Local Government Relations Manager

Ziply Fiber; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

401k

Flexible spending account

Paid sick leave

Paid time off

Parental leave

Quarterly performance bonus

Training

Career growth

Education reimbursement

Job summary

Ziply Fiber, based in Washington, is expanding its fiber network and seeking a Local Government Relations Manager in Chicago. The role focuses on building relationships with local governments, permitting, and community engagement to support network expansion.

Responsibilities include coordinating with city and county officials, utilities, and residents to resolve issues, and serving as a primary contact for the Network Operations team. A driver’s license is required.

Qualifications

• Requires strong communication with local governments and stakeholders.
• Experience in public policy/compliance implementation.
• Knowledge of municipal coordination and permitting processes preferred.
• Must have and maintain a valid driver’s license and auto-insurance.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with local government officials and chambers of commerce.
• Lead coordination on permitting, right-of-way, pole attachment, and construction issues.
• Serve as liaison for Network Operations on local government matters and inquiries.
• Engage with mayors, city council members, and county officials to articulate Ziply Fiber plans.
• Assist communities and businesses to resolve issues related to construction activities.
• Ensure timely issue resolution and align with cross-functional teams.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Public policy

Project management

Problem-solving

Multi-tasking

Team coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Microsoft Office 365

Job description

Chicago, United States | Posted on 09/22/2026

We're building the fibernetwork you deserve. Consistently fast, refreshingly straightforward and givingyou control. From our home base in Kirkland, Washington, we're connecting overone million homes and businesses across the states we serve with fiber internetthat works the way it should. No gimmicks, no gotchas. Internet shouldn’t getin the way of life: it should make it better.

Job Description

PositionTitle: Local Government Relations Manager

Benefits:

Medical,dental, vision, 401k, flexible spending account, paid sick leave and paid timeoff, parental leave, quarterly performance bonus, training, career growth andeducation reimbursement programs.

ZiplyFiber is a local internet service provider dedicated toelevating theconnected livesof the communities we serve. We offer the fastest homeinternet in the nation, arefreshingly great customer experience,andaffordableplansthat putcustomersin charge.

Asourstate-of-the-artfiber network expands, so does our need for teammembers who can help us grow and realize our goals.

OurCompanyValues:

• Genuinely Caring: We treat customersand colleagues like neighbors, with empathy and full attention.
• Empowering You: We help customerschoose whatisbest for them,andwesupportemployeesin implementingnew ideasand solutions.
• Innovation and Improvement: Weconstantly seek ways to improve how we serve customers and eachother.
• Earning Your Trust: We build trustthrough clear, honest,human communication.

Job Summary

The Local GovernmentRelations Manager supports Ziply Fiber’s network expansion by building strongrelationships with local governments, public works departments, utilities, andcommunity leaders. This role serves as a key liaison across multiple jurisdictions,helping navigate permitting, right ‑ of ‑ way, constructioncoordination, and community issues. It also provides critical local insight tointernal teams to support timely project execution and maintain positivecommunity partnerships. The position plays a central role in strengtheningZiply Fiber’s presence and reputation as a collaborative and community ‑ focused infrastructurepartner.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The Essential Duties and Responsibilities listed below are a range ofduties performed by the employee and not intended to reflect all dutiesperformed.

Leadership and Issue Resolution

• Continuous engagement with and understanding theobjectives of local leadership (FDC, Field Ops, Marketing) ensuring issues areattended to timely and professionally. Support local leadership in theresolution of right-of-way, permitting, pole attachment/joint use and similarissues with states, counties, and cities and third parties.
• Work with the local leadership team (FDC, FieldOps, Marketing) on known issues providing support to resolve issues timely.
• Ensures teams are aware of current field issues,inquirers and work together towards a satisfactory resolution.
• Focuses on meeting and maintaining consistentservice levels.
• Carefully and thoroughly tracks complaintresolution performance.

Community and Government Relations

• Cultivating and maintaining strategicrelationships with key community, public and government officials.
• Meeting regularly with mayors, city councilmembers, county commissioners, administrators, and staff of key cities andcounties to articulate the Company’s vision and plans and to obtain support forZiply Fiber’s initiatives.
• Act as principal contact for Ziply Fiber’sNetwork Operations team on local government issues and resolution ofconstituent inquiries.

