OSP Fiber - Field Operations Supervisor

Company Overview

We are a Hudson Oaks, Texas-based Internet Service Provider (ISP) delivering High Speed Internet and Voice Services throughout multiple states to residential, business, K-12 Education and government customers. We believe there is much more to an internet company than just delivering cost-effective internet solutions; we believe in delivering an overall customer experience that our competitors simply cannot match.

The OSP Fiber - Field Operations Supervisor provides hands-on leadership and operational oversight for outside plant (OSP) fiber construction, installation support, preventive maintenance, emergency restoration, and network reliability across assigned service territories. This role directs field technicians, splicers, contractors, and maintenance crews; ensures safe and efficient aerial and underground fiber activities; coordinates with Network Operations Center (NOC), engineering, construction, permitting, and other network providers; and maintains accountability for workmanship, documentation, schedules, outage communications, and customer-impact mitigation. The supervisor establishes clear priorities, develops employees, proactively identifies network risks, and leads both planned projects and time-critical restoration efforts, including after-hours work.

  

Essential Functions: 

• Must be able to splice any type of fiber optic cable in any type of condition

• Must be able to run and safely operate a bucket truck 

• Must be able to run and safely operate a mini excavator 

• Must have previous experience maintaining live optical / PON networks

• Must have critical thinking skills in potentially high stress situations

• Must understand low voltage theories to include AC and DC polarities

• Must understand AC to DC rectifying principles

• Must understand PON and GPON technologies and be able to troubleshoot outages

• Must be able to run OTDR and troubleshoot fiber from network to end user

• Must be able to record all data and document that for management and engineering

• Must understand backbone, feeder, and AP principals in FTTX practices 

• Must be able to give directions and leadership to the team that falls under them

• Must be able to orchestrate any controlled outages / repairs, this includes working with NOC, filling out and filing the appropriate paperwork and working with the appropriate channels for a successful controlled outage

• Must be willing to work extended hours, often prepping scheduled events during the day and working into the night

• Must be able to differentiate the difference between different sizes and colors of cables

• Experience conducting and providing training to the team

• Must have experience with DOT regulations

• Ability to communicate in person and by telephone, even at odd hours of the night

• Maintains network integrity through preventive maintenance

• Ability to use any equipment in a safe manner, in accordance with company, industry and regulatory standards

• Works on regularly scheduled days as well as unscheduled days and beyond regular work hours as required

• Skill in using a Windows-based computer

• Ability to prioritize and organize effectively

• Ability to work independently and with others

• Ability to plan the team’s task / priorities weeks in advance, as well as manage any unplanned maintenance / outage

• Ability to read and repair from blueprints and/or wire diagrams

• Ability to complete mechanical tasks such as fiber splicing, reading meters (volt, and Fiber), conducting tests and performing troubleshooting measures to achieve plant level requirements

• Able to work in all-weather climates

• As needed repair and maintenance of headend electronics and critical infrastructure equipment

• Complete daily production reports, mark up maps, keep track of work hours and complete “as-built” maps for areas worked

• Safely operate and use bucket truck to complete maintenance assignments 

• Ability to work nights shifts 

• Ability to use computer-based programs required to support the activation and verification of electronic equipment installs

• Able to work at varying heights from a bucket truck, as well as ground level in underground vaults

• Work within a team environment to ensure the full job scope is completed within the scheduled timeframe

• Reach, push, pull, hold, grasp and perform fine manipulation tasks on cable and electronic equipment

• Must be willing to lead by example and train all team members / new hires in safe and effecting maintenance practices

• Must be willing to work during holidays or during planned events due to the nature of this role

• Must be able to work with other network providers at a high level on scheduling any new turn ups and scheduling any upgrades or decoms 

• Must be able to attend and lead meetings regarding the maintenance activities you, or your team preform

• Must be able to keep detailed records of all maintenance activities. This includes hours worked outside of normal business hours, the time customers were down, how long the repairs took, how many customers were affected, ETC.

• Must be able to take calls from the team working maintenance activities regardless of day or time. It will be your responsibility to lead the team and assist them when they have questions, and you are not onsite with them

Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Field Safety, Compliance & Risk Management

•  Own field safety performance by setting expectations, conducting regular tailboard/job safety briefings and job hazard analyses (JHAs), and verifying that each crew understands site-specific hazards, roles, emergency procedures, and stop-work authority.

•  Enforce applicable OSHA requirements, company safety policies, DOT requirements, utility-owner rules, and local work-zone regulations; coordinate required training, inspections, corrective actions, and incident/near-miss reporting.

•  Oversee safe aerial operations, including bucket truck setup, vehicle positioning, outriggers, fall protection, pole and attachment assessments, minimum approach distances from energized utilities, and appropriate qualified-person controls.

•  Oversee underground work including utility locate requests and positive identification, safe excavation and potholing, trench protection where required, vault/manhole entry evaluation, atmospheric testing and confined-space procedures where applicable, and safe equipment/spotter practices.

•  Ensure proper traffic-control plans, cones/signage, high-visibility apparel, flagging when required, and protection of workers, motorists, pedestrians, and customer property.

•  Verify appropriate PPE, ladder safety, lifting and ergonomics, weather/lightning and heat/cold precautions, housekeeping, and safe handling of fiber shards, cleaning chemicals, and laser/optical exposure risks.

•  Inspect fleet, trailers, fusion splicers, OTDRs, locating equipment, power tools, and heavy equipment; remove defective tools or vehicles from service and ensure operators are trained and authorized.

