Manager, Outside Plant (OSP) Engineering

Job Responsibilities

• Directly lead, manage, and develop a small team of three specialists — the Senior OSP Engineer (fiber pathways, conduit/pole and underground design, as-builts), the RF & DAS Engineer (outdoor DAS and CBRS RF), and the Site Survey & Permitting Lead (surveys, ROW/AHJ coordination, permits) — owning hiring, onboarding, goal-setting, and performance management for the group.
• Allocate work across the team, balance workloads against the campus build schedule, and serve as the technical escalation point when specialties intersect (e.g., route design, RF coverage, and permitting) — while coaching each member and building cross-coverage so the small team can support multiple concurrent campuses without single points of failure.
• Own the Outside Plant engineering function end-to-end — fiber pathways, conduit/duct-bank, aerial and underground routes, entrance facilities, outdoor DAS, and CBRS/Private 5G coverage — from pre-construction design through construction, commissioning, and as-built turnover.
• Guide OSP fiber route design and construction-method selection (trenching, directional boring, aerial and underground placement), and establish OSP design standards and QA/QC criteria for consistent, repeatable campus builds.
• Manage permitting, right-of-way/easements, and AHJ/utility coordination on the critical path, treating jurisdictional approvals, pole attachment, and make-ready as key schedule risks.
• Oversee outdoor DAS and CBRS RF deliverables (coverage modeling, RF propagation, link budgets), relying on the RF & DAS Engineer for specialist depth.
• Review and validate engineering and contractor deliverables (drawings, BOMs, redlines, as-builts) for accuracy, constructability, and code compliance (e.g., NESC, NEC, TIA-942, BICSI, Division 27/28).
• Drive external engineering firms and construction/splicing/test contractors to deliver on time and to quality, managing scope, schedules, budgets, and vendor performance.
• Ensure acceptance testing and commissioning (e.g., OTDR, OLTS/power meter, fusion splicing) meet standards, and that as-built records are captured in GIS/asset-management systems.
• Drive clean commissioning handover to the Daily Operations / Network Operations team, coordinate carrier entrance/turn-up, and partner cross-functionally with Inside Plant (ISP) Engineering, Network Engineering, Carrier & Vendor Relations, Delivery Management, Construction, Design & Engineering, and Operations — ensuring work meets safety, security, and compliance standards.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Telecommunications, Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• 10+ years in Outside Plant (OSP) fiber engineering, telecom/network infrastructure design, or fiber construction delivery — or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 3+ years directly managing and developing a small technical team (engineers and/or specialists), in addition to leading contractors and projects delivering physical network or construction infrastructure.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a small, multi-disciplinary team across distinct specialties — fiber/OSP design, outdoor RF/DAS, and site survey/permitting — coordinating individual contributors into integrated, schedule-certain deliverables.
• Solid working knowledge of OSP fiber design and construction — aerial, underground, fiber vaults and buried routes; conduit/duct-bank; and MPOE & DEMARC entrance facilities.
• Experience coordinating permitting, right-of-way/easements, and AHJ/utility approvals on the critical path.
• Familiarity with fiber testing and commissioning (e.g., OTDR, OLTS/power meter, fusion splicing) sufficient to set acceptance criteria and validate contractor results.
• Strong vendor/contractor management and clear communication with internal stakeholders and external authorities.
• Proficiency with common design and documentation tools (e.g., AutoCAD or MicroStation, GIS/ArcGIS, Visio).
• Valid driver's license (role requires periodic field/site work and inspections).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience delivering OSP and connectivity infrastructure for data centers, mission-critical facilities, hyperscale/cloud campuses, or large capital projects.
• Experience supporting builds at scale across multiple concurrent sites or campuses, including greenfield and live/retrofit environments.
• Familiarity with optical transport concepts (DWDM/CWDM, span loss, CD/PMD) and carrier/dark-fiber economics (IRU vs. lease vs. wavelength).
• Experience with outdoor DAS, CBRS spectrum coordination, and Private 5G outdoor coverage in campus environments.
• Familiarity with code and standards frameworks including NESC, NEC, GO-95, TIA-942, BICSI, and Division 27/28.
• Experience establishing OSP design standards, SOPs, QA/QC programs, and as-built/asset-management governance in a fast-growth organization.
• BICSI RCDD (or the Outside Plant/OSP specialty), or progress toward it, is a plus.
• PMP, PE license, or FOA Certified Fiber Optic credentials and OSHA 30.

Required Traits And Skills

• Leadership and Team Management: Inspire, guide, and develop a small, multi-disciplinary engineering team, enhancing performance, managing disputes, and fostering a collaborative environment across fiber/OSP, RF/DAS, and survey/permitting specialties.
• Effective Communication: Clearly convey expectations and requirements to vendors, contractors, and permitting authorities while understanding their needs and constraints, and comfortably deliver written and verbal updates to internal leadership.
• Critical Thinking Skills: Find innovative, constructible solutions and remain flexible in addressing unexpected field, permitting, and right-of-way challenges.
• Relationship Management: Cultivate trust, collaboration, and long-term partnerships across contractors, carriers, and jurisdictions, while building a network that provides benchmarking and alternative delivery options.
• Proactive Risk Management: Anticipate risks, identify vulnerabilities in routes, permits, and field execution, and proactively implement mechanisms to safeguard safety, availability, and schedule certainty.

Pay

Expected Salary Range: Base Salary: $175,000 – 200,000 + Discretionary Bonus

Benefits

• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits, including 100% employer-covered medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401K program, standard paid holidays, and unlimited PTO.

Contact Information

If you need assistance applying for any of our open positions, please contact us at info@tractcapital.com.