Stakeholder and Business Engagement

• Establishing and maintaining relationships withlocal chambers of commerce, economic development councils, and local communitygroups.
• Works with residents and businesses to resolveissues related to all construction efforts and to create a win-win solution forthe resident, business, and the company.

Construction and Build Area Support

• Work with city/county and community for activebuild areas ensuring we are attending to all issues as they arise.

Other Duties

• Performsother duties as required to support the business and evolving organization .

• Interpersonal Skills – Focuses resolving conflict; maintainsconfidentiality; listens to others; keeps emotions under control. Responds promptly to resident/businessneeds; solicits feedback to improve service; responds to requests,inquiries, issues timely; meets commitments.
• Must demonstrate a high degree of personal and professionalintegrity due to the nature of information involved and the publicvisibility of this position.
• You must thrive working independently as well as with crossfunctional teams, and you exhibit energy, intelligence, and a drive forsuccess.
• Managing People – Includes team in planning, decision-making,facilitating and process improvement. Develops team skills and encouragesgrowth. Prioritizes and plans workactivities, uses time efficiently; plans for additional workload andschedule changes, sets goals and objectives; develops realistic actionplans.
• Takes responsibility for activities; makes self-available toothers; provides regular performance feedback.
• Ability to effectively present information in one on one and smallgroup situations to residents, businesses, city/county, community andother employees of the organization.
• Communication – Writes and speaks clearly and persuasively inpositive or negative situations. Listens and gets clarification, respondswell to questions, demonstrates group presentation skills, activeparticipation in meetings.
• Strong problem-solving, partnership, and collaboration skills.
• Strong verbal and written communications skills and analyticalabilities.
• Extensive portfolio of relationships across state and localgovernment.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• 3 - 5 years’ experience working in a customersupport centric environment.
• Demonstrated experience working directly withlocal governments, public works departments, utilities, and/or agenciesinvolved in right-of-way, permitting, construction oversight, or municipalcoordination.
• Experience navigating governmental processes,municipal codes, public works standards, and utility coordination requirementsacross multiple jurisdictions.
• Public policy/compliance implementationexperience.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 Applications.
• Ability to lead and manage projects and taskswhile effectively representing Ziply Fiber is essential.
• Must have and maintain a valid driver’s license, autoinsurance, and satisfactory driving record.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred. Relevant trainingor experience may be considered in lieu of degree.
• Experience in the telecom industry.
• Experience collaborating with state, county, andmunicipal officials on infrastructure projects, right-of-way management, orpublic utilities coordination.
• Knowledge and understanding of operations teams,outside plant teams is preferred.
• Knowledge of, and experience working on,federal, state, local, broadband, and telecommunications issues.
• Familiarity with municipal public worksprocesses, utility permitting workflows, and coordination requirements forfiber or infrastructure deployment.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Abilityto work independently and apply sound judgment and reasoning skills to avariety of situations.
• Abilityto multi-task and collaborate effectively with other personnel to meetdeadlines.
• Strongverbal and written communication, attention to detail, and organizationalskills.
• Abilityto work within critical deadlines.
• Abilityto adjust to rapidly changing priorities and schedules.
• Abilityto provide excellent customer service.

Work Authorization

Applicants must be currently authorized towork in the US for any employer. Sponsorship is not available for thisposition.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands describedhere are representative of those that must be met by an employee tosuccessfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonableaccommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to performthe essential functions.

Essential and marginal functions may requiremaintaining physical condition necessary for bending, stooping, sitting, walking,or standing for prolonged periods of time; most of time is spent sitting in acomfortable position with frequent opportunity to move about. The employee mustoccasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilitiesrequired by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision,peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work is performed in an office setting withexposure to computer screens and requires extensive use of a computer,keyboard, mouse, and multi-line telephone system. The work is primarily amodern office setting.

At all times, Ziply Fiber must be yourprimary employer. Unless otherwise prohibited by law, employees may not holdoutside employment nor be self-employed without obtaining approval in writingfrom Ziply Fiber. In holding outside employment or self-employment, employeesshould ensure that participation does not conflict with responsibilities toZiply Fiber or its business interests.

Ziply Fiber requires a pre-employment backgroundcheck as conditions of employment. Ziply Fiber may require a pre-employmentdrug screening.