Broadband Technical Assistance Provider BTAP

Position: Broadband Technical Assistance Provider

Immediate Supervisor: Area Director for Broadband

Mission Focus: Community Sustainability

Classification: FLSA Exempt

The Broadband Technical Assistance Provider position assists communities with broadband planning, understanding their broadband needs, addressing challenges, and facilitating solutions. The BTAP will work in communities across CU’s seven state footprint (TX, OK, AR, LA, MS, AL, TN) with broadband education, broadband planning, digital equity, and digital literacy initiatives to help communities be better broadband advocates for themselves and address their high-speed-internet connectivity, access, adoption, and use gaps. This position requires extensive travel to work with targeted communities across the region, as well as attendance at training and industry events.

Position Requirements

To satisfy the basic requirements for the position, applicants must meet all requirements of Option A or all requirements of Option B

OPTION A: Bachelor’s degree in business administration, computer science, information technology, public administration, community development, or a related field. Or any equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties.

OPTION B: A minimum of 6-years-experience working in community development or community organizing activities with demonstrated mastery-level skills in broadband related operations that resulted in achievement of goals within projected timeline.

Must have a valid driver's license and reliable personal vehicle for travel to project communities and in-state / in-region meetings with CU staff, collaborating partners, stakeholder organizations, and events. Must be willing to travel extensively, including overnight, throughout the service area, by personal car, rental car, or flight – depending on the demands of the situation.

Additional Position Requirements

• Experience that demonstrates working knowledge of one or more of these capacities: community or economic development planning, broadband planning, digital literacy, digital equity, telecommunications, internet service providing, information technology, network design, community organizing, state or federal government grants administration or policy analysis, rural economic development, business management, project management, finance, lending; and have the willingness to learn about all of the above.

• Experience that demonstrates a working knowledge of challenges faced by rural communities in CU’s geographic service area.

• Experience writing successful federal / state grant applications, and federal / state grant reporting is preferred.

• Strong preference for experience collaborating with a wide variety of stakeholders.

• Must be located or willing to relocate to CU’s 7 state service area.

• Computer literacy and effective keyboarding skills (Windows/Microsoft) are required.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) is required.

• Experience with video conferencing tools (e.g. Skype, ZOOM, Google Meets, TEAMs) and Microsoft 365 (SharePoint, TEAMs) are a plus.

• Valid driver’s license is required¸ reliable personal vehicle, and maintain at least the state minimum personal automotive liability insurance for job related travel.

• Must be authorized to work in the USA.

Successful Broadband Technical Assistance Providers have the:

• Ability to build effective professional relationships with a diverse audience.
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision to accomplish goals.
• Ability to manage competing timelines and project deliverables while maintaining effective communication with team members and clients.
• Ability to think creatively and prioritize problem-solving.

Summary of Essential Job Duties

1. Digital Equity. Based on project and community objectives, job duties could include:

• Offer basic broadband education presentations, in-person or virtually, to elected officials, community stakeholders, and interested community members.
• Offer basic digital literacy education and train-the-trainer presentations, in-person or virtually, to community members and community organizations.
• Partner with local organizations to develop digital skilling training programs.
• Research community needs and barriers; report findings to help form a community Broadband Plan.
• Partner with workforce development centers for digital literacy efforts, and to advocate for broadband industry job training.
• Support public schools in their digital literacy efforts, such as in-school or after school STEM and coding curriculum, cyber security, advanced digital skills, coding camps, and advocate for broadband industry job training and apprenticeships.
• Assist community organizations and programs to provide affordable access to high-speed-internet services and devices.
• Ensure community digital equity programs sustainability by engaging local partners to integrate internet adoption and inclusion programs into their regular programming.
• Identify Community Anchor Institutions or Community Organizations that have, or need to have, computer centers to provide free Public Wi-Fi and access to devices for community members without internet at home. Identify locations where donated computers for free Public Internet Access would most benefit the community.
• Develop a refurbished device distribution drive across the community, and/or promote programs or outlets for discounted devices within the community.
• Participate in outreach efforts to promote the American Connectivity Program (ACP), and other internet subsidy programs to assist low-income residents.

2. Broadband Planning. Based on project and community objectives, job duties could include:

• Establish and lead an active and effective local broadband steering committee of diverse community stakeholders and maintain regular meetings. Ensure planning progress by maintaining contact with members, setting reasonable goals, and helping community team achieve them.
• Help create a Community Broadband Asset Map to identify community assets that could be useful in broadband deployment or incentivizing.
• Research state and federal broadband maps to understand community’s eligibility for funding, local actors, and to identify past and future deployment allocations.
• Deploy a speed-mapping program to identify internet speeds in the area.
• Facilitate introductions and discussions with community stakeholders and local area internet service providers in order to understand key challenges and opportunities to increase access across the community and encourage partnerships.
• Educate the community on the importance of broadband and specific opportunities that could come to their community with greater broadband expansion.
• Research possible infrastructure options and offer recommendations, explaining pros and cons of different technologies and approaches. Explain municipal networks, public private partnerships, public versus private financing.
• Collaborate with state and federal program staff on education events and to offer information and resources to communities.
• Attend industry conferences, to maintain industry knowledge and contacts.
• Keep community broadband team updated on broadband policy and funding news through regular, virtual or in-person, education presentations, email newsletters, social media or online resource sharing, and telephone calls; provide weekly updates to supervisors and keep accurate records to track progress for program reporting; capture community stories and progress, for public relations, grants applications and reporting.
• Finalize a written report of recommendations based on community’s unique situation and goals to be included in a community Broadband Plan.

Tools Used in Job

Proficient use of computer, internet, smart phone, web-based databases for data-entry, Microsoft Office suite including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint is required. Use of additional software for project related activities may be required.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described above are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.