Program Manager, FDC – Subsidy Builds

Position Title: Program Manager, FDC – Subsidy Builds Base Salary: $105,000 to $155,000 annually DOE Bonus: Target annual bonus

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.
• Ziply Fiber is a local internet service provider dedicated to elevating the connected lives of the communities we serve.
• We offer the fastest home internet in the nation, a refreshingly great customer experience, and affordable plans that put customers in charge.
• As our state-of-the-art fiber network expands, so does our need for team members who can help us grow and realize our goals.
• Our Company Values: Genuinely Caring: We treat customers and colleagues like neighbors, with empathy and full attention.
• Empowering You: We help customers choose what is best for them, and we support employees in implementing new ideas and solutions.
• Innovation and Improvement: We constantly seek ways to improve how we serve customers and each other.
• Earning Your Trust: We build trust through clear, honest, human communication.

Job Summary

The Program Manager, Fiber Design & Construction (FDC) - Subsidy Builds is a hands-on program leader responsible for planning and delivering fiber construction programs supported by federal, state and local subsidy funding. This role leads schedule, budget, location-data, milestone, risk and compliance management and partners with engineering, design, permitting, construction, operations, vendors, Finance and Regulatory & External Affairs to move subsidized builds from award through customer-ready service activation and certification.

This Program Manager brings structure, clarity and accountability to a complex portfolio of subsidized builds. The ideal candidate translates funding requirements, location-level data and construction dependencies into clear plans and actions while maintaining a recurring operating rhythm that keeps teams aligned, risks visible and milestone certifications audit-ready.

Essential Duties

and

Responsibilities:

The Essential Duties and Responsibilities listed below are a range of duties performed by the employee and not intended to reflect all duties performed. Strategic Alignment & Communication · Translate subsidy award commitments and build strategy into integrated work plans, prioritized actions and measurable deliverables. · Reinforce disciplined reporting through structured updates on completed work, upcoming milestones, compliance deliverables, risks and support needed. · Develop and present executive reporting summarizing schedule performance, budget status, completed and remaining locations, compliance readiness, key risks and recovery actions. · Maintain cross-functional alignment across engineering, design, permitting, construction, operations, vendors, Finance and Regulatory & External Affairs through recurring program reviews. · Serve as the primary FDC program owner for assigned subsidy-funded portfolios and maintain accountability for buildout timelines, funded-location commitments, certification milestones and reporting deadlines. · Establish recurring program, milestone, risk and compliance reviews and document decisions, owners, due dates and recovery plans.

Planning & Modeling · Support sequencing and prioritization based on funding deadlines, construction readiness, resource availability, vendor capacity and permitting constraints. · Validate planning inputs including eligible locations, award assumptions, design readiness, permitting status, construction scope and serviceability requirements. · Build readiness and compliance checklists supporting transitions between design, permitting, construction, service activation and milestone certification. · Analyze forecasts against subsidy buildout commitments, ready-for-sale objectives and funding milestones and identify recovery actions for schedule or location gaps. · Surface high-cost, high-risk or potentially ineligible segments early and coordinate alternatives with engineering, design, Finance and Regulatory & External Affairs. · Drive subsidy-funded programs from award and planning through construction completion, service activation and required certification. · Monitor contractor and vendor performance and escalate issues affecting schedule, budget, funded-location commitments or compliance requirements.

Milestones & Dependencies · Track program and location-level milestones across engineering, permitting, construction, service availability and required funding checkpoints. · Maintain visibility into bottlenecks, aging tasks, location discrepancies, certification dependencies and cross-functional risks. · Coordinate removal of blockers with engineering, permitting, construction, operations, vendors and Regulatory & External Affairs. · Partner with FDC leadership to ensure subsidized projects achieve construction completion, service activation and funded-location targets within required timeframes.

