Director, Outside Plant and Engineering

Ziply Fiber•Everett, WA

63d•$145,000 - $190,116

About The Position

The Director of Outside Plant & Engineering leads teams responsible for designing and building scalable, cost-effective fiber networks, ensuring all designs meet technical and regulatory standards. This role oversees the entire engineering design process, manages internal teams and external partners, and drives innovation and operational excellence. The Director is accountable for delivering high-quality, construction-ready designs and maintaining accurate OSP records to support Ziply Fiber's mission of expanding state-of-the-art fiber networks. Strategic leadership, vendor management, and expertise in fiber network engineering is essential for enabling large-scale deployment and long-term network sustainability. The position is to be in either Kirkland, Washington or Everett, Washington.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Telecommunications, or related field.
Minimum ten (10) years of progressive experience in fiber network engineering.
Minimum of five (5) years in a leadership/people management capacity, with demonstrated experience mentoring, developing, and managing engineering teams.
Proven expertise in large-scale fiber design, route and build planning, permitting, and construction-ready deliverables.
Strong understanding of GIS applications, CAD tools, asset management systems, and engineering workflows.
Experience managing internal teams and third-party engineering vendors.
Developed leadership skills, with the ability to mentor and lead others.
Knowledge of permitting processes, regulatory requirements, and compliance for fiber deployments.
Ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and communicate effectively with executive leadership.
Experience using fiber optic network documentation tools.
Understanding of network Engineering and inventory tools
Ability to travel occasionally (up to 10% of the time).
The schedule for this position is Monday through Friday with weekend availability as needed to complete the essential duties of this role.
Must have and maintain a valid driver's license, auto insurance, and satisfactory driving record.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Engineering, Telecommunications, or related field.
Professional Engineer (PE) license.
Experience managing capital budgets.

Responsibilities

Provide the end-to-end program direction to organize, develop, and execute a program build across multiple functional teams.
Develop and execute the fiber engineering design strategy in alignment with business expansion and network deployment goals.
Oversee end-to-end design processes, including route planning, permitting, and compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
Ensure designs are optimized for scalability, cost efficiency, construct-ability, and long-term maintainability.
Establish and enforce engineering design standards, documentation practices, and quality control measures, and oversee adherence to industry best practices and evolving standards in fiber network engineering.
Lead and mentor a team of engineering managers, designers, and support staff to deliver high-quality network designs on schedule.
Manage relationships with external engineering vendors, contractors, and consultants, ensuring alignment with company standards and project timelines.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the engineering organization.
Partner with construction, operations, product, and finance teams to align engineering design with deployment readiness and business objectives.
Provide input into long-term network strategy, capacity planning, and emerging technology adoption.
Support market analysis diligence required for expansion initiatives.
Ensure engineering work orders are designed in compliance with all company standards, NESC, Utility Pole Agreements, and municipal requirements, as well as public ROW or utility easements, and ensure compliance with permitting requirements, safety standards, and environmental regulations. Mitigate risks by proactively identifying engineering challenges and implementing solutions.
Drive innovation in design methodologies, leveraging automation, GIS platforms, and advanced engineering tools, and implement best-in-class workflows to improve speed, accuracy, and efficiency of design deliverables. Establish and manage process indicators and performance metrics to optimize workflows.
Stay ahead of industry trends, technologies, and regulatory developments to maintain competitive advantage.
Occasional travel for activities such as out-of-town meetings, training, or outreach activities up to 10% of the time.
Performs other duties as required to support the business and evolving organization.

Benefits

Medical, dental, vision, 401k, flexible spending account, paid sick leave and paid time off, parental leave, quarterly performance bonus, training, career growth and education reimbursement programs.

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