Company Description

Zayo provides mission-critical bandwidth to the world’s most impactful companies, fueling the innovations that are transforming our society. Zayo’s 141,000-mile network in North America and Europe includes extensive metro connectivity to thousands of buildings and data centers. Zayo’s communications infrastructure solutions include dark fiber, private data networks, wavelengths, Ethernet, and dedicated Internet access. Zayo serves wireless and wireline carriers, media, tech, content, finance, healthcare and other large enterprises.

The Senior Program Manager, Long Haul OSP Deployment is responsible for the strategic leadership and successful delivery of Zayo's long haul fiber deployment portfolio through direct oversight of turnkey engineering and construction partners, cross-functional leadership, and governance of multiple concurrent, large-scale infrastructure programs. This role provides both strategic direction and operational execution across complex, multi-million-dollar network expansion initiatives.

The Senior Program Manager owns program governance, capital planning, contractor strategy, executive stakeholder alignment, risk management, and portfolio performance while ensuring projects are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with Zayo quality standards.

Serving as the primary operational and contractual interface between Zayo, engineering and construction partners, customers, and executive leadership, this position drives organizational alignment across Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, Legal, Regulatory, GIS, and Network Planning to deliver critical network infrastructure at scale.

This role also leads continuous improvement initiatives, establishes deployment best practices, mentors program managers, and influences long-term deployment strategy across the Long Haul organization.

The Senior Program Manager reports to the Director, Long Haul OSP Deployment.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Program Leadership

• Own a portfolio of large-scale long haul deployment programs supporting strategic network expansion initiatives.

• Develop portfolio delivery strategies aligned with company growth objectives and capital investment priorities.

• Lead cross-functional planning from business case development through engineering, permitting, construction, testing, customer acceptance, and operational turnover.

• Establish program governance, delivery standards, performance metrics, and executive reporting across multiple concurrent initiatives.

• Balance competing priorities, resources, and funding across multiple programs to optimize delivery performance.

• Identify portfolio-level risks and dependencies and proactively implement mitigation and recovery strategies.

• Provide recommendations to senior leadership regarding delivery strategy, capital allocation, contractor utilization, and execution priorities.

Executive Stakeholder Leadership

• Serve as the executive operational lead for assigned deployment programs.

• Build trusted relationships with executive leadership, customers, regulatory agencies, and strategic construction partners.

• Lead executive steering committees, program reviews, and customer governance meetings.

• Influence cross-functional decision making across Engineering, Finance, Supply Chain, Operations, Legal, Regulatory Affairs, and Network Planning.

• Drive alignment between business objectives and deployment execution across multiple organizations.

Contractor Strategy & Vendor Performance

• Develop long-term strategic relationships with turnkey engineering and construction partners.

• Lead commercial negotiations for engineering and construction agreements, amendments, and complex change orders.

• Establish contractor performance scorecards, KPIs, governance processes, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Evaluate contractor capacity, financial performance, safety metrics, production trends, and quality performance.

• Drive executive-level performance reviews and corrective action plans when contractor performance falls below expectations.

• Partner with Procurement and Legal to optimize sourcing strategies and improve contractor performance across the deployment portfolio.

Portfolio Financial Management

• Own portfolio-level capital planning, forecasting, and financial performance.

• Manage multi-million-dollar capital budgets across numerous concurrent deployment programs.

• Lead financial forecasting, variance analysis, accrual management, and executive reporting.

• Evaluate commercial impacts of scope changes, schedule adjustments, and risk events.

• Partner with Finance to improve forecasting accuracy and optimize capital deployment.

• Identify opportunities for cost savings, operational efficiencies, and improved return on investment.

Engineering, Regulatory & Deployment Governance

• Provide strategic oversight of engineering, permitting, regulatory compliance, and construction execution.

• Partner with Engineering leadership to improve constructability, deployment standards, and network design efficiency.

• Oversee compliance with federal, state, and local regulatory requirements including NTIA, NEPA, Section 106, Tribal coordination, Davis-Bacon, BABA, and environmental obligations.

• Ensure governance processes support quality, safety, regulatory compliance, and customer commitments across all assigned programs.

Operational Excellence & Process Improvement

• Lead initiatives to improve deployment processes, governance, reporting, and execution methodologies.

