Project Engineer

Job Title: Project Engineer
Location: Los Angeles, CA or Chicago, IL
Reports to: Vice President of Engineering

About Us
Zentro is one of the largest independent internet service providers focused exclusively on multi-dwelling units (MDUs) in the United States. Following our recent merger with BAI Connect, Zentro now serves over 100,000 subscribers across key markets including Chicago, Los Angeles, and Detroit.
We specialize in delivering bulk internet and managed Wi-Fi solutions purpose-built for apartment communities, high-rises, and mixed-use developments. Our fully owned network infrastructure, resident-first support model, and tailored technology stack enable us to offer a refreshingly different alternative to legacy providers-one rooted in simplicity, reliability, and satisfaction.

Role Overview
The Project Engineer is responsible for designing, standardizing, and delivering network projects that are deployable, supportable, and scalable. This role serves as the critical bridge between initial sales requirements and long-term operational stability, ensuring that every deployment is transitioned cleanly to the Network Operations Center (NOC). You enable execution by creating the blueprint for success - ensuring our network is built once, supported forever, and scaled without heroics.

Your mission is to design, standardize, and deliver network projects that are deployable, supportable, and scalable. You will be the technical bridge between Sales Engineering and Network Operations, ensuring that every new site or subscriber expansion is built to last. You aren't just "making it work" - you are creating the blueprint that ensures our network can be supported by the NOC forever and scaled without heroics.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Design & Engineering: Own the high-level and detailed designs for site topology (POP, access, backhaul), IP addressing, and VLAN schemes.
• Set the Standard: Create and maintain the "Gold Standard" for physical and logical builds-from which routers we use to how cables are labeled in the rack.
• Enable the Field: Support our installers by providing clear configuration files, Bill of Materials (BOM), and design clarifications. You aren't climbing the rooftops, but you are the brain behind the build.
• The "Clean Handoff": Ensure every project is 100% ready for the NOC. This means monitoring is active, documentation is stored, and management access is verified before you sign off.
• Risk Mitigation: Proactively identify Line of Sight (LOS), power, or capacity risks before the first piece of hardware is ordered.

Network Design & Engineering

• Ownership: High-level and detailed network designs (MDF/IDF/POP, access, backhaul).
• Tasks: Translate expansion requirements into deployable designs; validate Line of Sight (LOS), throughput, and redundancy; manage IP addressing and VLAN design.
• Deliverables: Network diagrams, IP plans, and design approval sign-offs.

Standards & Equipment Management

• Ownership: Physical and logical build standards and Bill of Materials (BOM) accuracy.
• Tasks: Define approved hardware/software (routers, radios, power, racks); enforce standards during project lifecycles; manage exceptions to prevent "snowflake" configurations.
• Deliverables: Standards documentation, approved hardware lists, and validated BOMs for procurement.

Project Execution & Engineering Support

• Ownership: Engineering readiness and "as-built" validation.
• Tasks: Ensure equipment is configured and staged; provide design clarification to field installers; resolve technical roadblocks during deployment.
• Deliverables: Configuration files, updated "as-built" diagrams, and build validation sign-offs.

NOC Readiness & Handoff

• Ownership: The engineering side of operational readiness.
• Tasks: Ensure monitoring and management access are enabled before project close; conduct formal handoff walkthroughs with the NOC team.
• Deliverables: Completed handoff checklists and task NOC acceptance sign-off.

Risk Mitigation & Continuous Improvement

• Ownership: Engineering risk visibility and scalability.
• Tasks: Identify capacity, power, and LOS risks early; review post-mortems to improve standards; recommend automation to reduce operational burden.
• Deliverables: Risk logs, design adjustments, and version-controlled standards updates.

Cross-Team Coordination
The Project Engineer acts as the primary technical liaison between:

• Sales Engineering: To clarify requirements.
• Field Ops: To support deployment and validate physical builds.

Qualifications

• Fixed Wireless: Strong understanding of RF fundamentals, Link Budgets, and wireless backhaul technologies.
• Network Depth: Proficiency in Layer 2/3 networking, specifically OSPF, Ethernet, and VLAN management.
• Tools of the Trade: Experience with GIS-based planning tools and network documentation software.
• Standards-based Documentation: A passion for eliminating "tribal knowledge" through version-controlled documentation.
• Experience: Proven experience in WISP environments or large-scale wireless networking.
• Technical Skills: Deep understanding of RF planning, routing/switching (MicroTik, Ubiquiti, Cisco, Juniper, HP etc.), and power systems.
• Systems: Proficiency in GIS tools, link budget calculators, and network documentation software.
• Attributes: Highly organized, detail-oriented, and capable of translating complex technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Certifications

• MikroTik: MTCNA/MTCRE
• Wireless Design: Ekahau Certified Solutions Engineer (ECSE) Design
• WiFi Operations/Troubleshooting: Ruckus Certified WiFi Associate (RWCA)
• Ubiquiti: UBWS/UBWA Specialist.

Our Core Tech Stack

• Hardware: [e.g., MikroTik, Ubiquiti, Siklu, Ceragon, Avait, Juniper, Ruckus, Calix]
• Design: [e.g., Ekahau, Microsoft Suite, Visio, GoogleEarth]
• Monitoring: [e.g., Zabbix, UISP]

Compensation

• Hourly pay of $25-$33/hour, depending on experience and skillset
• Health, Dental, and Vision benefits; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; and more great perks.

Schedule

• M - F, in-office at least 3 days/week

Zentro Internet is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Zentro Internet is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.