OSP Project Engineer

# OSP Project Engineer Houston, TX ## Overview Position Type Full Time## Description
** Position

Description:

** The Project Engineer, OSP Fiber Design serves as Lyte Fiber's market-level engineering owner; responsible for end-to-end design quality, schedule adherence, vendor performance, and budget integrity across assigned build markets. This role functions as the primary engineering authority between Lyte's internal project teams and external design vendors.

Unlike a traditional staff engineer, the Project Engineer holds full accountability for all projects within their market scope. From initial field survey through permit conformance, HLD design handoff, and invoice validation. The role requires both strong technical depth in outside plant fiber design focused on distributive split and the operational discipline to manage vendor SLAs, enforce design standards, and drive predictable pipeline throughput.

Candidates should be comfortable performing in-house LLD design for SMB service extensions and small edge-out builds in addition to managing vendor-led residential FTTH design activity
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* Duties and Responsibilities:

**** Market & Project Ownership
*** Serve as the engineering owner for all active design and permitting projects within assigned market(s); manage scope, schedule, and design quality across vendor and in-house work streams.
* Establish Estimated Completion Dates (ECDs) for each project phase and actively manage to build schedule commitments, escalating threats to timeline with supporting analysis.
* Maintain a healthy design pipeline to absorb unforeseen delays without impacting annual FTTH build targets.
* Serve as the primary engineering point of contact for internal stakeholders including Construction, PMO, and Finance for all market-level design activity.
** Design Execution & Standards Enforcement
*** Perform in-house LLD design for SMB accounts, small edge-out builds, and other design tasks not assigned to external vendors, including aerial and underground routes.
* Enforce Lyte Fiber design standards and GIS schema requirements across all design stages (F0 through F2) for both vendor-produced and internally produced designs.
* Conduct L2 design review and approve design handoff packages prior to release to Construction; ensure completeness of bill of materials, splice documentation, and permit drawings.
* Review field survey data and LLD QC outputs; identify and resolve AER and UG design issues flagged during field validation before escalating to build.
* Perform Make-Ready analysis for aerial routes and review pole attachment applications in coordination with vendors.
* Continue to optimize LLD design to reduce per-passing cost and simplify drop installation for Lyte field technicians.
** Field Survey Oversight & Vendor Coordination
*** Coordinate field survey activities with design vendors; conduct independent field visits as needed to validate path selection, address data, and construction feasibility.
* Review pole collection outputs (Katapult or equivalent) for completeness: birthmark attribution, pole annotations, field photography, and geospatial accuracy.
* Evaluate and escalate AER vs. UG path decisions to key stakeholders for budget review and design approach approval when field conditions require deviation from planned design.
* Manage vendor performance against design SLAs and quality benchmarks; provide formal feedback and drive corrective action when standards are not met.
** Permitting & Regulatory Compliance
*** Understand and track permitting requirements by jurisdiction; ensure engineering completion is prioritized for long-lead permits to prevent construction delays.
* Verify permit conformance against approved design drawings; flag discrepancies and coordinate resolution with vendors and internal stakeholders.
* Manage complex permitting scenarios including railroad crossings, USACE jurisdictional areas, NEPA review triggers, and multi-agency ROW coordination.
* Generate and review all supporting permitting documentation: construction drawings, right-of-way exhibits, and agency-specific submittals.
** Financial Oversight & Invoice Validation
*** Review and approve vendor invoices against the standardized unit rate card; validate deliverable completeness and footage/unit accuracy before approval for payment.
* Prepare and maintain cost estimates and material requirements for assigned projects; perform financial true-up at project close.
* Keep market design budget in accordance with approved spend expectations; flag overages with documented cause and recommended corrective action.
* Provide input to Director on rate card performance, vendor cost trends, and opportunities for unit rate renegotiation.
** Reporting & Communication
*** Deliver weekly pipeline status reports covering FTTH passings by stage: approved, design, permitting, and construction-ready.
* Report on design throughput, ECD adherence, QA defect rates, and permit submission/approval timelines.
* Participate in PMO schedule reviews,…