Senior Telecommunications Engineer

Hybrid Remote • Houston, TX • Information Technology Job TypeFull-timeDescriptionFervo is working to build the most cost-effective, repeatable geothermal power plants in the world. Achieving this mission requires secure, resilient, and highly available infrastructure that can scale from early-stage development to full commercial operations. Joining Fervo means operating at the intersection of energy infrastructure and modern enterprise systems—where reliability, safety, and disciplined execution are foundational. Build and own Fervo’s physical network infrastructure program—from outside-plant fiber to building cabling—supporting geothermal operations, enterprise connectivity, and fiber optic sensing.The Senior Telecommunications Engineer owns physical network planning, design, records, and acceptance: outside plant (OSP) fiber, inside plant (ISP) fiber and structured copper cabling, pathways, telecommunications rooms, racks, cabinets, and passive connectivity. Fervo’s sole dedicated specialist builds the records program and is the single accountable owner of the enterprise fiber record across IT, operational technology and instrumentation and controls (OT/I&C), and sensing. No fiber is planned, built, spliced, or repurposed without its record being updated. This senior individual contributor leads physical-layer design and contractor oversight and resolves field issues. Network engineers own layers 2–7, including switching, routing, segmentation, and configuration; system owners define device functionality. The role reports to the IT Infrastructure Manager and is based in Salt Lake City, UT, or Houston, TX. Travel averages 30%, with significant field presence during construction.RequirementsResponsibilitiesInfrastructure Records and Change Control Own the authoritative fiber management system and geographic information system (GIS) records: strand allocation by IT, OT, or sensing function; dark fiber; splice schematics and enclosures; conduit and innerduct occupancy; and routes. Build the infrastructure records program, select and implement appropriate tools with stakeholders, and establish a verified baseline. Maintain copper cable identifiers, outlets, patch-panel ports, rack layouts, and physical connectivity alongside fiber records. Require contractor as-builts within 10 business days of construction completion. Gate contractor closeout and final payment on delivery, review, acceptance, and ingestion of as-builts, splice schematics, fiber test traces, and copper certification results, as applicable, with Procurement and project teams. Document splices, reroutes, strand reassignments, cable additions, and patching changes through change control; treat undocumented changes as defects and verify correction. Reconcile records against physical infrastructure at least annually and after major projects; track discrepancies, overdue documentation, and record accuracy, and verify remediation. Physical Network Planning and DesignDesign shared OSP and ISP fiber and structured copper infrastructure with IT, OT/I&C, sensing, and construction teams; plan capacity, route diversity, building entrances, terminations, and future expansion. Prepare and review route drawings, cable and strand schedules, splice plans, optical loss budgets, rack elevations, patching layouts, bills of materials, and construction specifications using GIS and CAD tools. Define telecommunications requirements for conduit, duct banks, innerduct, cable trays, rooms, racks, and cabinets. Coordinate utility conflicts, permitting, power, cooling, grounding and bonding, and building penetrations with civil, electrical, and facilities teams. Plan physical connectivity for access points, cameras, access-control devices, and industrial network endpoints using requirements supplied by network engineers and system owners; account for cable reach, media, environment, and Power over Ethernet cabling requirements. Establish cabling standards for capacity, separation, labeling, and testing; coordinate access-point placement with the RF design team. Translate sensing-team and vendor requirements into fiber, pathway, splicing, termination, testing, and documentation specifications. Support installation and troubleshooting, and obtain sensing-team approval before changes affecting measurement performance; sensing specialists own equipment configuration and measurement validation. Contractor Delivery and Acceptance Develop competitive bid packages, scopes, estimates, schedules, and acceptance criteria; evaluate proposals and recommend vendors with Procurement. Direct contractors and design consultants through detailed design and construction. Review submittals and field changes, inspect installations, and resolve design and workmanship deficiencies. Coordinate site access, work sequencing, and service impacts with project and operations teams. Review optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) traces, optical loss results, copper permanent-link certification, labeling, and workmanship against specifications. Require correction and retesting of deficient work before acceptance. Reliability and Compliance Diagnose physical connectivity faults and direct restoration with contractors and network engineers; verify repair quality, service handoff, and record updates. Coordinate field work with site safety and work-control processes. Maintain controlled, traceable fiber records supporting applicable NERC CIP-005/CIP-006 audit evidence and SOX IT general controls change documentation with Cybersecurity and Compliance, including fiber serving BES Cyber Systems or traversing associated security perimeters. Qualifications Required Seven or more years of relevant telecommunications infrastructure experience, including OSP fiber and premises fiber/copper structured cabling design and independent project ownership through construction acceptance. Demonstrated experience building or running a fiber records program using a fiber management system or GIS as the authoritative record for strand inventory, splice documentation, as-builts, and field reconciliation. Experience designing pathways, telecommunications spaces, racks, cabinets, and passive connectivity; ability to produce or direct construction drawings and specifications using GIS and CAD tools. Working knowledge of applicable TIA and BICSI practices and installation codes; ability to translate network, sensing, and other specialist requirements into coordinated physical infrastructure designs. Ability to interpret OTDR traces, optical loss measurements, and copper cabling certification reports; troubleshoot physical-layer faults and make evidence-based acceptance decisions. Experience developing bid packages, managing contractors, resolving field discrepancies, and enforcing documentation and closeout requirements. Demonstrated self-sufficiency, sound technical judgment, clear documentation, and ability to prioritize multiple sites and escalate risks with actionable recommendations. Degree in engineering, telecommunications, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience. Preferred BICSI Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD) credential; BICSI Outside Plant (OSP) or relevant fiber and copper testing credentials. Experience in telecommunications consulting, structured cabling design, utilities, industrial facilities, or large campus infrastructure. Experience launching a records program from scratch or implementing GIS and fiber management tools across multiple sites. Entrepreneurial mindset demonstrated by establishing practical standards and scalable processes in an evolving environment. Familiarity with fiber optic sensing, including distributed acoustic or temperature sensing; industrial OT/I&C; or infrastructure audit evidence practices.