Director, Operations

Job Details Job Location: South Park Home Office – Charlotte, NC 28210 Salary Range: $130,000.00 – $150,000.00 Director of Fiber Network Operations About the Role The Director of Fiber Network Operations is responsible for the overall performance, reliability, and operational excellence of Ripple Fiber’s national fiber network infrastructure. This leadership role oversees outage management, vendor performance, contract administration, operational budgets, and cross‑functional collaboration to ensure an exceptional customer experience and network uptime. The ideal candidate is a strategic and results‑driven leader with extensive experience managing telecommunications, broadband, or utility operations at scale. They will lead regional teams, drive accountability, optimize vendor relationships, and ensure service‑level objectives are achieved across all markets. Responsibilities Provide national leadership for fiber network infrastructure operations and field service teams. Own and drive key performance metrics related to network availability, outage duration, mean time to repair (MTTR), and service restoration. Develop and implement strategies to reduce outage frequency and duration across the network. Lead incident response efforts for major service interruptions and ensure timely communication with executive leadership and stakeholders. Establish and monitor operational KPIs, service‑level agreements (SLAs), and performance standards. Manage strategic relationships with construction, maintenance, engineering, and operational vendors. Negotiate, administer, and oversee Master Service Agreements (MSAs), Statements of Work (SOWs), and vendor contracts. Ensure vendor compliance with contractual obligations, quality standards, safety requirements, and performance metrics. Conduct regular vendor performance reviews and implement corrective action plans when necessary. Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs through effective vendor partnerships. Review, approve, and manage vendor invoices, operational expenditures, and budget allocations. Ensure invoices align with contract terms, approved scopes of work, and established financial controls. Develop and manage annual operating budgets for network infrastructure maintenance and operations. Partner with Finance and Procurement teams to improve cost efficiencies and forecasting accuracy. Collaborate closely with Engineering, Construction, Network Operations Center (NOC), Customer Experience, Sales, Finance, Procurement, and Executive Leadership teams. Support network expansion initiatives, market launches, and infrastructure improvement projects. Drive alignment between departments to ensure operational objectives and customer commitments are consistently achieved. Lead cross‑functional initiatives focused on process improvement, operational excellence, and scalability. Lead, mentor, and develop a high‑performing national infrastructure organization. Foster a culture of accountability, safety, customer focus, and continuous improvement. Establish clear performance expectations and provide coaching, feedback, and professional development opportunities. Motivate employees through effective communication, recognition, and engagement initiatives. Support succession planning, workforce development, and talent acquisition strategies. Ensure compliance with company policies, industry regulations, and safety requirements. Promote a strong safety culture across all field operations and vendor partners. Oversee infrastructure maintenance standards, documentation, reporting, and audit readiness. Support risk management initiatives and business continuity planning. Experience & Qualifications Required: 10+ years of leadership experience in fiber network infrastructure, telecommunications, broadband, utility, or related industries. Proven success managing large‑scale network infrastructure operations and outage restoration efforts. Extensive experience with vendor management, contract negotiations, and MSA administration. Strong financial management experience, including budget oversight and invoice approval authority. Demonstrated ability to lead geographically dispersed teams and multi‑market operations. Excellent communication, negotiation, and executive presentation skills. Strong problem‑solving and decision‑making abilities in fast‑paced operational environments. Preferred: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Telecommunications, Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field. Experience in Fiber‑to‑the‑Home (FTTH) network deployment and operations. Knowledge of outside plant (OSP), inside plant (ISP), and network infrastructure maintenance practices. Experience with network operations centers (NOCs) and service restoration programs. Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent leadership certification. Success Metrics (KPIs) Network outage duration and MTTR performance. Network availability and uptime metrics. Vendor SLA and contract compliance performance. Infrastructure maintenance quality and operational efficiency. Budget adherence and cost optimization. Invoice processing accuracy and financial stewardship. Employee engagement, retention, and development. Customer‑impact reduction and service restoration effectiveness. Benefits We offer competitive pay, comprehensive health benefits, 401(k) with company match, and a supportive work environment where innovation and teamwork thrive. Please note this role requires up to 30% travel. Equal Opportunity Employer Ripple Fiber is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that no one should be discriminated against because of their differences, such as age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, religion, or sexual orientation. All employment decisions shall be made without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other basis as protected by federal, state, or local law. Ripple Fiber is committed to providing veteran employment opportunities to our service men and women. #J-18808-Ljbffr