AI Connect Outside Plant Associate Director

When you join Verizon

You want more out of a career. A place to share your ideas freely — even if they’re daring or different. Where the true you can learn, grow, and thrive. At Verizon, we power and empower how people live, work and play by connecting them to what brings them joy. We do what we love — driving innovation, creativity, and impact in the world. Our V Team is a community of people who anticipate, lead, and believe that listening is where learning begins. In crisis and in celebration, we come together — lifting our communities and building trust in how we show up, everywhere & always. Want in? Join the #VTeamLife.

What you’ll be doing…

Verizon is investing aggressively in its network to redefine how the world connects. Under the AI Connect initiative, we are accelerating the buildout of high-capacity, low-latency fiber transport networks that power next-generation artificial intelligence workloads and hyperscale connectivity. As the Associate Director of Outside Plant, you will lead a high-performing team of Engineers and Project Managers responsible for the design, engineering, and deployment of fiber optic infrastructure across Ultra Long Haul (ULH) corridors and major metropolitan markets. You will directly oversee In-Line Amplifier (ILA) site preparation and construction efforts to ensure seamless ULH network continuity. Beyond traditional deployment oversight, you will serve as a change agent championing process innovation, integrating AI/ML workflows, and introducing intelligent automation into engineering design, route selection, and permitting to drastically compress build cycles, reduce costs, and scale our network footprint faster than ever before.

• Identifying bottlenecks across the end-to-end OSP lifecycle (engineering design, permitting, and construction) and implementing AI/ML tools, computer vision, and predictive analytics to automate repetitive tasks and accelerate route delivery.
• Providing technical direction and executive oversight for large-scale fiber optic infrastructure programs across ULH and Metro markets, ensuring builds align with AI Connect capacity requirements, strict budgets, and aggressive build timelines.
• Reviewing high level designs and identifying challenged areas from any component of the OSP build lifecycle and coming up with alternative routes as needed to streamline the build process.
• Interfacing with senior leadership, Fiber Planning, ILA Site Acquisition teams, permitting teams, Sourcing and the OSP Vendor ecosystem to translate route demands into repeatable deployment workflows.
• Collaborating with external engineering firms, general contractors, and material suppliers to enforce aggressive execution standards, milestone tracking, and eliminate delivery friction.
• Leveraging predictive risk analytics and tactical forecasting to foresee permitting obstacles, supply chain constraints, or field delays, proactively executing mitigation plans to maintain and stay ahead of ULH deployment schedules.
• Synthesizing complex deployment metrics, technological roadmaps, and process improvement ROI for executive updates and cross-organizational governance teams.

This role can be located in any US based Verizon hub location.

What we’re looking for…

You'll need to have:

• Bachelor’s degree or four or more years of work experience.
• Eight or more years of relevant experience required, demonstrated through one or a combination of work and/or military experience, or specialized training.
• Experience across Outside Plant (OSP) engineering, telecom network deployment, or infrastructure project management.
• Proven track record of evaluating operational workflows, identifying inefficiencies, and designing or deploying process improvements, digital transformation initiatives, or workflow automation.
• Experience managing multi-disciplinary engineering and project management teams in high-growth, deadline-driven environments.
• Willingness to travel up to approximately 25% of the time as the needs of the business dictate.
• Willingness to be on-call after hours and on weekends.

Even better if you have one or more of the following:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in engineering, Computer Science, Data Analytics, or Business Management.
• Direct experience integrating AI, machine learning, computer vision, or automated GIS workflows into civil infrastructure, utility routing, or fiber network design.
• Working knowledge of modern OSP design platforms, intelligent permitting software, and spatial data analytics tools.
• Six or more years of direct people leadership experience with a focus on talent development, agile execution, and change management.
• Comprehensive knowledge of next-generation optical transmission technologies, ultra-high-count fiber architectures, dark fiber acquisition, and municipality permitting processes.
• Certifications in Lean Six Sigma, Agile/Scrum, or Project Management (PMP).
  

If Verizon and this role sound like a fit for you, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every “even better” qualification listed above.

Scheduled Weekly Hours

Equal Employment Opportunity

Verizon is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to veteran status, disability or other legally protected characteristics.

Benefits and Compensation

Our benefits are designed to help you move forward in your career, and in areas of your life outside of Verizon. From health and wellness benefit options including: medical, dental, vision, short and long term disability, basic life insurance, supplemental life insurance, AD&D insurance, identity theft protection, pet insurance and group home & auto insurance. We also offer a matched 401(k) savings plan, up to 8 company paid holidays per year and up to 6 personal days per year, paid parental leave, adoption assistance and tuition assistance, plus other incentives, we’ve got you covered with our award-winning total rewards package. Depending on the role, employees have the opportunity to receive compensation in the form of premium pay such as overtime, shift differential, holiday pay, allowances, etc. Newly hired employees receive up to 15 days of vacation per year, which grows with additional service. For part-timers, your coverage will vary as you may be eligible for some of these benefits depending on your individual circumstances.

About Us

You want more out of a career. A place to share your ideas freely — even if they’re daring or different. Where you can learn, grow, and thrive. At Verizon, we power and empower how people live, work and play by connecting them to what brings them joy. We do what we love — driving innovation, creativity, and impact in the world. Our V Team is a community of people who anticipate, lead, and believe that listening is where learning begins. In crisis and in celebration, we come together — lifting our communities and building trust in how we show up, everywhere & always. Welcome to the V Team Life.