• Develop standardized program management tools, dashboards, KPIs, and best practices.

• Identify systemic risks and implement scalable operational improvements.

• Leverage program data and performance metrics to improve forecasting accuracy, contractor productivity, and deployment efficiency.

• Drive lessons learned across the organization to continuously improve delivery performance.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Mentor and develop Program Managers, Project Managers, and deployment personnel.

• Provide guidance on complex delivery challenges, contractor management, financial controls, and executive communication.

• Lead cross-functional teams through influence rather than direct authority.

• Support organizational planning, succession development, and capability building within the Long Haul Deployment organization.

Qualifications

Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Telecommunications, Business, or related field preferred.

• Equivalent industry experience may be substituted for formal education.

• Minimum of ten (10) years of telecommunications, fiber deployment, infrastructure, or OSP program management experience.

• Minimum of Eight (8) years leading complex outside plant construction programs and contractor organizations.

• Demonstrated success leading portfolios of multimillion-dollar infrastructure deployments.

• Experience managing EPC, engineering, and construction contracts.

• Experience managing federally funded broadband programs and associated regulatory compliance.

• Experience leading cross-functional organizations through complex delivery challenges.

• Experience presenting to executive leadership and customer stakeholders.

• Previous experience mentoring project managers or leading program management teams preferred.

• PMP certification or equivalent program management certification preferred.

Technical Knowledge

• Advanced knowledge of long haul fiber architecture, OSP engineering, and construction practices.

• Expert understanding of capital project controls, forecasting, earned value principles, and financial reporting.

• Strong knowledge of permitting, environmental compliance, and federal broadband funding requirements.

• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including financial modeling, dashboards, pivot tables, Power Query, and executive reporting.

• Working knowledge of GIS platforms, network inventory systems, Salesforce, Sitetracker, and project portfolio management tools.

• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, fiber testing documentation, route designs, and construction packages.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinking with the ability to balance long-term objectives and near-term execution.

• Executive presence and communication skills.

• Strong influence without formal authority.

• Exceptional stakeholder management.

• Portfolio and program governance.

• Financial and commercial acumen.

• Contract negotiation and supplier management.

• Operational excellence and continuous improvement mindset.

• Data-driven decision making.

• Excellent judgment in ambiguous and fast-changing environments.

• Ability to lead multiple complex programs simultaneously.

Estimated base salary range: $95,100 - $146,300 USD/annually. 

The base pay range shown is a guideline and reasonable estimate for this role. It takes into account the wide variety of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions. Actual compensation offered may vary from the posted range based upon geographic location, work experience, skill level, certifications, and other business and organizational needs. Non- sales roles may be eligible to participate in a discretionary annual incentive plan. Sales roles may be eligible to participate in a sales incentive plan.

Additionally, this position may be eligible for certain benefits, such as health insurance, life insurance, disability retirement plans, paid time off.

The posting will be active for a minimum of 3 days. The active posting will continue to extend by 3 days until the position is filled.

Benefits, Rewards & Wellness

• Excellent Health, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Retirement 401(k) Savings Plan
• Generous paid time off policy including paid parental leave

Zayo is an equal opportunity employer to all protected groups, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation as part of the employment selection process, please contact us.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

As part of the application, hiring, onboarding, and/or employment process, Zayo or its affiliates, partners, and vendors may collect, store, and use biometric identifiers and biometric information (collectively, “Biometric Data”), such as fingerprints, facial geometry scans or other unique biological characteristics. Zayo uses CLEAR1, a third-party identity verification service, to verify applicant identity during the hiring process. CLEAR1 may collect Biometric Data, including facial geometry scans and/or other biometric identifiers, to authenticate your identity. Biometric Data will be retained pursuant to CLEAR1’s policies, which can be found here: https://www.clearme.com/clear1-credential-policy-crp. Zayo will not sell, lease, trade, or otherwise profit from any applicant's or employee's Biometric Data. By proceeding with your application, you acknowledge this disclosure. Prior to any collection of Biometric Data — including through CLEAR — you may be presented with a separate consent form and asked to provide your written authorization in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), the Texas Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act (CUBI), and other applicable biometric privacy statutes.