•  Lead incident response and investigations, identify root causes, document lessons learned, track corrective actions to closure, and coach employees to prevent repeat events.

Crew Leadership, Training & Accountability

•  Direct daily assignments and field deployment across multiple crews; balance emergency tickets, planned construction, preventive maintenance, customer-impacting work, and resource availability.

•  Lead by example in safe work practices, professionalism, communication, attendance, quality, and ownership; provide real-time coaching and constructive performance feedback.

•  Develop onboarding and cross-training plans for fiber splicing, testing, troubleshooting, aerial/underground methods, equipment operation, and network restoration; validate competency before independent assignments.

•  Conduct recurring crew meetings, one-on-one check-ins, field observations, and performance reviews; identify skill gaps and establish measurable development goals.

•  Coordinate staffing, on-call coverage, overtime, travel, contractor support, and escalation paths to maintain operational readiness during nights, weekends, holidays, and major outages.

•  Address performance, conduct, and safety concerns promptly and consistently; document follow-up and escalate personnel matters through appropriate management channels.

•  Communicate status, risks, schedule changes, and decisions clearly to technicians, leadership, engineering, NOC, customer-facing teams, and third-party stakeholders.

OSP Fiber Construction, Maintenance & Restoration

•  Oversee the full field lifecycle of fiber OSP assets: route walkouts, site readiness, aerial strand and lash work, underground conduit and duct placement, cable pulling/blowing, handholes and vaults, slack storage, enclosures, cabinets, and final restoration.

•  Plan and supervise installation, relocation, repair, and maintenance of backbone, feeder, distribution, and access/drop fiber networks, including PON/GPON architecture and splitter-based FTTx systems.

•  Ensure proper cable identification, fiber counts/color codes, splice matrix adherence, enclosure preparation, fusion splicing, connector inspection/cleaning, and fiber management and bend-radius standards.

•  Direct OTDR, optical power, light source, and continuity testing; review traces, loss budgets, event locations, and acceptance results to verify workmanship and isolate faults.

•  Lead restoration of cuts, high-loss events, damaged cabinets, water intrusion, failed splices, and other OSP incidents; establish priorities based on safety, critical services, affected customers, and network redundancy.

•  Coordinate planned maintenance windows and controlled outages with the NOC, engineering, affected departments, and other carriers; verify approvals, rollback plans, customer-impact notifications, and post-work service validation.

•  Partner with utility owners, municipalities, contractors, and other providers on permits, right-of-way access, locates, make-ready, damage prevention, turn-ups, upgrades, relocations, and decommissions.

•  Perform routine plant inspections and preventive maintenance; identify vegetation, clearance, pole, conduit, cabinet, splice case, and environmental risks before they cause outages.

•  Ensure all sites are restored safely and professionally, including cleanup, surface repairs, labeling, and protection of existing infrastructure and customer property.

Planning, Documentation & Operational Performance

•  Maintain accurate work orders, splice records, fiber assignments, OTDR test results, photographs, GIS/map redlines, as-built drawings, asset inventories, and maintenance histories.

•  Track and report outage start/end times, customer counts, root causes, response and restoration intervals, repeat failures, safety observations, and project completion status.

•  Validate contractor and crew workmanship against approved prints, engineering specifications, testing criteria, and closeout requirements; resolve deficiencies before acceptance.

•  Monitor crew productivity, rework, material usage, fleet readiness, and backlog trends while protecting safety and network quality; recommend process improvements and preventive actions.

•  Provide timely, factual updates to management and NOC during incidents and deliver post-incident reviews with corrective measures for significant outages.

Skills: 

• Good communication and organizational skills

• Ability to work independently as well as in a team environment  

• Understand construction prints and splice documents  

• Must be able to work outside in all weather conditions as well as in a splicing trailer 

• Dedicated to safety and keeping a safe work environment  

• Ability to work within a fast-paced, high-change environment while managing multiple interruptions and adjustments to priorities throughout the day. 

• Must pass a drug screening test and a criminal background check. 

• Must have time management skills and understand the importance of managing time

• Must have a proven track record of being on time

• Must maintain a clean and presentable company vehicle 

• Must be able to be able to multi-task and handle multiple project standings at one time

Education and Experience: 

• High school diploma or GED equivalent required.

• Experience with fiber tools 

 

•  Demonstrated supervisory or lead experience in OSP fiber construction, maintenance, and emergency restoration preferred.

•  Working knowledge of fiber splicing, OTDR interpretation, optical loss testing, PON/GPON systems, construction prints, and aerial/underground plant practices required.

•  Experience leading safety briefings, coaching crews, coordinating contractors, and managing field incident response strongly preferred.

Job Classification:

• Construction Fiber

• Non-Exempt

Work Environment/Hazards:

• Outdoor elements and working with aerial plant 

• In proximity of heavy machinery and moving vehicles 

• Working close to power transformers

• Moderate to loud noise levels

• Use of PPE

Physical Demands: 

• Sitting stationary for long periods of time splicing

• Climbing ladders, crouching, balance, kneel, stoop

• Working in all weather conditions 

 

Working Hours/Days:

• Min 40 hours

• Overtime as needed

• Day and night work

Travel Requirements: 

• 70-100% travel required 

Affirmative Action (AAP/EEO Statement):

Nextlink is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against based on disability.

Drug Free Workplace:

Nextlink intends to provide a safe work environment that will help protect the safety, health and well-being of all employees. Therefore, we are committed to an alcohol and drug-free workplace.