The posting
Position Title: Senior Outside Plant (OSP) Engineer Location & travel requirement: This position is based in Lake County, Illinois. Candidates must currently reside in the area or be able to relocate to Lake County. Relocation assistance is not guaranteed and, if requested, will be evaluated in accordance with company policy. This position requires regular field travel throughout the assigned territory. A reliable personal vehicle is required for business travel, with reimbursement provided in accordance with company policy. Base Salary: 88,000 to $115,000 annually DOE Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401k, flexible spending account, paid sick leave and paid time off, parental leave, quarterly performance bonus, training, career growth and education reimbursement programs. Ziply Fiber is a local internet service provider dedicated to elevating the connected lives of the communities we serve. We offer the fastest home internet in the nation, a refreshingly great customer experience, and affordable plans that put customers in charge. As our state-of-the-art fiber network expands, so does our need for team members who can help us grow and realize our goals. Our Company Values: Genuinely Caring: We treat customers and colleagues like neighbors, with empathy and full attention. Empowering You: We help customers choose what is best for them, and we support employees in implementing new ideas and solutions. Innovation and Improvement: We constantly seek ways to improve how we serve customers and each other. Earning Your Trust: We build trust through clear, honest, human communication. Job Summary The Senior Outside Plant (OSP) Engineer is responsible for executing fiber OSP projects created by the Planning department, including design validation, budget adherence and schedule management. This includes technical oversight of OSP infrastructure ensuring capacity, constructability permitting, and scalability alignment. The Senior OSP Engineer serves as subject matter expert (SME) of Engineering for all technical aspects of outside plant facilities and associated work such as cable sizing, cable counts, cable records and permitting for ROW’s and easements. They ensure projects are progressing through the required programs in a timely manner and within the required budget for implementing the best network solution. This role works as a special point of contact (SPOC) with various Ziply Fiber departments, internal, external team members and vendor resources. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: The Essential Duties and Responsibilities listed below are a range of duties performed by the employee and not intended to reflect all duties performed. Project Planning & Design · Proactive review of outside plant facilities to determine necessary upgrades and enhancements. · Produce and/or review HLD and LLD · Communicate with all peers and departments to ensure proper project planning. · Attend preconstruction meetings for project designs. · Prepare cost estimates based on project type and needs. Engineering Quality and Records · Review Vendor designs and perform QA/QC audits · Maintain accurate cable records and update according to As-Builts. Permitting, ROW, and External Coordination · Communicate with state, county, city, and national entities to gain information on planned projects that involve growth and changes. · Coordinate with all utilities for project design and construction to utilize joint trench. · Manage full permitting lifecycle (State, DNR, City, County, Townships). · Maintain and investigate ROW’s and easements for releases. Leadership, Support, and Cross-Functional Partnership · Support leadership with reporting and escalations. · Provide guidance, support and training to internal FTE’s and external vendors, including mentorship and quality enforcement · Support sales, marketing, operations and regulatory as needed. Other Duties · Must be available to work regular business hours Pacific Standard Time. · Must also be available to work on-call, evenings and weekends as needed. · Performs other duties as required to support the business and evolving organization. Required Qualifications: · High school diploma or GED. · Bachelor’s degree in engineering or equivalent work experience, or a minimum of five (5) years of OSP Engineering experience or an outside plant position. · Minimum of five (5) years of experience in telecommunications outside plant project management and/or fiber design, including inventory management. · Minimum of three (3) years’ experience in ROW, private easement and permitting with local, state, and federal entities. · Must be able to demonstrate knowledge of outside plant design, cable count layout and capacities. · Must have and maintain a valid driver’s license, auto insurance, and satisfactory driving record. · Must complete a pre-employment drug screening. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: · Knowledge of outside plant activity and engineering tools to include Microsoft Office, AutoCAD, GIS(QGIS/ArcGIS), IQGEO, etc · Organizational skills, communication skills (written and verbal) and customer relations will be utilized in achieving desired results. · Strong interpersonal skills to collaborate with Engineering team, regional managers, vendors, local supervisors, and technicians. · Ability to manage multiple projects in various stages of activity and meet critical deadlines. · Ability to drive on behalf of the company in a safe and responsible manner. Work Authorization Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the US for any employer. Sponsorship is not available for this position. Physical Requirements The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Essential and marginal functions may require maintaining physical condition necessary for bending, stooping, sitting, standing, or walking for prolonged periods of time, including walking up to 2 miles when in the field performing duties. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and frequently use hands and repetitive motions to drive stakes into ground using a hammer. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. This role requires driving and requires the ability to perform all functions of operating a motor vehicle regularly and safely. Work Environment Work is performed in an office setting with exposure to computer screens and requires extensive use of a computer, keyboard, mouse, and multi-line telephone system. The work is primarily a modern office setting. At all times, Ziply Fiber must be your primary employer. Unless otherwise prohibited by law, employees may not hold outside employment nor be self-employed without obtaining approval in writing from Ziply Fiber. In holding outside employment or self-employment, employees should ensure that participation does not conflict with responsibilities to Ziply Fiber or its business interests. Diverse Workforce / EEO: Ziply Fiber is an equal opportunity employer. Ziply Fiber will consider all qualified candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, and the presence of a non-job-related handicap or disability or any other legally protected status. Ziply Fiber requires a pre-employment background check as conditions of employment. Ziply Fiber may require a pre-employment drug screening. Ziply Fiber is a drug free workplace. #ZFINT
