Structured Cabling Project Manager

About the Role

The Structured Cabling Project Manager is responsible for the successful financial, operational, and technical delivery of structured cabling and low-voltage infrastructure projects across a diverse customer base. Projects range from simple demarcation extensions or small cabling refreshes to complex new-construction deployments requiring coordination across general contractors, electrical contractors, architects, engineers, vendors, subcontractors, field technicians, and customer stakeholders.

The Project Manager must combine strong project management discipline with meaningful low-voltage cabling knowledge and business acumen. Success is measured by completing projects on time, meeting customer requirements, controlling costs, protecting target margins, managing scope, and delivering predictable financial performance. This role supports customers in retail, commercial, government, defense, enterprise, and other environments, adjusting project execution to meet specific requirements such as security, construction sequencing, access restrictions, and documentation standards.

Responsibilities

• Own structured cabling projects from opportunity handoff/kickoff through final acceptance, closeout, and financial reconciliation.
• Develop and maintain project schedules, milestones, dependencies, resource plans, risk registers, action items, and customer commitments.
• Manage projects ranging from demarc extensions, MAC work, and cabling additions to multi-floor, multi-building, and new-construction low-voltage deployments.
• Establish project scope, assumptions, exclusions, deliverables, acceptance criteria, and responsibilities across all parties.
• Lead customer kickoff meetings, construction coordination meetings, progress meetings, and project closeout meetings.
• Coordinate with general contractors, construction managers, electrical contractors, low-voltage subcontractors, architects, engineers, vendors, distributors, and customer representatives.
• Manage project communication and provide clear, timely status reporting regarding schedule, budget, risks, issues, change orders, and overall project health.
• Identify project risks early and develop mitigation and recovery plans.
• Manage scope changes and ensure change orders are properly documented, priced, approved, and incorporated into the project plan.
• Ensure projects meet customer requirements, contractual commitments, applicable standards, and internal quality expectations.
• Direct and mentor Structured Cabling Project Coordinators and provide clear accountability for project deliverables.
• Demonstrate knowledge of structured cabling systems, including Category 5e, Category 6, Category 6A, fiber optic, coaxial, and other low-voltage infrastructure.
• Understand copper and fiber pathways, cable tray, conduit, sleeves, J-hooks, raceway, innerduct, ladder rack, racks, cabinets, patch panels, cable management, and telecommunications spaces.
• Interpret MDF/IDF design concepts, equipment rooms, telecommunications rooms, demarcation points, intermediate distribution areas, and horizontal/vertical cabling architectures.
• Review and interpret construction drawings, low-voltage plans, riser diagrams, floor plans, reflected ceiling plans, specifications, details, and cabling schematics.
• Perform or validate material takeoffs and develop accurate Bills of Materials for structured cabling projects.
• Evaluate labor, material, equipment, subcontractor, and logistical requirements when developing project plans and budgets.
• Understand cable labeling, testing, certification, test-result documentation, as-built requirements, and closeout standards.
• Apply knowledge of TIA/EIA standards, BICSI practices, NEC requirements, customer specifications, and applicable construction standards.
• Understand construction sequencing and dependencies between low-voltage cabling, electrical, ceilings, walls, pathways, firestopping, security, AV, network equipment, and other trades.
• Manage interfaces between carrier demarcation, electrical, general construction, customer IT/network, and structured cabling scopes.
• Coordinate fiber optic installation, splicing, termination, testing, and certification.
• Recognize constructability issues and work with field and engineering resources to develop practical solutions.
• Own project financial performance and manage projects to established revenue, cost, and target margin objectives.
• Build, validate, and maintain project budgets based on labor, material, subcontractor, equipment, travel, logistics, and other project costs.
• Track committed costs, actual costs, forecast-to-complete, projected margin, and margin variance throughout the project lifecycle.
• Review vendor and subcontractor proposals and negotiate scope, pricing, assumptions, exclusions, and lead times.
• Manage purchase orders and subcontractor commitments to ensure costs remain aligned with approved project budgets.
• Review invoices against purchase orders, completed work, approved scope, and contractual requirements.
• Identify potential margin erosion early and take corrective action.
• Manage change orders with a focus on recovering incremental cost and protecting project margin.
• Provide accurate financial forecasting and communicate material financial risks to leadership.
• Balance customer satisfaction with commercial discipline and understand when a requested change has financial or schedule implications.
• Select, coordinate, and manage qualified vendors and low-voltage subcontractors.
• Establish expectations for schedule, quality, safety, documentation, testing, staffing, and communication.
• Monitor subcontractor productivity and performance against project commitments.
• Resolve vendor and subcontractor performance issues and escalate when required.
• Coordinate material procurement and confirm availability before field work is scheduled.
• Manage long-lead materials and identify substitutions or recovery options when supply issues threaten the schedule.
• Coordinate with general contractors and construction managers to ensure low-voltage work is sequenced correctly with other trades.
• Participate in pre-construction walkthroughs and site surveys to validate constructability, access, pathways, spaces, and installation requirements.

