Associate Director, Franchise & ROW

Verizon•Basking Ridge, NJ

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director of Franchise & Right of Way (ROW) for Verizon’s AI Connect team leads strategic planning, acquisition, governance, and lifecycle management for public franchises and private rights-of-way supporting long-haul fiber optic and next-generation AI network infrastructure. The role leads a team responsible for securing and protecting company legal interests, real property rights, and municipal access authority across multi-jurisdictional fiber routes. The Associate Director establishes operating standards and leads negotiations with Local Franchise Authorities, state Departments of Transportation, commercial entities, and private landowners. The role oversees the full contract lifecycle, from initial requests and internal approvals through execution, compliance, audit, and renewal. It also directs vendor performance, coordinates work across Legal, Regulatory, Risk Management, OSP Engineering, and Tax, and supports timely, cost-effective network deployment. The role can be based at any US-based Verizon hub location. It is hybrid, with a defined work location, work from home, and a minimum of three days per week in the office, as set by the manager. The scheduled workweek is 40 hours, and travel may be required up to approximately 25% of the time.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or four or more years of work experience.
Six or more years of relevant experience in telecom right-of-way (ROW), public utility franchise management, municipal government affairs, or commercial real estate law.
Experience managing and leading teams, including talent development, resource planning, and vendor partner management.
Deep expertise in the contract lifecycle, from negotiation through ongoing post-execution compliance, for public franchise agreements, municipal encroachment permits, and private easements.
In-depth understanding of municipal ordinances, state franchise statutes, competitive parity and FOIA analysis, and public utility regulatory frameworks.
Experience with real property due diligence, including title abstracts, boundary surveys, property valuation, and county recording processes.
Willingness to travel up to approximately 25% of the time.
Valid driver’s license.

Nice To Haves

Juris Doctor (JD), master’s degree in Public Administration or Business, or Senior Right of Way Professional (SR/WA) designation.
Experience leading ROW and franchise portfolios for major long-haul fiber builds, outside plant (OSP) telecommunications, or critical utility infrastructure.
Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent credentials.
Experience establishing Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) platforms, compliance databases, and cross-functional stage-gate approval workflows.
Experience with complex multi-jurisdictional municipal negotiations, city council or commission public hearings, and utility relocation dispute resolutions.
Exceptional executive communication, stakeholder diplomacy, and commercial negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

Direct and mentor ROW and Franchise specialists and external partner firms; oversee capacity planning, workload distribution, performance management, and professional development.
Develop outreach strategies with cities, towns, counties, and Local Franchise Authorities; lead permit-only advocacy where viable, FOIA and competitor parity analyses, and resolution of negotiation impasses or escalations.
Direct acquisition of permanent and temporary private or commercial easements, centerline surveys, title examinations covering 30–50 years of chain of title, and government land grants, within established pricing and schedule benchmarks.
Lead end-to-end contract lifecycle management for public franchise agreements, municipal licenses, and private easement portfolios, including requests, generation, negotiation, approval, execution, record capture, compliance, reporting and audit, review and amendment, and renewal.
Establish internal review workflows that consolidate Legal, Risk Management, Engineering, Finance, and Tax input into master drafts and protect key legal rights.
Ensure post-execution onboarding into Franchise & ROW Tracking Systems and conduct compliance audits covering bond and insurance renewals, municipal gross revenue fee structures, linear-foot cost baselines, and county recordations.
Manage abstract and title agencies and outside counsel; enforce cycle-time service-level agreements across individual, commercial, and governmental acquisition pipelines while maintaining capital and operational expense budgets.
Resolve regulatory, civic, and property roadblocks with agility and deliver impactful, legally sound, and ethical outcomes.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
Short- and long-term disability insurance.
Basic and supplemental life insurance and AD&D insurance.
Identity theft protection.
Pet insurance.
Group home and auto insurance.
Matched 401(k) savings plan.
Up to 8 company-paid holidays per year and up to 6 personal days per year.
Paid parental leave.
Adoption assistance.
Tuition assistance.
Other incentives and an award-winning total rewards package.
Potential premium pay, such as overtime, shift differential, holiday pay, or allowances, depending on the role.
Up to 15 days of vacation per year for newly hired employees, increasing with additional service.