Director of Engineering and Construction
Position Overview
As the Director of Engineering and Construction at Stimulus Technologies, you'll own how our fiber networks get designed, permitted, built, and connected across Nevada, Oregon, California, and Missouri. This is a foundational leadership role in a division being built from the ground up-you'll lead Permitting, Engineering and Construction, and Safety, and set the standards every state will run on. You'll turn awarded BEAD and other grant-funded projects into passings and connected customers, delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and in full compliance with NTIA and state broadband office requirements. Working in close partnership with the Director of Fiber Deployment and Director of Drop Construction, you'll own field execution while they own schedules, budgets, and project coordination and the last mile. If you're a proven construction leader who wants to build an organization, develop leaders, and own results across multiple states, this is a rare opportunity to make a lasting impact. Success in this role isn't measured solely by passings built and drops installed, it's measured by the leaders you develop, the consistency you create across four states, and the safety record and network quality you leave behind.
Essential Functions
Leadership and Organization
- Build, hire, and lead the Engineering and Construction organization across all four BEAD states, including Construction Managers, Resident Engineers, inspectors, Permitting staff, and Safety Managers.
- Directly manage the Permitting Manager, state Construction Managers, and state Safety Managers.
- Establish common processes, standards, and reporting so every state operates the same way regardless of size or build stage.
- Develop staffing plans aligned to each state's build timeline and grant milestones; own recruiting, onboarding, performance management, and succession planning.
- Serve as the senior escalation point for Engineering and Construction issues to the VP of Engineering and Construction, the PMO, and the executive team.
Engineering Oversight
- Oversee OSP design for aerial and underground construction, whether performed in-house or by contracted engineering firms.
- Enforce design standards consistent with RUS, NESC, and state requirements, and ensure designs match grant-approved project areas and location counts.
- Review and approve construction-ready design packages before release to construction, validating Stimulus network standards, material specifications, and preferred vendor requirements.
- Manage engineering firm scopes, deliverables, QA/QC, and invoices against SOW and contract terms.
- Drive make-ready engineering and pole loading analysis in coordination with pole owners.
Permitting and Environmental
- Lead the Permitting function across state DOTs, counties, municipalities, railroads, federal land agencies, and private easements.
- Ensure NEPA/EHP reviews, cultural resource surveys, and related environmental conditions are cleared before construction begins.
- Oversee pole attachment applications and make-ready timelines with electric cooperatives and investor-owned utilities.
- Track permit cycle times by state and jurisdiction and remove obstacles that threaten construction start dates.
Construction Oversight
- Direct mainline and middle-mile construction through state Construction Managers and Resident Engineers.
- Select, contract, and manage construction contractors; hold them accountable to schedule, workmanship, safety, and contract terms.
- Ensure construction contractors and sub-contractors adhere to 811 rules and regulations.
- Oversee field inspection, change order review, as-built accuracy, and project closeout documentation.
- Resolve escalated field conflicts, utility damages, constructability issues, and landowner concerns quickly and in writing.
- Participate in acceptance and turnover from construction into Stimulus Technologies operations and NOC.
Safety and Compliance
- Lead the safety program through state Safety Managers, covering OSHA 1910.268 and 1926 requirements, excavation, aerial work, traffic control, and confined spaces.
- Maintain written safety programs, training, contractor safety prequalification, and safety audits across all states.
- Ensure incident investigations and root cause analyses are completed and lessons learned are shared across every state.
- Champion a safety culture where any worker can stop unsafe work, and every employee returns home safely each day.
Grant Compliance, Budget, and Reporting
- Ensure construction meets BEAD and other grant obligations, including Build America, Buy America (BABA), prevailing wage and labor standards where required, and milestone deadlines.
- Provide accurate construction data for NTIA and state broadband office reporting, reimbursement requests, and audits.
- Develop and manage Engineering and Construction budgets with the PMO; track cost per passing and cost per drop against grant budgets and escalate variances early.
- Negotiate and administer engineering, construction, and material contracts and MSAs.
- Provide regular status reporting to the VP of Engineering and Construction on production, schedule, cost, quality, safety, and staffing across all four states.
Education and Experience
Required
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, construction management, or related field, or equivalent field experience.
- Minimum 12 years of progressive experience in telecom or utility infrastructure construction, including at least 7 years in OSP fiber.
- Minimum 5 years leading multi-level teams, including managers who lead their own crews or staff.
- Proven delivery of large fiber builds across multiple jurisdictions at the same time.
- Strong understanding of RUS construction standards, NESC requirements, OSHA 1910.268 and 1926, and OSP construction methods including aerial, underground, and buried applications.
- Experience with permitting across state DOTs, counties, and utilities, and with pole attachment and make-ready processes.
- Demonstrated ability to manage engineering firms and construction contractors under MSAs, unit-price contracts, and change orders.
- Experience on federally funded projects with compliance and reporting obligations.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and project management or construction tracking tools.
- Valid driver's license with the ability to travel frequently to project sites, including remote rural areas.
Preferred
- Professional Engineer (PE) license, PMP, or BICSI OSP Designer credential.
- Direct BEAD, SLFRF, RDOF, ReConnect, or CPF project experience, including NTIA or state broadband office reporting.
- Experience with BABA, prevailing wage, and NEPA/EHP requirements on grant-funded builds.
- Experience standing up a new construction organization or division.
- Familiarity with project data and GIS tools such as Quickbase, 3-GIS, IQGeo, or ArcGIS.
- OSHA 30-Hour Construction certification or a formal safety credential (CSP, CHST).
- Experience in rural, mountainous, or high-desert terrain and on tribal or federal land.
Alignment with Core Values
At Stimulus Technologies, our core values define how we work. The ideal candidate will demonstrate:
- Driven to Grow - Continuously seeks to develop professionally, stays current with industry practices, and pushes to improve processes and outcomes.
- See a Need - Fill a Need - Proactively identifies gaps, obstacles, or opportunities and acts without waiting to be asked.
- Elevate Others - Mentors teammates, shares knowledge freely, and actively contributes to a positive and collaborative work environment.
- Extreme Ownership - Takes full accountability for results, decisions, and mistakes; does not deflect blame or make excuses.
- Celebrate Success - Recognizes contributions of team members, acknowledges milestones, and fosters a culture where wins are shared.
