Field Services Engineer

About the Job

The Field Service Engineer supports the University's campus communications infrastructure by planning, installing, maintaining, and troubleshooting structured cabling and related systems. This role provides hands‑on field execution for fiber and copper infrastructure, ensures compliance with University and industry standards, and partners closely with network engineering, project teams, facilities and public safety stakeholders. The position is responsible for high quality installation and repair work, accurate documentation and closeout, and timely customer communication.

Bargaining unit consideration begins on May 18, 2026 and ends on May 24, 2026.

Salary: $33.93 to $48.33 per hour

This is a day shift position with a standard 40 hour workweek. The typical schedule is Monday to Friday from 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM, although hours may vary based on project and operational needs. The position is overtime eligible and may require on‑call or emergency response coverage.

Travel to other University of Minnesota campuses and locations within Minnesota is required.

This position is represented by a bargaining unit AFSCME Technical. Dues or fair share deductions will be made.

• Install, test, troubleshoot, and repair fiber and copper infrastructure, including backbone and horizontal cabling, patch panels, termination hardware, grounding and bonding, and associated communications room infrastructure.
• Perform moves, adds, changes, and repairs in main distribution frames (MDF) intermediate distribution frames (IDF) and telecommunications spaces, including re‑termination, reroutes, and remediation work.
• Install, support, and coordinate connectivity for networked devices as assigned (for example, wireless access points, cameras, blue light phones, building systems connectivity), in coordination with responsible engineering teams.
• Use approved test equipment to certify cabling and fiber performance (for example, copper certification testers, OTDR, light source and power meter), interpret results, and resolve faults.
• Maintain readiness for incident response, including rapid triage and restoration work during outages.

• Conduct site walks and field surveys, identify pathways and room readiness, confirm scope feasibility, and develop field implementation plans.
• Create estimates and time and materials planning for field labor and standard materials, contribute to project schedules, and coordinate field activities with project managers, vendors, contractors, and internal teams.
• Review drawings and field conditions, identify constructability issues, and elevate risks early (pathways, space constraints, code and standards conflicts, access constraints).
• Provide field leadership during installations, including sequencing work across multiple locations and coordinating dependencies.

• Apply Industry, University, and OIT standards and best practices for structured cabling and fiber work (for example, labeling, color coding, pathway use, bend radius, strain relief, rack standards).
• Inspect contractor work for compliance, completeness, test results, labeling, and documentation quality, and coordinate punch list resolution.
• Support continuous improvement of standard details, checklists, and field procedures to improve quality and reduce rework.

• Maintain accurate, timely records of work performed, including test results, labeling information, as‑built updates, and closeout documentation.
• Use University ticketing and work management tools to document work, communicate status, manage assignments, and close requests.
• Maintain accuracy of infrastructure records in designated systems (for example, cable management databases, mapping tools, documentation repositories), and ensure work is traceable for operations and future projects.

• Communicate clearly with customers, building contacts, and project stakeholders, including explaining impacts, constraints, options, and…