Project Scheduler

Composing the Core of a Brighter World

LIGHTERA has one of the longest and most respectable corporate lineages in American business, which goes back to Alexander Graham Bell and the invention of the telephone more than a century ago. We have a proven track record of being first in the industry with application specific fibers, optical connectors, ribbon cables, erbium doped fibers, Raman fiber lasers, fiber gratings and more. Our mission is to provide leading optical innovations and solutions by designing, manufacturing and supplying the best optical fibers, fiber cable and components and devices for our customers, with exceptional service that creates value for our shareholders, customers and employees. To do so, we must continue shaping the future of communications by applying the best minds to the challenges our customers will continually face.

Our mission is simple and bold: to build brighter, more connected communities through cutting-edge optical technologies.

Position Summary:

The Project Scheduler will partner closely with project managers, engineering, maintenance, procurement, operations, contractors, and site leadership to align scope, shutdown windows, equipment availability, material deliveries, and commissioning activities. The ideal candidate is comfortable working in an active manufacturing environment and can turn complex execution plans into clear, reliable schedules.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Develop Project Schedules: Build baseline schedules, work breakdown structures, activity logic, critical path analyses, and milestone plans for manufacturing capital projects from concept through closeout.
• Track Progress: Collect updates from engineering, procurement, construction, installation, commissioning, and operations teams and maintain accurate weekly schedule status.
• Coordinate Shutdowns and Production Impacts: Integrate outage windows, production constraints, equipment access, utilities tie-ins, and contractor activities into the project schedule.
• Analyze Risks and Delays: Identify schedule conflicts, long-lead equipment risks, permit constraints, resource bottlenecks, and start-up delays; evaluate impacts and recommend recovery plans.
• Communicate with Stakeholders: Prepare schedule updates, look-ahead plans, milestone reports, S-curves, variance summaries, and escalation items for project teams and leadership.
• Support Resource and Contractor Coordination: Coordinate labor, materials, equipment, vendors, contractors, and internal site resources to support project execution and commissioning milestones.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Scheduling Tools: Proficiency with Oracle Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, and Excel-based schedule reporting.
• Project Controls: Understanding critical path method scheduling, baseline management, schedule variance analysis, resource loading, earned value concepts, and change impacts.
• Manufacturing Environment Knowledge: Ability to schedule work around operating equipment, maintenance windows, safety requirements, utilities, production constraints, and commissioning activities.
• Cross-Functional Communication: Strong ability to gather schedule inputs from engineering, procurement, maintenance, operations, contractors, and leadership.
• Organization: High attention to detail, disciplined follow-up, and the ability to manage multiple concurrent capital projects or work streams.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: A bachelor's degree in engineering, construction management, project management, operations management, business, or related technical field.
• Experience: 3 to 7 years of planning, scheduling, or project controls experience supporting manufacturing, industrial, facilities, equipment installation, or capital expenditure projects.
• Preferred Background: Experience with brownfield or active-site project execution, production shutdown coordination, contractor scheduling, equipment procurement, installation, start-up, and commissioning.
• Certifications: Credentials such as Project Management Professional (PMP), PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP), or project controls training are preferred but not required.

General Expectations:

• Demonstrate effective communications (verbal, written) skills
• Proficient with MS Office Word and Excel
• Maintain discretion when working with confidential and proprietary information
• Strict adherence to Company safety policies and procedures
• Exhibit Lightera's "Standards of Conduct"

Working at LIGHTERA means having the opportunity to realize ideas, experience innovation, and discover new solutions for the future. In addition to our dynamic work environment, we offer competitive salaries and generous benefits programs, including medical, dental, tuition reimbursement, and a matching 401(k) plan.

Employees are expected to serve as role models for safe work practices and behaviors. This includes following established health and safety policies and procedures, maintaining a clean, organized work area, wearing, and properly storing all personal protective equipment (PPE), and actively engaging as a safety conscious worker with personal safety and wellness as a priority.