OSP Planning Assistant - Telecommunications

Job Summary

The OSP Planning Assistant is responsible for planning, executing, and overseeing multiple telecommunications projects, with a focus on Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) initiatives. This role requires strong project management and analytical skills, including extensive use of spreadsheets to organize, sort, and analyze raw data to determine project priorities, resource allocation, network usage, and performance metrics. The ideal candidate has a solid understanding of telecommunications, engineering concepts, and applies data-driven insights to manage complex, cross-functional FTTH deployments.

Key Responsibilities

Project & Program Management

• Plan, manage, and deliver multiple telecommunications projects, including FTTH network deployments
• Support project goals, milestones, timelines, and success metrics aligned with engineering and business initiatives
• Coordinate cross-functional teams including engineering, construction, network operations, vendors, and external partners
• Manage scope, schedule, budget, and quality while ensuring compliance with technical and regulatory requirements
• Identify risks, dependencies, and issues related to engineering design, permitting, construction, and network activation

Data Analysis & Prioritization

• Utilize spreadsheets (e.g., Excel, Google Sheets) to collect, clean, and analyze raw engineering, construction, and usage data
• Sort, filter, and manipulate large datasets to identify priority FTTH projects based on demand, usage forecasts, readiness, cost, and resource availability
• Develop scoring or ranking models to evaluate and prioritize build areas, network expansions, and upgrade initiatives
• Analyze network usage information, take rates, and performance data to support data-driven recommendations

Reporting & Documentation

• Create and maintain project trackers, dashboards, and reports covering deployment status, usage of metrics, and engineering progress
• Translate complex technical and data-driven insights into clear summaries for leadership and non-technical stakeholders
• Maintain accurate project documentation, schedules, engineering milestones, and decision logs

Process Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve project delivery, data collection, and reporting processes for FTTH programs
• Standardize tracking tools, templates, and workflows across engineering and project teams
• Support continuous improvement initiatives using insights derived from network and project performance data

Communication

• Serve as a primary point of contact for project updates, prioritization discussions, and issue resolution
• Facilitate technical and project review meetings with engineering, operations, and leadership teams
• Present recommendations and trade-offs supported by engineering data and usage analysis

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, Telecommunications, Business, Information Systems, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
• Proven experience as a Project Manager in a telecommunications, engineering, or infrastructure environment
• Must have working knowledge of telecommunications principles and network infrastructure
• Familiarity with FTTH technology, including fiber network design, construction phases, and activation processes
• Strong proficiency with spreadsheets (Excel, Google Sheets), including formulas, pivot tables, data sorting, and analysis
• Experience working with raw data to determine priorities, usage patterns, and performance insights

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing FTTH, fiber, or broadband infrastructure programs
• Understanding of outside plant (OSP) and inside plant (ISP) concepts
• Familiarity with permitting, construction coordination, and vendor management
• PMP, PgMP, CAPM, or similar project management certification
• Experience with project and portfolio management tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, Asana)
• Familiar with Fireworks and Bidmaster systems

Key Skills & Competencies

• Telecommunications and engineering acumen
• Data-driven decision-making and prioritization
• Spreadsheet-based analysis and reporting
• Cross-functional coordination between engineering, construction, and operations
• Clear technical and non-technical communication
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills

Work Environment

• Remote engineer - Must work Mountain Standard Time (MST) hours
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights
• Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, and a continuous improvement mindset
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a remote environment