one DCS or SCADA platform properly
- Study IEC 62443 basics, since industrial cybersecurity is where demand is growing
- Join commissioning or FAT/SAT work as often as you can, because that experience is what these ads really ask for
- Build your English communication, since the listing requires fluent written and verbal English
Many engineers I’ve read about in this field started on the contractor side and moved to the owner’s side later. It’s a normal path.
A quick reality check on the listing
I can’t tell you anything about the pay or whether you’ll get the job. The ad doesn’t mention salary, and LinkedIn only shows applicant numbers. What I can say is that roles like this tend to go to people with a proven track record in similar plants, so the best thing you can do is show clear, specific proof of that.
Final thoughts
This Milan role is a good example of how a simple job title can hide a very specialized job. “Telecommunications Engineer” sounds broad, but the real requirement is deep experience in oil and gas communication systems, plus the confidence to oversee other people’s work.
If that’s you, apply with a sharp, project-focused CV and be ready for technical questions. If it’s not you yet, bookmark the listing, note the skills it asks for, and use it as a checklist for your next few years. Either way, you’ll know exactly what you’re aiming for.