OSP Program Manager

Lightpath; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Yearly Bonus Program

401k Matching

Job summary

Lightpath is building out dense, high-performance fiber networks to power the digital economy in Illinois and nationwide. We seek an OSP Program Manager to lead planning, execution, and delivery across large-scale fiber projects, coordinating across engineering, construction, and operations while maintaining budget and regulatory compliance.

The ideal candidate brings strong telecom infrastructure experience, program management expertise, and a track record of cross-functional leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Telecommunications, Construction Management, Business, or related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• 7+ years of telecommunications, OSP engineering, fiber deployment, or infrastructure project management experience.
• 3+ years of program management experience leading complex, multi-project initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of fiber optic network architecture and OSP construction practices.
• Experience managing large capital infrastructure budgets.
• Proven leadership experience in cross-functional and matrixed organizations.
• Strong analytical, financial, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Excellent communication and executive presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of OSP fiber engineering and construction projects across multiple markets and regions.
• Develop and maintain program schedules, budgets, resource plans, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Drive execution of strategic fiber deployment initiatives supporting network growth, customer demand, and operational objectives.
• Establish program governance, performance metrics, and reporting mechanisms.
• Monitor program milestones and proactively address schedule, budget, quality, and resource challenges.
• Provide oversight of aerial, underground, and buried fiber infrastructure projects.
• Ensure engineering designs meet company standards, industry best practices, and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate with OSP Engineering, Construction, Network Operations, and Planning teams throughout project lifecycles.
• Review project scopes, estimates, engineering packages, and construction deliverables.
• Support route selection, permit acquisition, easement coordination, and utility accommodation efforts.
• Manage capital and operational budgets across assigned programs.
• Track project expenditures, forecasts, accruals, and financial performance.
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction and process improvement while maintaining quality and delivery commitments.
• Ensure accurate financial reporting and compliance with capital governance processes.
• Lead relationships with engineering firms, construction contractors, and material suppliers.
• Establish performance expectations and monitor contractor productivity, quality, and safety metrics.
• Review and approve scopes of work, contracts, change orders, and invoices.
• Drive accountability for vendor performance and service-level agreements.
• Partner with executive leadership, regional operations teams, municipalities, utility companies, and regulatory agencies.
• Communicate program status, risks, financial performance, and strategic recommendations to senior leadership.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to resolve issues and maintain project momentum.
• Represent OSP programs during executive reviews and governance meetings.
• Identify and mitigate program risks affecting budget, schedule, quality, or customer commitments.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, permitting requirements, environmental regulations, and safety standards.
• Support audits, quality inspections, and regulatory reviews as required.
• Promote a culture of safety, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.

Skills

Program management

Stakeholder engagement

Financial management

Cross-functional leadership

Communication

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Telecommunications/Construction Management/Business or related field

PMP certification

Tools

GIS

AutoCAD

ArcGIS

IQGeo

SpatialNet

Job description

Lightpath is building the fiber infrastructure the digital economy depends on - owning, operating, and expanding dense, high-performance networks for enterprises, public institutions, carriers, and cloud innovators. Our all-fiber network supports mission-critical environments, from financial markets and healthcare systems to AI platforms and next-generation cloud architectures. As we expand across the Northeast and into high-growth markets nationwide, we invest ahead of demand - building infrastructure with precision, resilience, and accountability.

To support that growth, we’re building a team of people who take ownership, think long-term, and take pride in tackling complex work with care and integrity. At Lightpath, every role contributes to infrastructure that powers critical systems and real-world outcomes. We look for individuals who value precision, accountability, and collaboration and who want to help build networks, processes, and partnerships that are engineered to last.

Position Summary

The OSP Program Manager is responsible for leading the planning, execution, and delivery of large-scale outside plant (OSP) fiber optic infrastructure programs. This role oversees multiple concurrent projects involving network expansion, fiber deployment, construction, maintenance, relocation, and capital improvement initiatives. The Program Manager provides leadership across engineering, construction, operations, permitting, and vendor teams to ensure projects are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and in compliance with company standards and regulatory requirements.

