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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for OSP Project Manager

💰 $ - $

🎯 Role Definition

The OSP (Outside Plant) Project Manager leads planning, permitting, construction and closeout of outside plant fiber and copper infrastructure projects across aerial, underground and buried environments. This role coordinates multi-disciplinary field and design teams, manages budgets and schedules, drives contractor performance, ensures regulatory and safety compliance, and delivers as-built documentation. This description is tailored for hiring managers and search engines seeking candidates experienced in fiber construction (FTTx), corridor management, right-of-way, and telecom infrastructure deployment.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • OSP Construction Supervisor or Field Engineer (aerial/underground)
  • Telecom Project Coordinator or Project Controls Analyst
  • OSP Design Engineer or Cable Splicing Lead

Advancement To:

  • Senior OSP Project Manager / Program Manager (multi-market)
  • Construction Program Director / Head of Outside Plant
  • Director of Network Delivery or Head of Fiber Deployment

Lateral Moves:

  • Network Planning or Design Management
  • Permitting and ROW Manager
  • Vendor/Contractor Management Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead end-to-end delivery of OSP projects including feasibility, route selection, permitting, engineering hand-off, materials procurement, construction execution (aerial, underground, directional boring, micro-trenching), splicing and commissioning, and closeout with accurate as-built records.
  • Develop, maintain and drive detailed project schedules (MS Project, Primavera, or similar), identify critical path items, mitigate schedule risk, and report progress to senior stakeholders and customers on a weekly cadence.
  • Prepare and manage project budgets, forecasts and cost-to-complete, track actuals vs. estimates, manage change orders, and ensure projects are delivered within approved capital and operational spending limits.
  • Manage multi-disciplinary teams including OSP engineers, designers, field supervisors, inspectors, contractors and subcontractors; define roles, set performance expectations, and enforce quality control standards.
  • Negotiate, prepare and administer construction contracts, master service agreements and purchase orders with contractors and suppliers; ensure contract compliance and escalate non-conformance issues.
  • Coordinate permitting, pole attachments, and right-of-way (ROW) agreements with municipalities, state agencies, utility owners, and private landowners; manage permit application strategy and timelines to avoid construction delays.
  • Oversee engineering deliverables (OSP design packages, staking sheets, splice plans, conduit and handhole layouts) and ensure designs meet company standards, industry best practices, and regulatory requirements.
  • Ensure rigorous safety program implementation in the field: develop site-specific safety plans, enforce OSHA and local safety regulations, conduct job hazard analyses (JHAs) and safety briefings, and investigate incidents.
  • Conduct regular site inspections and audits to verify construction quality, adherence to project specifications, proper installation techniques for fiber and conduit, and compliance with environmental and traffic control plans.
  • Manage logistics and materials flow for fiber cable, conduit, handholes, poles, splice enclosures and related hardware; optimize inventories, reduce delays due to material shortages, and coordinate vendor deliveries.
  • Lead fiber acceptance testing and commissioning activities, including OTDR testing, power meter testing, documentation of loss and reflectance values, splicing validation, and live service turn-up coordination with NOC and provisioning teams.
  • Maintain accurate as-built GIS and CAD records, update network inventory systems, and deliver complete documentation packages for handover to operations and maintenance teams.
  • Implement risk identification and mitigation strategies for construction, environmental, permitting and ROW risks; prepare contingency plans and communicate impacts and mitigations to stakeholders.
  • Collaborate with commercial teams to align project deliverables with customer commitments, SLAs, and service-level expectations; manage customer escalations and ensure timely communications and status updates.
  • Drive continuous improvement initiatives to optimize construction methodologies, reduce time-to-build, lower cost-per-mile, and implement lessons learned across projects and regions.
  • Coordinate utility coordination and third-party relocations, manage make-ready work for pole attachments, and interface with electric, gas, and cable providers to resolve conflicts.
  • Supervise and approve contractor invoices, validate progress claims, manage retention, and ensure final reconciliations and warranty transitions are completed.
  • Manage environmental compliance in construction zones, including erosion control, tree-trimming coordination, archeological surveys and adherence to protected area regulations.
  • Provide technical mentorship and training to field teams on OSP standards, fiber handling, splicing best practices, aerial and underground construction techniques, and quality assurance protocols.
  • Lead cross-functional internal kickoff meetings and ensure alignment between design, civil, traffic control, procurement, and operations prior to mobilization.
  • Track and report key performance indicators (KPIs) such as schedule adherence, first-pass acceptance rates, safety incident rates (TRIR), cost variance, and miles deployed per period to inform leadership and investors.
  • Manage escalation paths and dispute resolution between internal teams and external contractors to keep projects on track and maintain positive vendor relationships.
  • Ensure adherence to national and local telecom standards (TIA/EIA, ANSI, NEC) and company construction standards for sleeve, conduit, bend-radius, slack storage, and handhole spacing.
  • Prepare and present executive-level project briefing materials, dashboards, and board-level updates that summarize schedule, budget, risks, and milestone achievement.
  • Plan and manage seasonal and weather-related constraints for outdoor construction, adjusting workforce planning and material procurement to minimize weather-related delays.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
  • Assist in developing vendor scorecards and performance metrics for contractor selection and retention.
  • Participate in budget planning and long-term network expansion forecasting for multi-year programs.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proven project management skills with experience using MS Project, Primavera P6, Smartsheet or equivalent to plan and track OSP construction schedules.
  • Deep knowledge of outside plant engineering and construction practices for fiber optics (FTTx), including aerial pole attachments, underground conduit systems, directional boring, and micro-trenching techniques.
  • Experience with fiber optic testing and commissioning tools and methods (OTDR, power meters, loss budgets, splice validation).
  • Competence in CAD/GIS systems (AutoCAD, Bentley, ArcGIS, Esri) for producing and maintaining as-built maps and network inventory.
  • Understanding of permitting processes, pole attachment agreements, make-ready workflows, and right-of-way acquisition procedures.
  • Familiarity with telecom standards and specifications (TIA/EIA, ANSI, NEC) and industry best practices for cable handling, bend radius, and slack management.
  • Budgeting and financial control expertise, including forecasting, variance analysis, and capital project reporting.
  • Contract management and procurement experience: drafting SOWs, managing bids/tenders, evaluating contractor proposals, and negotiating contract terms.
  • Knowledge of construction safety standards and regulatory compliance (OSHA, local safety codes) and experience implementing site-specific safety plans.
  • Experience with field data collection tools and mobile inspection apps and with synchronizing field records to central project databases.
  • Skilled in risk management and mitigation planning specific to outdoor plant construction and environmental constraints.
  • Proficiency with MS Excel for data analysis, cost modeling, and KPI reporting; experience with BI tools (Power BI, Tableau) is a plus.

