Director Network Engineering Jobs in Chicago, IL

Job Summary:

The Senior Director of Network Engineering provides executive leadership and strategic direction for i3 Broadband's Network Engineering organization. This role is responsible for developing and executing the Company's network architecture, technology roadmap, engineering standards, capacity planning strategies, and long-term infrastructure investments. The Senior Director serves as the senior engineering authority for the broadband network and plays a key role in supporting corporate growth, innovation, operational excellence, and technology transformation initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership & Organizational Development

• Provide strategic leadership, direction, and accountability for the Network Engineering organization, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, technical excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Develop and execute the engineering vision, objectives, and performance measures supporting the Company's business and technology strategies.
• Lead workforce planning, succession planning, talent development, and organizational design initiatives.
• Build and maintain a high-performing engineering organization capable of supporting rapid growth and technology evolution.
• Establish engineering governance, accountability standards, and performance expectations across all engineering disciplines.

Network Architecture & Technology Strategy

• Own the enterprise network architecture and long-term technology roadmap for broadband, transport, backbone, and supporting network infrastructure.
• Define engineering standards, design principles, and technical requirements that drive network consistency, scalability, resiliency, and operational efficiency.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends to support future service offerings and business growth.
• Lead strategic planning for network modernization, technology migration initiatives, and infrastructure investment programs.
• Ensure network architecture supports operational objectives, customer experience goals, and long-range growth plans.

Engineering & Capacity Planning

• Direct all network engineering activities, including network design, capacity planning, performance optimization, and infrastructure lifecycle management.
• Establish forecasting models and capacity planning processes to support subscriber growth and evolving bandwidth demands.
• Monitor network performance trends and recommend engineering improvements to maintain service quality and network reliability.
• Partner with Operations and NOC leadership to proactively identify risks and implement long-term solutions that improve network performance and resiliency.
• Establish engineering KPIs and reporting related to capacity utilization, scalability, availability, and network performance.

Capital Planning & Project Delivery

• Provide engineering leadership for network expansion initiatives, infrastructure upgrades, and strategic capital projects.
• Develop business cases and technical recommendations supporting capital investments.
• Review and approve network designs, engineering specifications, and major infrastructure initiatives.
• Ensure engineering deliverables are executed on time, within budget, and in accordance with established standards.
• Support market expansion, acquisition integration, and new service deployment initiatives.

Vendor & Technology Management

• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with equipment manufacturers, technology partners, consultants, and service providers.
• Evaluate vendor solutions and recommend technology investments that align with business objectives and network strategies.
• Participate in vendor selection, contract negotiations, and technology lifecycle planning.
• Oversee hardware refresh programs, software upgrades, and network modernization initiatives.
• Ensure vendors meet performance, quality, and business expectations.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Establish engineering policies, standards, and governance frameworks.
• Ensure network designs and engineering practices comply with applicable regulatory, safety, and industry requirements.
• Identify and mitigate technology risks affecting network performance, availability, and scalability.
• Support business continuity, disaster recovery, and network resiliency planning efforts.
• Participate in root-cause analysis and corrective action planning for significant service-impacting incidents.

Financial Leadership

• Develop and manage engineering operating and capital budgets.
• Support long-range infrastructure investment planning and financial forecasting.
• Evaluate project ROI, business cases, and investment priorities.
• Optimize engineering resources and expenditures while maintaining performance and reliability objectives.
• Provide executive leadership with regular reporting on engineering initiatives, capital programs, and technology investments.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with the Director of Field Network Operations to ensure successful operationalization of network designs and infrastructure deployments.
• Collaborate with Construction teams to establish deployment standards and engineering requirements.
• Work closely with NOC leadership to improve network monitoring, operational readiness, and service reliability.
• Partner with Product, Customer Operations, and IT teams to support new services and enhance customer experience.
• Provide technical leadership and strategic recommendations to the CTO and Executive Leadership Team.

Qualifications:

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Telecommunications, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or related field preferred; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Master's degree preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive telecommunications, broadband, fiber-optic, or network engineering experience.
• 8+ years of leadership experience managing engineering teams, managers, and technical organizations.
• Demonstrated experience developing network architecture and technology roadmaps for broadband service providers.
• Extensive experience with fiber-optic networks, PON technologies, transport networks, IP networking, and broadband service delivery.
• Proven experience leading large-scale infrastructure projects, network modernization initiatives, and capacity planning programs.

Skills & Competencies

• Proven executive leadership and organizational management capabilities.
• Deep expertise in broadband network architecture, engineering, and technology strategy.
• Strong financial, business, and capital planning acumen.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong analytical, decision-making, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and lead across departments and organizational levels.
• Experience managing engineering performance through KPIs, metrics, and executive dashboards.
• Strong risk management, business continuity, and resiliency planning capabilities.
• Ability to balance strategic planning with operational execution in a fast-paced growth environment.

Working Conditions:

i3 Broadband is an equal-opportunity workplace that respects the diversity of our customer base and our team. We will treat customers, employees, and applicants fairly without regard for gender, race, age, or any other characteristics protected by law. Our employment decisions are made based on qualifications, merit, and business need.