Subsidy Program Governance, Compliance & GIS · Maintain governance frameworks, documentation standards, escalation paths and workflows for subsidy-funded construction programs. · Maintain working knowledge of applicable broadband subsidy programs, including BEAD, RDOF, ARPA/Capital Projects Fund and state or local grant-funded builds. · Support milestone certifications and location-level reporting, including USAC HUBB submissions and other funding-administrator requirements, with Regulatory & External Affairs. · Maintain accurate, audit-ready program documentation and workflows in SiteTracker and supporting systems, including as-builts, service availability, speed or latency evidence and certification records. · Maintain and validate broadband serviceable-location data in Esri ArcGIS, IQGeo or comparable platforms and manage KMZ/KML transfers across GIS, engineering and reporting systems. · Reconcile eligible and constructed locations against award records, the FCC National Broadband Map or BEAD fabric and support challenge, true-up and correction processes. · Track spend against approved budgets, funding applications and capital forecasts; identify variances and coordinate mitigation plans with Finance, FDC leadership and Regulatory & External Affairs. · Maintain milestone, WIP and risk scorecards and a live risk register for each assigned subsidy program. · Monitor applicable FCC, NTIA, USAC and state broadband office guidance for changes affecting scope, schedule, reporting or documentation. · Coordinate with state broadband offices, USAC and other funding administrators as directed by Regulatory & External Affairs. · Coordinate internal readiness for audits, funding reviews and regulatory inquiries.

Other Duties · Performs other duties as required to support the business and evolving organization.

Required Qualifications:

· High school diploma or GED. · Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Telecommunications, Project Management, Business Administration or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience. · Minimum of five (5) to seven (7) years of telecom program or project management experience, including fiber planning, engineering, permitting or construction. · Strong end-to-end understanding of the fiber build lifecycle, network readiness and subsidized buildout obligations. · Knowledge of permitting processes, third-party utility coordination and federal or state broadband subsidy requirements. · Experience managing complex portfolios and converting location-level, construction and compliance work queues into structured execution plans. · Proven success driving accountability in cross-functional teams. · Demonstrated success leading large, cross-functional telecommunications construction programs involving engineering, permitting, construction, operations, finance, vendors and regulatory stakeholders. · Strong analytical skills connecting schedule, budget, GIS, location and compliance data to broader program outcomes. · Effective communicator able to simplify complex funding, regulatory and construction requirements and influence technical, operational and cross-functional teams. · Highly organized with strong attention to detail and proven ability to manage competing priorities. · Proficient with Microsoft Office, Smartsheet, program tracking tools and GIS or location-management platforms.

Preferred Qualifications:

• · PMP or equivalent project management certification. · Experience with SiteTracker, Esri ArcGIS, IQGeo, KMZ/KML, address-management systems, USAC HUBB reporting or comparable funding-reporting platforms.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: · Ability to work independently and apply sound judgment and reasoning skills to a variety of situations. · Ability to multi-task and collaborate effectively with other personnel to meet deadlines. · Strong verbal and written communication, attention to detail, and organizational skills. · Ability to work within critical deadlines. · Ability to adjust to rapidly changing priorities and schedules. · Ability to provide excellent customer service.
• Work Authorization Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the US for any employer.
• Sponsorship is not available for this position.

Physical Requirements

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Essential and marginal functions may require maintaining physical condition necessary for bending, stooping, sitting, walking, or standing for prolonged periods of time; most of time is spent sitting in a comfortable position with frequent opportunity to move about.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Work Environment Work is performed in an office setting with exposure to computer screens and requires extensive use of a computer, keyboard, mouse, and multi-line telephone system.
• The work is primarily a modern office setting.
• At all times, Ziply Fiber must be your primary employer.
• Unless otherwise prohibited by law, employees may not hold outside employment nor be self-employed without obtaining approval in writing from Ziply Fiber.
• In holding outside employment or self-employment, employees should ensure that participation does not conflict with responsibilities to Ziply Fiber or its business interests.
• Diverse Workforce / EEO: Ziply Fiber is an equal opportunity employer.
• Ziply Fiber will consider all qualified candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, and the presence of a non-job-related handicap or disability or any other legally protected status.
• Ziply Fiber requires a pre-employment background check as conditions of employment.
• Ziply Fiber may require a pre-employment drug screening.
• Ziply Fiber is a drug free workplace.