The ideal candidate combines strong telecommunications infrastructure expertise with program management, financial oversight, stakeholder engagement, and cross-functional leadership skills.

Responsibilities

Program Management

• Manage a portfolio of OSP fiber engineering and construction projects across multiple markets and regions.
• Develop and maintain program schedules, budgets, resource plans, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Drive execution of strategic fiber deployment initiatives supporting network growth, customer demand, and operational objectives.
• Establish program governance, performance metrics, and reporting mechanisms.
• Monitor program milestones and proactively address schedule, budget, quality, and resource challenges.

Engineering & Construction Oversight

• Provide oversight of aerial, underground, and buried fiber infrastructure projects.
• Ensure engineering designs meet company standards, industry best practices, and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate with OSP Engineering, Construction, Network Operations, and Planning teams throughout project lifecycles.
• Review project scopes, estimates, engineering packages, and construction deliverables.
• Support route selection, permit acquisition, easement coordination, and utility accommodation efforts.

Financial Management

• Manage capital and operational budgets across assigned programs.
• Track project expenditures, forecasts, accruals, and financial performance.
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction and process improvement while maintaining quality and delivery commitments.
• Ensure accurate financial reporting and compliance with capital governance processes.

Vendor and Contractor Management

• Lead relationships with engineering firms, construction contractors, and material suppliers.
• Establish performance expectations and monitor contractor productivity, quality, and safety metrics.
• Review and approve scopes of work, contracts, change orders, and invoices.
• Drive accountability for vendor performance and service-level agreements.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Partner with executive leadership, regional operations teams, municipalities, utility companies, and regulatory agencies.
• Communicate program status, risks, financial performance, and strategic recommendations to senior leadership.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to resolve issues and maintain project momentum.
• Represent OSP programs during executive reviews and governance meetings.

Risk Management and Compliance

• Identify and mitigate program risks affecting budget, schedule, quality, or customer commitments.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, permitting requirements, environmental regulations, and safety standards.
• Support audits, quality inspections, and regulatory reviews as required.
• Promote a culture of safety, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Telecommunications, Construction Management, Business, or related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• 7+ years of telecommunications, OSP engineering, fiber deployment, or infrastructure project management experience.
• 3+ years of program management experience leading complex, multi-project initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of fiber optic network architecture and OSP construction practices.
• Experience managing large capital infrastructure budgets.
• Proven leadership experience in cross-functional and matrixed organizations.
• Strong analytical, financial, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Excellent communication and executive presentation skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP (Project Management Professional) certification.
• Experience with FTTH, backbone, middle-mile, or enterprise fiber deployment programs.
• Knowledge of GIS, AutoCAD, SpatialNet, Vetro, IQGeo, ArcGIS, or similar OSP platforms.
• Understanding of utility make-ready, pole attachment, permitting, and right-of-way processes.
• Experience managing union and non-union construction environments.
• Lean, Six Sigma, or process improvement certification.

Lightpath is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to recruiting, hiring and promoting qualified people of all backgrounds regardless of gender, race, color, creed, national origin, religion, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.

Lightpath collects personal information about its applicants for employment that may include personal identifiers, professional or employment related information, photos, education information and/or protected classifications under federal and state law. This information is collected for employment purposes, including identification, work authorization, FCRA-compliant background screening, human resource administration and compliance with federal, state and local law.

This position is identified as being performed in/or reporting to company operations in Illinois. The pay range at the time of posting in the specified locations is $100,000 - $140,000/year. Pay ranges are supplied in compliance with Illinois law. Pay is competitive and based on a number of job-related factors, including skills and experience. Some of our featured benefits include medical, dental, vision insurance, yearly bonus program and company matched 401k.