Local Government Relations Manager

Ziply Fiber; Fargo (ND); 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 and education reimburse

Job summary

Ziply Fiber is seeking a Local Government Relations Manager in Fargo, ND to lead interactions with local governments, utilities, and community leaders. You will guide permitting, right-of-way, and construction coordination to support network expansion while maintaining strong community partnerships.

The ideal candidate brings 3–5 years of public-sector collaboration, strong policy and negotiation skills, and the ability to travel locally up to 50%.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in public administration, political science, communications, business, or related field.
• 3–5 years of experience with local governments, public agencies, or municipal infrastructure issues.
• Demonstrated ability to read, interpret, and apply city ordinances and construction standards.

Responsibilities

• Engage with local leadership to resolve right-of-way, permitting, and construction issues across jurisdictions.
• Coordinate with network operations and local teams to support build projects on schedule and within budget.
• Develop and maintain relationships with local chambers of commerce and government officials to advocate Ziply Fiber’s plans.
• Track progress and report on local market performance and stakeholder engagement.

Skills

Communication skills

Public policy

Project management

Negotiation

Travel up to 50%

Driver's license

Education

Bachelor’s degree in public administration, political science, communications, business, or a related field

Tools

Microsoft 365 apps (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Job description

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 customerexperience,andaffordableplans that putcustomersincharge.

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: We constantly 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. A strong understanding of city ordinancesand construction standards enables this role to guide internal teams throughlocal requirements and support their efforts to deliver builds on time and onbudget. It also provides critical local insight to internal teams to supporttimely project execution and maintain positive community partnerships. Theposition plays a central role in strengthening Ziply Fiber’s presence andreputation 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 in a timelymanner.
• Ensures teams are aware of current field issues,community inquiries, 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 local jurisdiction and community foractive build areas ensuring we are attending to all issues as they arise.
• Serve as a champion for internal teams byproactively identifying solutions, removing obstacles, and consistently findinga path forward to keep projects on track.
• Review and interpret right of wayagreements/franchises, municipal codes, and construction standards to adviseconstruction and installation teams, helping them achieve their buildobligations on budget and on schedule.
• Track and report progress on support againstorganizational performance objectives, providing leadership with clearvisibility into local market results.

Other Duties

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

• Interpersonal Skills – Focuses on resolvingconflict; maintains confidentiality; listens to others; keeps emotionsunder control. Responds promptly toresident/business needs; solicits feedback to improve service; responds torequests, inquiries, issues with sense of urgency; meets commitments.
• Professional Integrity - Mustdemonstrate a high degree of personal and professional integrity due tothe nature of information involved and the public visibility of thisposition.
• Adaptability - Must thrive workingindependently as well as with cross functional teams, and exhibit energy,intelligence, and a drive for success.
• Cross-Functional Leadership – Actsas the primary liaison between the organization and local government,serving as an informal leader who bridges all business functions with acomprehensive understanding of operations and accountability for drivingperformance against collective goals.
• Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations toresidents, businesses, municipal leadership, community members, and otheremployees of the organization. Must be comfortable presenting in publicmeetings and receiving immediate feedback.
• Communication – Writes and speaks clearly and persuasively inpositive or negative situations. Listens and gets clarification, respondswell to questions, demonstrates grouppresentation skills, active participation in internal and public-facing meetings.Tailors communication to engage effectively with a range of keystakeholders, including construction or engineering staff, city planners,contractors, legal staff, the general public, other utility operators, andmunicipal leadership.
• Strong problem-solving, partnership, and collaboration skills.

• Results-DrivenTranslator – Ability to communicate clearly and bridge understanding betweenstakeholders who operate in different disciplines and speak differentprofessional “languages,” driving toward shared outcomes.
• Negotiationand Composure – Skilled at navigating complex, high-pressure situations withdiplomacy, humility, and the ability to think on one’s feet while maintaining aconstructive tone.
• Compassion and Tenacity – Demonstrates empathy andunderstanding when working with residents, businesses, and governmentofficials, while maintaining persistent focus on achieving results.
• Strongverbal and written communication, analytical, and reporting skills, includingthe ability to provide leadership with regular updates on progress, key issues,and outcomes.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in public administration,political science, communications, business, or a related field.
• 3–5 years of experience working with localgovernments or public agencies on capital projects, land use and right-of-waymatters, permitting, public works, utility coordination, or related municipalinfrastructure issues.
• 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.
• Demonstrated ability to read, interpret, andapply city ordinances, municipal codes, and construction standards in apractical, operations-focused context.
• Public policy/compliance implementationexperience.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications,including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to lead and manage projects and taskswhile effectively representing Ziply Fiber.
• Abilityand willingness to travel locally up to 50%, particularly during peakconstruction periods.
• Must have and maintain a validdriver’s license, auto insurance, and satisfactory driving record.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 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.
• Extensive portfolio of relationships acrossstate and local government.

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, including the ability to maintain accurate database records, updatereports, and track and communicate progress.