Fiber Engineering Project Manager
FIBER ENGINEERING PROJECT MANAGER
Department: OSP Engineering
Reports To: Fiber Engineering Manager
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.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- 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 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
There are several competencies required to be successful in this position. The following are some of the most important definitions of each are included at the end of this job posting: Communication, Detail-Orientation, Teamwork, Problem-Solving, and Willingness to learn.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 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.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 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.
JOB DETAILS AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
- This is a full-time, exempt staff position within the OSP Engineering department.
- This position is fully remote with no routine travel required.
- Work hours are generally Monday through Friday during standard business hours, with occasional extended hours required to meet critical milestones or construction release deadlines.
- Must be authorized to work in the United States and able to pass a background check.
- This position requires the ability to work from a remote home office environment, including prolonged periods of sitting and working at a computer.
- This position requires the ability to communicate clearly and effectively via video conferencing, phone, and written correspondence.
Vero Broadband was formed to fill a need in unserviceable and underserved communities where access to affordable, reliable broadband simply does not exist. Our goal is to bring the highest quality fiber optic-based broadband services to these communities. In addition, Vero strives to enhance communities by becoming an active partner in these communities by adding jobs, supporting local causes, and helping improve the connectivity of schools and rural healthcare as well.
NOTICES
Vero participates in E-Verify. Vero will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. For more information about E-Verify, please visit: www.e-verify.gov
This position requires the ability to pass a standard background check upon offer of position.
At least 2 professional references are required.
CORE COMPETENCY DEFINITIONS
Communication: Communication as a core competency ensures someone can provide accurate and understandable information to others. Effective communication is the process of exchanging ideas, thoughts, opinions, knowledge, and data so that the message is received and understood with clarity and purpose. When and individual communicates effectively, both the sender and receiver feel satisfied. Communication occurs in many forms, including verbal and non-verbal, written, visual, and listening.
All employees should be able to explain simple information clearly. Advanced communicators are able to build relationships across the organization, practice active listening (giving their full attention in a communication exchange), and ensure their messaging is clear, correct, complete, concise, and compassionate.
Detail-Oriented: Detail-oriented employees are accurate, punctual, self-organized, and generally highly professional. At a basic level, detail-oriented workers meet deadlines and produce work with few errors. Advanced qualities include organizing project teams to get the most out of every participant, assessing project requirements, and creating detailed plans.
Teamwork: Employees who have a competency in teamwork are able to balance team and individual responsibilities and remain objective and open to differing opinions and other views. Employees with teamwork as a core competency can seamlessly work within a team to achieve common goals.
Team-oriented workers support others and promote a healthy working atmosphere because they understand their responsibilities and carry out duties as directed. Advanced competencies involve fostering teamwork, like working to build relationships within teams and bridging the gaps between departments within the same organization, as well as providing and welcoming feedback from colleagues.
Problem-Solving: People with strong problem-solving skills can implement strategic solutions and communicate strategies to colleagues with ease. Most employees are able to identify problems as they arise and notify managers. More advanced problem-solving skills involve identifying and solving problems with minimal input from others or even anticipating problems before they arise. In the best cases, an employee can detect patterns of similar problems and create proactive strategies.
Willingness to learn: These employees are open to continuous learning. They seek to improve their skills at every opportunity.
Basic-level employees build skills for a single role, while intermediate competency for this kind of team member involves seeking more advanced knowledge to use in future challenges. Higher-level employees constantly refine their skills to reflect external developments.