Outside Plant Engineer

Ritter Communications has been at the forefront of the local communications industry for more than a century. We began providing telephone service in Northeast Arkansas in 1906. Today, Ritter Communications serves over 100 communities across Arkansas, northeast Texas, southeast Missouri, and west Tennessee. The company has grown steadily over the years, expanding rapidly and is now the largest privately-held regional broadband fiber, telecom, video and cloud services provider in the Mid-South. Ritter invests heavily in the communities it serves by deploying proven, best-in-class infrastructure and technology, while coupling it with a world-class customer focused experience.

General Summary:

The OSP Engineer works closely with the OSP Engineering Manager and other OSP staff by assisting in the preparation of long-range plans, exchange and system designs, forecasts, estimates, budgets, plans and specifications, inspection, testing and other related duties. Maintains close working relationship with Construction team to support build activities within the network. Duties include contract preparation, administration, and final documents.

Essential Job Functions

• Plans and prepares detailed drawings and staking sheets for new construction, removal or rearrangement of existing aerial or underground lines, cable, and conduits;
• Ensures compliance with RUS and industry specifications by staking all lines to be built; Organizes and files necessary paperwork and staking sheets;
• Selects routing of lines and determines equipment requirements as appropriate;
• Prepares detailed construction and installation drawings and estimates equipment, labor, and material costs;
• May supervise inspection of work orders and verifying tabulation of contractor staking sheets;
• Ensures accurate and up-to-date facility CAD maps;
• Advises and researches new technologies and identifies areas of the plant that need to be upgraded; Prepares work authorization request with drawings for Engineering Manager;
• Attends various meetings with management, departments, and vendors to ensure company objectives are met;
• Participates in inter-departmental planning meetings to coordinate and communicate activities related to the successful completion of projects;
• Manages contract OSP engineer(s) when contract work is required;
• Ensures the product provided by contract engineering partners adheres to the planned concept and quality standards; conducts quality audits on contract engineered work;
• Monitors and shares accountability for project spend;
• Assesses, approves, or denies changes requested from field personnel;
• Designs electronic records in the database utilized by the company;
• Prepares regular progress reports, project status updates, and performance metrics for management and stakeholders;
• Serves as the point of contact for civil authorities with respect to detailed planning and designs surrounding new projects including plant expansion, maintenance, permitting, road moves, civil improvement projects, and other projects requiring OSP design engineering;
• Supports OSP construction team in representation of Ritter Communications at municipal, civil, government, DOT meetings;
• Makes job safety a primary objective in all duties;
• Frequent travel required to project areas and job sites.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of telecommunications construction and engineering practices and principles;
• Knowledge of industry regulations affecting engineering projects;
• Knowledge of company products and services;
• Knowledge of company policies and procedures;
• Skill in operating various office equipment such as personal computer, various software programs, and telephone systems;
• Skill in problem identification and resolution;
• Skill in oral and written communication;
• Skill in reading and interpreting technical documents and forms including work orders, staking sheets, schematics, and specification manuals;
• Ability to communicate with customers, employees, and various business contacts in a professional and courteous manner;
• Ability to organize and prioritize multiple work assignments;
• Ability to pay close attention to detail;
• Ability to work independently;
• Ability to make sound decisions using information at hand;
• Ability to work within a team environment;
• Ability to implement plans and/or direction as provided by upper-level management;
• Ability to travel for business requirements; must possess a valid Driver’s License with a satisfactory driving record.

Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and/or equivalent experience of 3-5 years of telecommunications engineering experience.

Ritter Communications is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We strive to maintain a drug-free workplace.

We offer competitive compensation and an outstanding benefits package including health, dental, vision, cancer, accident and life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, 401(k) with company match, flexible spending accounts, free gym membership, company discounts, tuition reimbursement, paid training, paid leave, and much more!