Network Specialist - Route Acquisition

Overview

At TDS Telecom, connecting people is at the heart of everything we do. We are forward thinkers who leverage cutting-edge fiber internet technology to strengthen communities. We are dedicated to excellence, which drives us to succeed together, creating a better world through meaningful connections. Ready to make an impact?

 

In this position as a Network Specialist - Route Acquisition, you will be responsible for completing tasks related to securing and maintaining the legal rights of occupancy and use of real property/ land and for facility colocation (joint trench, conduits, pole attachments, etc.), for the placement of TDS facilities and equipment in advance of construction. Tasks include preparing and securing permits (ex. Utility Pole Attachments, Railroad Crossings, Federal, State, County, and Local), easements, rights of entry, and leases pursuant to requirements of law and TDS policy. In this position, you will regularly interface (via email, phone and in person) with internal teams/departments and externally with contractors, customers, property owners, government permit authorities, utilities and railroads.  

 

This position has the ability to work remotely in any of the States in which TDS Telecom operates. 

 

This position can be hired at either a Network Specialist – Route Acquisition (2025-28005) or Network Specialist I – Route Acquisition (2025-28006) level depending on the skills and qualifications of the candidate. Different job postings exist for each of these positions. Please reference each job posting for the minimum qualifications required and submit an application for each level that you are both interested in and qualified for.

Responsibilities

• Permits (research requirements, communicate with permit authorities, attend meetings, occasional field work and travel, scope/ estimate work, create tasks, work with professional service vendors to obtain data and studies, prepare applications, negotiate and submit fees, expedite and secure rights ahead of construction, update and closeout records, GIS databases and maps, care for annul requirements, payments, bonds, insurance, reporting, etc.).
• Easements & Right of Entry Agreements (research local requirements,  scope/estimate work, ensure compliance with law and policy, negotiate with private property owner(s), obtain survey and legal description, prepare document, secure signatures, notary, ensure payment, public recording, update records, GIS databases and maps.)
• Lease work (assist with negotiation, alerts, payments, W9 issues, location issues, ownership changes, records research, phone calls, document preparation, etc.)
• Any other responsibilities, duties or tasks as assigned in support of achieving goals and objectives.
• Assist with Special Projects and Initiatives (committees, mandates, programs, customer driven and success based projects and needs).
• Assist with Operations (vendor and risk management, metrics, reports, scheduling, communications, research, customer service)

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Associate degree (or higher) –OR- 2+ years professional work experience.
• 2+ years experience in Voice, Data, or Video networking -OR- 6+ months TDS Telecom technical internship experience.

Other Qualifications

• Technical knowledge of Real Estate Law, Land Surveying, Project Management, GIS, Telecommunications, Engineering, Construction, and other fields is desirable.
• The independent ability to quickly learn and comprehend a wide variety of complex work, responsibilities, assignments, customer requests, inquiries, notices, alerts, issues, project documents, details, standards, plans and maps and review them for completeness, risks, policy compliance and to help determine/ estimate the scope of work, timelines and costs for tasks and the best practices required for their successful completion.
• The ability to own/ care for/ be accountable to successfully create, organize, schedule, resource, track, update, report, communicate status, expedite, overcome obstacles/ issues, complete, closeout records and report metrics for multiple tasks simultaneously within expectations of cost, time, quality, etc. while working independently and/or with others on a daily and ongoing basis to meet performance and productivity expectations.
• The ability to comprehend and help ensure that larger team and organizational goals and initiatives are successful through a sense of importance and urgency surrounding task throughput, efficient utilization of time, effective communication and prioritization of tasks, assignments and responsibilitie