Project Types & Customer Environments

• Demarcation extensions and carrier handoff work.
• New construction structured cabling deployments.
• Tenant improvements and building renovations.
• Moves, adds, changes, and remediation projects.
• Multi-floor and multi-building campus deployments.
• Retail rollouts and multi-site programs.
• Government and public-sector facilities with heightened documentation, access, security, or compliance requirements.
• Defense-related environments with controlled access, security requirements, and complex stakeholder coordination.
• Enterprise environments requiring coordination with IT, network, facilities, construction, and security organizations.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of project management experience in structured cabling, low-voltage construction, telecommunications infrastructure, or a closely related field.
• Strong hands-on knowledge of structured cabling systems and low-voltage construction.
• Demonstrated experience managing project budgets, costs, change orders, and project margins.
• Proven ability to manage projects from small service work through complex construction deployments.
• Experience working with general contractors, construction managers, vendors, subcontractors, and field installation teams.
• Experience reading and interpreting construction drawings, specifications, floor plans, and low-voltage design documentation.
• Experience with material takeoffs, BOM development, procurement, and project financial management.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with customers and executive/internal stakeholders.
• Advanced organization, scheduling, risk management, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel; experience with project management, estimating, procurement, or construction management platforms preferred.
• Ability to travel to active project sites as required.

Preferred Qualifications & Certifications

• RCDD (Registered Communications Distribution Designer).
• BICSI certification or active participation in BICSI training/programs.
• BICSI Installer 1–3 or Technician (TECH).
• CNCI or comparable structured cabling credential.
• Fiber optic certification or documented fiber design/testing experience.
• Experience with CAD, Visio, takeoff/estimating software, or construction management platforms.
• PMP certification or formal project management training.
• Experience managing national or multi-site structured cabling programs.

Success Metrics

• Projects delivered on or ahead of committed schedule.
• Projects delivered within approved scope and target margin.
• Accurate forecasting of revenue, cost, and projected margin.
• Effective change-order management and protection of project profitability.
• Vendor and subcontractor performance against schedule, quality, and cost expectations.
• Customer satisfaction and successful project acceptance.
• Accurate and timely project documentation and financial closeout.
• Early identification and resolution of project risks and issues.
• Consistent adherence to structured cabling standards, customer requirements, safety expectations, and quality controls.

Success Profile

The ideal candidate is a business-minded project leader who understands that project management is both an operational and financial responsibility. They are technically credible with field technicians, vendors, general contractors, engineers, and customers, and comfortable challenging assumptions when scope, pricing, schedule, or margin is at risk.

This individual is a strong negotiator and communicator who can maintain customer relationships while protecting company interests. They are proactive rather than reactive, identifying problems early and developing actionable recovery plans. Highly accountable for results, deadlines, project financials, and customer commitments, they understand low-voltage construction well enough to make sound decisions without relying exclusively on others.

The successful candidate is capable of moving between detailed field-level issues and executive-level business discussions.

Role Differentiation

The Structured Cabling Project Coordinator supports project execution, procurement, documentation, vendor coordination, takeoffs, BOMs, and financial administration under the direction of a Project Manager. The Project Manager owns the project outcome, customer relationship, schedule, scope, risk, financial performance, and target margin. The PM must bring substantial low-voltage and structured cabling experience and be capable of independently managing projects ranging from straightforward demarcation extensions to complex new-construction deployments.