Planning Engineer I

NRTC is Member Driven and Technology Focused – providing solutions that help our 1,500 electric and telephone members bring all the advantages of today’s evolving technology to rural America. NRTC’s solutions are developed specifically to meet the needs of rural utilities and their customers, and include integrated broadband, managed services, smart grid, mobile and video solutions. We are a dynamic, growing cooperative with more than 800 employees operating out of eight office locations.

Job Summary
The Planning Engineer I will work directly with members, internal, and external teams to successfully plan, launch, and support Broadband projects to completion from an engineering and design perspective. The successful candidate must possess a solid understanding of the technology, project life cycle, and applicable engineering practices.   

Responsibilities

• Oversee initial FTTx Technical Design Planning while ensuring customer standards and processes are understood.  This includes reviewing and managing changes while considering both the technical and commercial implications.
• Apply knowledge of FTTx telecommunications solutions and commercial requirements to support business growth through identifying competitive solutions to meet customer needs
• Work collaboratively with internal departments and contract partners to ensure that design plans meet Member expectations and are carried out per plan
• Drive standardization of practices and processes for the Planning and Engineering Team
• Change and implement standard practices as warranted by industry change
• Review, evaluate, and approve any changes to the technical scope of each project and provide feedback as it relates to deliverables that these changes may impact
• Work with internal and external teams to establish relationships and an understanding of work processes and procedures needed to meet member needs
• Validate quality of outputs created by field engineers, construction, and other design teams to ensure that they meet established guidelines
• Provide feedback and guidance to internal teams including Design, PMO, and Construction.
• Lead successful implementations by meeting timelines and design requirements as established by the member and other internal teams
• Provide real time support to engineering and construction teams related to engineering and design issues and concerns
• Provide material guidance and support by ensuring applicable material is deployed for projects and material specifications are applied.  This includes working with Procurement, Design, PMO, and Construction.
• It is imperative that the Planning Engineer assigned to a project represents NRTC at the highest level with our Members.  This includes maintaining a level of professionalism in speech, dress, conduct, support, and conflict resolution. 
• The Planning Engineer is the primary contact point of NRTC for our Members.  The Planning Engineer must be willing to support the project, communicate clearly and concisely, speak openly and honestly, and become a representative of the member internally while maintaining the best interests of NRTC.   
• Work with engineering, design, fielding, project management, and construction teams to identify and address member concerns and report issues or concerns as soon as they arise, including but not limited to any issues that may give rise to: 
  • Member disharmony
  • Unexpected impact on project scope
  • Unexpected impact on project delivery
  • Unexpected impact on project cost
  • Changes or increase in risk exposure
  • Overall Project Health
• Support the Field Engineering Team with training, field visits, documentation, and problem solving as needed
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities      

• Cooperative and Member-focused mindset
• Ability to excel in a team environment
• Ability to have difficult conversations
• Fact and data driven decision making
• Energized by tough challenges strong leadership qualities
• Excellent organization skills with proven ability to complete multiple tasks and deliver results within critical deadlines
• Superb work ethic and commitment to customer satisfaction
• Knowledge of OSP standard industry practices and use cases for standards, codes, and specifications including BICSI, OSHA 29 – 1910.268, I3A,  NESC, NEC, ANSI/IEEE 802.3, related TIA/EIA Standards (such as TIA/EIA-568-B, TIA/EIA-569-B, TIA/EIA-606-B, TIA/EIA-758, TIA/EIA-862), J-STD-607A, UFGS 33 82 00, related USDA RUS publications (such as Form 515, Form 217, RUS Bulletin 1753F-601a, RUS Bulletin 1753F-601x, RUS Bulletin 1753F-150, RUS Bulletin 1753F-152, RUS Bulletin 1753F-401)
• Strong understanding of GIS
• General knowledge of CAD
• Strong understanding of OSP FTTx material.
• Understanding or general knowledge of standard engineering processes for data collection, field engineering, SCIP, site surveys, engineering locates, permitting, and ROW
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
• Working knowledge of telecom construction methods
• Excellent interpersonal skills and verbal communications skills
• Quick learner who is self-motivated, fact driven, and values pride in end results
• Ability to work under deadlines and deliver results on time
• Ability to have difficult conversations

Minimum Education and Experience

• Batchelor’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering or a related field preferred
• 3+ years of experience in OSP Engineering 

Relevant work experience may be considered in lieu of formal education.

Physical Demands

• Work is typically performed in a remote office setting
• Travel will be required and is dependent on project needs, communication, and support.  Travel may be required up to 20% of the year, but actual travel requirements are defined by project, member, and NRTC needs and may be required more than 20%.

Disclaimer:  The above job description summary is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position.  It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of required responsibilities, duties and skills.  The order in which responsibilities, duties and skills are listed is not significant.

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