Outside Plant Engineer

Bluebird Fiber is a premier fiber telecommunications provider of internet, data transport, and other services to carriers, businesses, schools, hospitals, and other enterprises in the Midwest.

About the role

The Outside Plant (OSP) Engineer provides network engineering support for all aspects of outside plant initiatives, including fiber optic plant and deployments such as staking, costing, permitting, and contractor selection. This position requires project management skills, including timely status reports, route documentation, and network integration plans. Candidates must have knowledge of outside plant construction techniques.

Responsibilities

• Support the development of outside plant (OSP) initiatives under consideration or approved for deployment.
• Develop and maintain all current OSP records.
• Provide support to Operations for facility-related maintenance issues.
• Provide timely preliminary route proposals and cost estimates to support business case development.
• Perform route staking for approved construction projects.
• Evaluate bids for construction and recommend contractor selection.
• Oversee job construction to ensure adherence to route design and plant placement specifications.
• Ensure proper permitting and rights-of-way are obtained.
• Verify construction clean-up.
• Review contractor invoices for accuracy of billing.
• Create final as-built documentation for permanent records.
• Coordinate the inclusion of new plant into One-Call databases.
• Notify OSP Locate Company of additional assets requiring locate support.
• Represent Bluebird Network for all OSP issues, including interactions with State Departments of Transportation, One-Call Dig Centers, and facility locate projects.
• Plan, design, maintain, document, and protect Bluebird’s optical backbone network plant, including integrated third-party network plant.
• Collaborate with Bluebird employees, contractors, vendors, and customers while representing Bluebird in the communities it serves.

Requirements

• College degree in Civil Engineering or equivalent work experience.
• Fiber optics training, including fusion splicing, fiber storage techniques, optical design considerations, optical physical characteristics, and network components.
• Knowledge of outside plant route planning and construction management experience.
• Valid state driver’s license with a clean driving record.
• Self-motivated and highly productive.

Skills

• Strong general PC skills, including drafting, mapping, and GIS database administration.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively at all levels and under challenging circumstances.
• Highly developed organization and coordination skills.

Schedule

Regular hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday; however, hours may vary based on job requirements.

Benefits

This is a full-time, benefit-eligible position.