Soft Skills

  • Strong leadership and team management: ability to motivate field and office teams, delegate effectively, and build accountability.
  • Exceptional communication skills, able to translate technical details for non-technical stakeholders and deliver executive briefings.
  • Problem-solving orientation with demonstrated ability to resolve complex construction and permitting issues quickly.
  • Customer-focused mindset with experience managing commercial stakeholders, SLAs, and service acceptance processes.
  • Negotiation and conflict resolution skills to manage vendor disputes, change order negotiations, and landowner issues.
  • High organizational capability and attention to detail to maintain accurate as-built records and compliance documentation.
  • Adaptability to handle changing project scopes, weather impacts, and evolving regulatory requirements.
  • Time management and prioritization skills for handling concurrent projects across multiple geographies.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Construction Management, Telecommunications, or a closely related field; or equivalent combination of experience and technical certification.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree plus PMP, PMI-ACP, or other project management certification; additional telecom-specific certifications (FOA, BICSI) are advantageous.
  • Advanced coursework or degree in Construction Management or Telecommunications Engineering is beneficial.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Civil Engineering
  • Electrical/Electronic Engineering
  • Telecommunications Engineering
  • Construction Management
  • Project Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 5–10 years of project management experience in OSP/telecom network construction, with a minimum of 3 years in a managerial role leading multi-disciplinary teams and contractors.

Preferred:

  • 7+ years of progressive experience in OSP fiber construction (FTTx, long haul, backbone) including demonstrated success with aerial and underground deployments, permitting, and contractor management. Experience managing multi-million-dollar projects and multi-site programs is highly desirable. Familiarity with regional permitting authorities, utility companies, and pole attachment processes preferred.
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