Local Government Relations Manager

Job Description
Position Title: Local Government Relations Manager

Base Salary: $85,000 to $120,000 annually DOE

Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401k, flexible spending account, paid sick leave and paid time off, parental leave, quarterly performance bonus, training, career growth and education reimbursement programs.

Ziply Fiber is a local internet service provider dedicated to elevating the connected lives of the communities we serve. We offer the fastest home internet in the nation, a refreshingly great customer experience, and affordable plans that put customers in charge.


As our state-of-the-art fiber network expands, so does our need for team members who can help us grow and realize our goals.

Our Company Values:

• Genuinely Caring: We treat customersand colleagues like neighbors, with empathy and full attention.

• Empowering You: We help customerschoose what is best for them, and we supportemployees in implementing new ideas and solutions.

• Innovation and Improvement: Weconstantly seek ways to improve how we serve customers and eachother.

• Earning Your Trust: We build trustthrough clear, honest, human communication.

Job Summary

The Local Government Relations Manager supports Ziply Fiber's network expansion by building strong relationships with local governments, public works departments, utilities, and community leaders. This role serves as a key liaison across multiple jurisdictions, helping navigate permitting, right-of-way, construction coordination, and community issues. A strong understanding of city ordinances and construction standards enables this role to guide internal teams through local requirements and support their efforts to deliver builds on time and on budget. It also provides critical local insight to internal teams to support timely project execution and maintain positive community partnerships. The position plays a central role in strengthening Ziply Fiber's presence and reputation as a collaborative and community-focused infrastructure partner.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The Essential Duties and Responsibilities listed below are a range of duties performed by the employee and not intended to reflect all duties performed.

Leadership and Issue Resolution
•Continuous engagement with and understanding the objectives of local leadership (FDC, Field Ops, Marketing) ensuring issues are attended to timely and professionally. Support local leadership in the resolution of right-of-way, permitting, pole attachment/joint use and similar issues with states, counties, and cities and third parties.
•Work with the local leadership team (FDC, Field Ops, Marketing) on known issues providing support to resolve issues in a timely manner.
•Ensures teams are aware of current field issues, community inquiries, and work together towards a satisfactory resolution.
•Focuses on meeting and maintaining consistent service levels.
•Carefully and thoroughly tracks complaint resolution performance.

Community and Government Relations
•Cultivating and maintaining strategic relationships with key community, public and government officials.
•Meeting regularly with mayors, city council members, county commissioners, administrators, and staff of key cities and counties to articulate the Company's vision and plans and to obtain support for Ziply Fiber's initiatives.
•Act as principal contact for Ziply Fiber's Network Operations team on local government issues and resolution of constituent inquiries.

Stakeholder and Business Engagement
•Establishing and maintaining relationships with local chambers of commerce, economic development councils, and local community groups.
•Works with residents and businesses to resolve issues related to all construction efforts and to create a win-win solution for the resident, business, and the company.

Construction and Build Area Support
•Work with local jurisdiction and community for active build areas ensuring we are attending to all issues as they arise.
•Serve as a champion for internal teams by proactively identifying solutions, removing obstacles, and consistently finding a path forward to keep projects on track.
•Review and interpret right of way agreements/franchises, municipal codes, and construction standards to advise construction and installation teams, helping them achieve their build obligations on budget and on schedule.
•Track and report progress on support against organizational performance objectives, providing leadership with clear visibility into local market results.

Other Duties
•Performs other duties as required to support the business and evolving organization

Required Position Competencies:

• Interpersonal Skills - Focuses on resolvingconflict; maintains confidentiality; listens to others; keeps emotionsunder control.Responds promptly toresident/business needs; solicits feedback to improve service; responds torequests, inquiries, issues with sense of urgency; meets commitments.
• Professional Integrity - Mustdemonstrate a high degree of personal and professional integrity due tothe nature of information involved and the public visibility of thisposition.
• Adaptability - Must thrive workingindependently as well as with cross functional teams, and exhibit energy,intelligence, and a drive for success.
• Cross-Functional Leadership - Actsas the primary liaison between the organization and local government,serving as an informal leader who bridges all business functions with acomprehensive understanding of operations and accountability for drivingperformance against collective goals.

• Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations toresidents, businesses, municipal leadership, community members, and otheremployees of the organization. Must be comfortable presenting in publicmeetings and receiving immediate feedback.
• Communication - Writes and speaks clearly and persuasively inpositive or negative situations. Listens and gets clarification, respondswell to questions, demonstrates grouppresentation skills, active participation in internal and public-facing meetings.Tailors communication to engage effectively with a range of keystakeholders, including construction or engineering staff, city planners,contractors, legal staff, the general public, other utility operators, andmunicipal leadership.

• Strong problem-solving, partnership, and collaboration skills.

•Results-Driven Translator - Ability to communicate clearly and bridge understanding between stakeholders who operate in different disciplines and speak different professional "languages," driving toward shared outcomes.
•Negotiation and Composure - Skilled at navigating complex, high-pressure situations with diplomacy, humility, and the ability to think on one's feet while maintaining a constructive tone.
•Compassion and Tenacity - Demonstrates empathy and understanding when working with residents, businesses, and government officials, while maintaining persistent focus on achieving results.
•Strong verbal and written communication, analytical, and reporting skills, including the ability to provide leadership with regular updates on progress, key issues, and outcomes.

Required Qualifications:
•Bachelor's degree in public administration, political science, communications, business, or a related field.
•3-5 years of experience working with local governments or public agencies on capital projects, land use and right-of-way matters, permitting, public works, utility coordination, or related municipal infrastructure issues.
•Demonstrated experience working directly with local governments, public works departments, utilities, and/or agencies involved in right-of-way, permitting, construction oversight, or municipal coordination.
•Experience navigating governmental processes, municipal codes, public works standards, and utility coordination requirements across multiple jurisdictions.
•Demonstrated ability to read, interpret, and apply city ordinances, municipal codes, and construction standards in a practical, operations-focused context.
•Public policy/compliance implementation experience.
•Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
•Ability to lead and manage projects and tasks while effectively representing Ziply Fiber.
•Ability and willingness to travel locally up to 50%, particularly during peak construction periods.
•Must have and maintain a valid driver's license, auto insurance, and satisfactory driving record.

Preferred Qualifications:
•Experience in the telecom industry.
•Experience collaborating with state, county, and municipal officials on infrastructure projects, right-of-way management, or public utilities coordination.
•Knowledge and understanding of operations teams, outside plant teams is preferred.
•Knowledge of, and experience working on, federal, state, local, broadband, and telecommunications issues.
•Familiarity with municipal public works processes, utility permitting workflows, and coordination requirements for fiber or infrastructure deployment.
•Extensive portfolio of relationships across state and local government.


Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
•Ability to work independently and apply sound judgment and reasoning skills to a variety of situations.
•Ability to multi-task and collaborate effectively with other personnel to meet deadlines.
•Strong verbal and written communication, attention to detail, and organizational skills, including the ability to maintain accurate database records, update reports, and track and communicate progress.
•Ability to work within critical deadlines.
•Ability to adjust to rapidly changing priorities and schedules.
•Ability to provide excellent customer service.

Work Authorization

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the US for any employer. Sponsorship is not available for this position.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential and marginal functions may require maintaining physical condition necessary for bending, stooping, sitting, walking, or standing for prolonged periods of time; most of time is spent sitting in a comfortable position with frequent opportunity to move about. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

Work is primarily performed in an office setting and requires extensive computer and telephone use. The role also requires travel to local communities, attendance at evening municipal council and board meetings, and up to 50% local travel during peak construction periods.

At all times, Ziply Fiber must be your primary employer. Unless otherwise prohibited by law, employees may not hold outside employment nor be self-employed without obtaining approval in writing from Ziply Fiber. In holding outside employment or self-employment, employees should ensure that participation does not conflict with responsibilities to Ziply Fiber or its business interests.

Diverse Workforce / EEO:

Ziply Fiber is an equal opportunity employer. Ziply Fiber will consider all qualified candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, and the presence of a non-job-related handicap or disability or any other legally protected status.

Ziply Fiber requires a pre-employment background check as conditions of employment. Ziply Fiber may require a pre-employment drug screening.

Ziply Fiber is a drug free workplace.