Director, Outside Plant and Engineering

Director, Outside Plant & Engineering

Ziply Fiber is dedicated to elevating the connected lives of our communities across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. We deliver the fastest home internet in the Northwest, focusing on areas traditionally underserved by mainstream providers. As our state‑of‑the‑art fiber network expands, we need talented leaders to help us grow and achieve our goals.

Location: Kirkland, Washington or Everett, Washington

Base Salary: $145,000 to $190,116 annually, DOE

Bonus: Target annual bonus

Benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, 401(k), flexible spending account, paid sick leave, paid time off, parental leave, quarterly performance bonus, training, career growth, and education reimbursement programs.

The Director of Outside Plant & Engineering leads teams responsible for designing and building scalable, cost‑effective fiber networks. The role ensures all designs meet technical and regulatory standards, oversees the entire engineering design process, manages internal teams and external partners, and drives innovation and operational excellence to support Ziply Fiber’s mission of expanding a next‑generation fiber network.

• Provide 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 aligned 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.
• 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 company standards, NESC, Utility Pole Agreements, and municipal requirements.
• Drive innovation in design methodologies, leveraging automation, GIS platforms, and advanced engineering tools to improve speed, accuracy, and efficiency.
• Stay ahead of industry trends, technologies, and regulatory developments to maintain competitive advantage.
• Travel occasionally (up to 10% of the time).
• Perform other duties as required to support the business and evolving organization.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Telecommunications, or related field.
• Minimum ten (10) years progressive experience in fiber network engineering.
• Minimum five (5) years in a leadership/people management capacity, with demonstrated mentoring, development, and management of 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.
• 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).
• Schedule Monday–Friday with weekend availability as needed.
• Valid driver’s license, auto…