Fiber Engineering Project Manager

Overview

POSITION SUMMARY

The Fiber Engineering Project Manager (FEPM) is responsible for overseeing the execution, coordination, and schedule management of the fiber engineering lifecycle supporting Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network deployments. This role ensures that engineering deliverables are completed on time, aligned with permitting requirements, and released in accordance with construction schedules.

The FEPM acts as the central coordination point between Fiber Engineering, Permitting, Construction, field survey teams, and external engineering vendors. While not responsible for hands-on design work, the role is accountable for engineering schedule discipline, interdependency management, risk mitigation, and delivery predictability across multiple projects and markets.

• Own and manage engineering schedules across multiple FTTH projects and markets.
• Develop, maintain, and track engineering milestones including field surveys, HLD/LLD delivery, pole attachments and make-ready readiness, permitting, and construction-ready handoff.
• Ensure engineering timelines align with construction start dates and release schedules.
• Identify schedule risks, dependencies, and bottlenecks and proactively implement mitigation plans.
• Coordinate with engineering teams and permitting specialists to ensure timely and complete permit submissions.
• Track permit status across municipal, DOT, railroad, utility, and environmental jurisdictions.
• Manage permit review cycles, comments, resubmittals, and approvals through to closure.
• Oversee vendor questions related to permitting requirements, jurisdiction-specific documentation, bonds, and insurance certificates.
• Escalate permitting delays or risks that may impact construction readiness.
• Serve as the primary engineering point of contact for Construction, Permitting, and Deployment teams.
• Coordinate deliverables across internal engineering resources, external engineering firms, and field survey providers.
• Facilitate regular cross-functional status meetings to align schedules, priorities, risks, and readiness.
• Manage scope, schedules, and performance of external engineering and survey vendors, enforcing contractual timelines and expectations.
• Escalate quality, completeness, or schedule issues to Fiber Engineering leadership as needed.
• Maintain accurate project tracking dashboards, logs, and status reports for engineering and permitting progress.
• Provide regular updates to the Fiber Engineering Manager on engineering status, permit timelines, risks, and construction readiness.
• Support forecasting of engineering completion and permit approval timelines.
• Help define, standardize, and improve engineering workflows, milestones, and handoff criteria.
• Identify systemic issues impacting throughput or schedule and recommend process improvements to support scale across multiple markets.

Core competencies include Communication, Detail-Orientation, Teamwork, Problem-Solving, and Willingness to learn.

• 3+ years of experience in FTTH, OSP engineering, telecom deployment, or infrastructure project management.
• Demonstrated experience managing schedules, milestones, and interdependencies in a multi-discipline environment.
• Working knowledge of FTTH engineering workflows, permitting processes, and construction sequencing.
• Familiarity with aerial and underground fiber deployment, including pole attachments and make-ready.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Proven ability to coordinate across engineering, permitting, construction, and external vendors.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Experience supporting or managing OSP engineering teams or external vendors.
• Familiarity with GIS, CAD, or pole loading workflows (conceptual understanding; not hands-on design).
• Experience tracking permitting across DOT, railroad, and municipal jurisdictions.
• Prior experience in a program or portfolio management role within telecom or utilities.
• Experience using project management tools such as Smartsheet, MS Project, Monday, Asana, Jira, or similar platforms.