Senior Manager, Outside Plant (OSP) Construction

Zohorecruit; Waukegan (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

401k

FSA

Paid time off

Parental leave

Quarterly bonus

Training

Education reimbursement

Job summary

Ziply Fiber seeks a Senior Manager for Outside Plant (OSP) Construction in the Waukegan, IL area. The role leads field teams and contractor crews to stand up new markets, delivering on-time, on-budget fiber deployment with strong safety and quality standards.

This hands-on leadership position requires deep FTTH construction expertise, travel across markets, and the ability to scale operations while coordinating with internal and external teams to meet growth objectives.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of OSP experience, including splicing and construction.
• Minimum of five (5) years leadership/people management experience.
• Experience managing budgets.
• Willingness to travel across active and emerging markets.

Responsibilities

• Stand up and lead OSP construction in new markets including contractor onboarding and build readiness.
• Accountable for staffing, budgets, schedules and safety/quality of work.
• Oversee development, coordination, and execution of project schedules with contractors and stakeholders.
• Coordinate with municipalities and pole owners in new markets.
• Enforce Ziply Fiber construction quality standards through field inspections.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Multitasking

Travel readiness

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Senior Manager, Outside Plant (OSP) Construction

Waukegan, United States | Posted on 09/29/2026

• Department Name Fiber Design & Construction
• Industry Telecommunications
• Country United States

About Us

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: Senior Manager, Outside Plant (OSP) Construction

Candidates nationwide may apply, but priority will be given to thoselocated in or near the market listed in this posting. This is not a travel-freeremote position.

• Candidatesoutside the assigned market: Approximately one to two weeksof travel per month may be required during market stand-up, tapering toapproximately one week per month as the market stabilizes.
• Candidateswithin the assigned market: Regular field travel throughoutthe assigned territory is required.The use of a personal vehicle is required andreimbursed according to company policy.

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: Weconstantly seek ways to improve how we serve customers and eachother.
• Earning Your Trust: We build trustthrough clear, honest,human communication.

Job Summary

The Senior Manager,Outside Plant (OSP) Construction is responsible for the successful launch ofnew markets with predictable execution of OSP fiber construction programsacross assigned build areas. Reporting to the Vice President, ProductionPlanning, this role will stand up, scale, and lead construction operations innet-new geographies, including contractor crews and internal field teams, todeliver homes-passed targets safely, on schedule, and within budget. This is ahands-on field leadership role requiring deep Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH)construction expertise, strong production discipline, and the ability to drivequality and performance at the crew level.

We are seeking candidates who are based in orable to regularly work within the following markets: Lake County, IL.

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.

Project Oversight & Execution

• Assist with stand-up new market operations including contractor onboarding and build readiness.
• Accountable for the staffing, budgets (capital/expense), schedules andcompliance associated with OSP construction projects, along with the safety andquality of work performed.
• Oversee the development, coordination, and execution of projectschedules with contractors, property management, customers, vendors, and internalstakeholders.
• Partner withmunicipalities and pole owners in new markets.
• Oversee all phases in the bidding, negotiation, and approval ofconstruction contracts.
• Coordinate withengineering teams to maintain uninterrupted construction flow across activezones.

Strategic Alignment & Standardization

• Translatingexpansion strategy into field execution across multiple markets.
• Track and reportdaily/weekly production metrics; identify variances and implement real-timecorrective actions.
• Standardize construction practices/approaches across the company andacross all build types/programs.
• Size the contractor workforce for the future to support the buildtypes/programs.
• Align the internal and external construction teams with the EngineeringTeams to drive more efficiencies, shorten project durations and reduce changerequest.
• Enforce Ziply Fiberconstruction quality standards through field inspections, specificationcompliance, and as-built accuracy.

Leadership & Team Development

• Provide leadership and mentorship to OSP Construction Managers andContract Administrators through coaching, feedback, development goals andperformance management.
• Oversee the development, coordination, and execution of projectschedules with contractors, property management, customers, vendors, andinternal stakeholders.
• Ownend-to-end construction delivery (design validation through activation).
• Coordinate and participate in various internal meetings to ensurecommunication and alignment of initiatives, information sharing andimplementation of best practices.
• Identify risks andensure proactive mitigation.

Other Duties

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

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of OSP experience,including splicing and construction.
• Minimum of five (5) years leadership/peoplemanagement experience.
• Experience managing budgets.
• Proven ability to manage multiple contractor crews simultaneously in a high-production environment.
• Experience managing multi-market or multi-state construction programs.
• Willingness to travel across active and emerging markets.
• Advanced understanding of fiber splicing and installation practices, proper safety construction practices and network topology.
• Advanced understanding of the permitting process for railroad, DOT, cities, counties, and pole owners.
• Must have and maintain a valid driver’s license, auto insurance, and satisfactory driving record.
• Must complete a pre-employment drug screening.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Developed leadership skills, with the ability to mentor and lead others.
• Ability to work independently and apply sound judgment and reasoning skills to a variety of situations.
• Knowledge and experience in outside plant engineering and installation/construction.
• Ability to multi-task and collaborate effectively with other personnel to meet deadlines.
• Strong verbal and written communication, attention to detail, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work within critical deadlines.
• Ability to adjust to rapidly changing priorities and schedules.
• Ability to provide excellent customer service.
• Proven ability to lead, facilitate, develop, and motivate a cross-functional team in a competitive environment.
• Possess a general understanding of utility accounting practices.
• Experience with bargained for contracts and employees.
• Must be knowledgeable in all aspects of R.U.S (515) contract policies and procedures.
• Intermediate knowledge/experience of engineering support systems and highly skilled in Microsoft PC applications such as Word, Excel.

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.