Associate Manager - Business Development

TDS•Madison, WI

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

At TDS Telecom, connecting people is at the heart of everything we do. We are forward thinkers who leverage cutting-edge fiber internet technology to strengthen communities. We are dedicated to excellence, which drives us to succeed together, creating a better world through meaningful connections. Ready to make an impact? Play a key role in bringing high‑speed fiber connectivity to communities. As the Associate Manager–Business Development , you’ll help build and strengthen strategic relationships with municipal leaders, community stakeholders, and internal teams to support fiber expansion across multiple jurisdictions. Reporting to the Manager–Business Development within Government and Regulatory Affairs, you’ll provide critical local regulatory insight, coordinate cross‑functional efforts to enable market entry, and serve as a visible representative of TDS with public officials, businesses, and residents. This is an opportunity to influence how communities grow and stay connected—combining relationship‑building, strategic thinking, and public engagement in a fast‑evolving industry. The ideal candidate brings strong communication skills and experience spanning business development, government relations, community affairs, or telecommunications, along with a passion for collaboration and community impact.

Requirements

Bachelors degree (or higher) -OR- 4+ years professional work experience.
4+ years’ government relations, public relations, product management, product development, financial analysis or marketing or business development experience.
Demonstrated success in sales and in representing a company’s value proposition with credibility and influence.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to persuade stakeholders and sell ideas.
Strong organizational, multitasking, and execution skills; able to mobilize resources and manage multiple priorities to achieve results.
Solid understanding of industry trends and key business drivers.
Proven ability to collaborate across diverse functions, backgrounds, and seniority levels while maintaining positive relationships.
Ability to translate abstract business concepts into actionable, real‑world opportunities.
Comfortable engaging and operating effectively with executive leadership at the corporate level.

Nice To Haves

Project management experience preferred.
Working knowledge of government relations, particularly at the state and local levels.

Responsibilities

Provide support to the Manager-Business Development in initiating and managing ongoing collaboration with municipal leadership, public works and permitting teams, and community organizations to represent TDS Telecom and support fiber market expansion.
Build, track, and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including public officials, community and business leaders, and the general public, while regularly reporting municipal progress and performance to senior leadership.
Coordinate presentations, documentation, and internal resources to ensure accurate and comprehensive information is shared with local communities, including gathering detailed input from internal subject matter experts across TDS Telecom and TDS Corporate.
Proactively identify opportunities to enhance TDS’s visibility and reputation with local governments and communities
Proactively address issues before, during, and after construction, including permitting, restoration, and resident concerns, to keep projects on track.
Organize and facilitate meetings with key stakeholders to resolve conflicts and address areas of uncertainty.
Collaborate closely with the GRA team, Engineering & Construction, external consultants and contractors, and municipal public works and engineering departments.
Coordinate with internal and external legal teams to support issue resolution in compliance with local ordinances and franchise requirements.
Assist with the preparation of community campaign strategies for review and approval by senior leadership.
Formulate key assumptions in concert with operation teams.
Participate in multi-departmental cross-functional teams (Marketing, Sales, GRA, Network).
Prepare presentation material for community approvals.
Develop and report on metrics that track success and prepare post-implementation reviews of community buildouts.
Provide local market and competitive intelligence to inform new market entry decisions.
Represent TDS at state and local FTTH focused association events to build relationships and identify future business development opportunities.