OSP Fiber - Design Manager

NextLink•Hudson Oaks, TX

About The Position

The OSP Fiber Design Manager is responsible for building, developing, and managing Nextlink’s in-house outside plant (OSP) fiber design and engineering team. The role oversees internal designers, field engineers, and contracted engineering resources while establishing design standards, improving quality, and ensuring fiber network designs are accurate, compliant, and ready for construction. The manager partners with leadership and cross-functional teams to support network expansion, streamline engineering workflows, and develop a scalable, self-sufficient design and engineering function. The position collaborates across design, field engineering, construction, network engineering, and operations. It manages vendor performance and coordinates with county, state, and municipal jurisdictions on permitting, right-of-way, and local regulatory requirements. Work may take place in an office or in the field according to business needs. Travel may be required for field operations, project reviews, vendor coordination, permitting activities, and network expansion. Field work may involve outdoor weather, construction sites, uneven terrain, and related hazards. The role requires extended computer-based work and the ability to travel to field locations, construction sites, and jurisdictional meetings as needed. This is a full-time, exempt engineering position scheduled for 40 hours per week, with occasional overtime as needed. Nextlink is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to an alcohol- and drug-free workplace.

Requirements

Strong working knowledge of AutoCAD Civil 3D and ArcGIS.
Demonstrated experience in outside plant (OSP) engineering and OSP fiber design.
Experience building, scaling, or restructuring technical teams.
Experience managing contracted engineering resources and in-house teams.
Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver quality results in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
Ability to collaborate effectively with leadership, technical teams, vendors, and external stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing in-house engineering or fiber design teams.
Experience developing and maintaining OSP engineering workflows, design standards, and quality-control processes.
Experience designing aerial and underground fiber infrastructure within public and private rights-of-way.
Familiarity with permitting processes, ROW requirements, and jurisdictional coordination.
Experience supporting large-scale fiber or infrastructure buildouts.
Nokia XGS-PON experience is highly preferred.
Familiarity with GIS-based design and network inventory tools, including ArcGIS.
Experience supporting fiber deployments funded through grant programs such as RDOF, CAF, BEAD, or similar initiatives.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and growth of Nextlink’s internal fiber design and engineering team.
Establish and maintain design workflows, engineering standards, and best practices.
Partner with leadership to identify staffing needs, skill gaps, and team structure requirements.
Manage, mentor, and develop in-house designers and field engineers, setting clear expectations, accountability, and career development opportunities.
Foster collaboration among design, field engineering, construction, network engineering, and operations teams.
Review and approve concept and final fiber designs before submission for permitting.
Ensure design packages are accurate, consistent, constructible, and compliant with applicable safety, regulatory, and Nextlink engineering standards.
Identify design issues early to minimize rework, redesigns, project delays, and cost overruns.
Manage third-party engineering and design vendors, reviewing deliverables for accuracy, compliance, quality, and constructability.
Address vendor performance concerns and resolve escalations related to engineering quality and deliverables.
Coordinate with county, state, and municipal jurisdictions regarding permitting, right-of-way (ROW), and local regulatory requirements.
Establish and maintain relationships with permitting authorities to support efficient approvals and reduce late-stage design changes.
Collaborate with leadership on fiber route planning, network expansion strategy, and long-term infrastructure development.
Coordinate design handoffs with construction, network engineering, and operations teams to support efficient field execution.
Support network reliability, timely service delivery, and scalable infrastructure growth.
Develop team capabilities and repeatable processes that support long-term network expansion and reduce reliance on external engineering resources.