Outside Plant Construction Specialist

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Overview

At TDS Telecom, connecting people is at the heart of everything we do. We are forward thinkers who leverage cutting‑edge fiber internet technology to strengthen communities and are dedicated to excellence, which drives us to succeed together, creating a better world through meaningful connections. Ready to make an impact?

Note: This position offers the opportunity to telecommute from a home office; however, due to required in‑market support, individuals must reside within a 70‑mile radius of Eau Claire, WI.

The Outside Plant Construction Specialist is responsible for coordinating, planning, and supervising outside plant field construction and splicing operations in multiple locations. Depending upon workload, this person may be required to supervise consulting resources in the engineering and/or construction phase of the projects. The successful candidate works independently with representatives from network operations, associate managers, consultants, design engineers and construction contractors for TDS Telecom Network Services to ensure that the needs of the company are being met.

The candidate is responsible for implementation of fiber networks while conforming to existing TDS Outside Plant (OSP) guidelines and TDS OSP standards, staying current with National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) and ensuring construction is always NESC compliant. Depending on the area, the specialist may assist in engineering the OSP projects, involving creating labor, material, and overhead project estimates.

The specialist is expected to oversee numerous construction projects, possibly located in multiple locations, continually monitoring costs and job progress to ensure completion on time and within budget. The candidate is also responsible for ongoing communication with various governmental agencies to protect the TDS OSP network from being jeopardized by proposed road improvements and may be required to negotiate with municipalities or other utility companies from a network and legal perspective for the purchase, lease and/or sale of inner ducts, fiber, and/or complete fiber networks.

This position can be hired at a Outside Plant Construction Specialist (2025‑28269) or Outside Plant Construction Specialist I (2025‑28270) level depending on the skills and qualifications of the candidate. Separate job postings outline the minimum requirements for each role. Please review both postings and apply to any level for which you are qualified and interested.

• Coordinate OSP projects and/or supervise consultants responsible for coordinating outside plant field construction and splicing operations in multiple locations.
• Provide technical support for special request projects such as major road moves or potential on‑net builds.
• Work with Finance to ensure proper accounting of facilities placed and interact with the legal department to ensure the company is not at risk in any asset transfers.
• Assist in the engineering phase of projects as needed, creating labor, material and overhead project cost estimates.
• Provide audits of OSP projects and coach consultants and/or contractors to ensure accuracy and consistency, ensuring compliance with NESC standards and current TDS OSP standards.
• Review all required reports from field personnel and contractor invoicing for accuracy. Manage construction projects by reviewing quality of work, clean‑up resolution, proper maintenance of project documentation and continual review of project progress.
• Ensure that the TDS OSP group complies with Sarbanes‑Oxley guidelines and other departments such as Network Operations, Network Planning, Rights‑of‑Way and Contract Administration.
• Conduct pre‑staking, pre‑bid and pre‑construction meetings as required. Verify that proper right‑of‑way, easements and permits are obtained and designs for proper cable sizing and facility routing are complete.
• Verify that all documentation required to complete projects successfully, including bid jobs, build orders, job start agreements, VMOPs and close‑out documentation, is complete.
• Adapt quickly in an…