Outside Plant Construction Technician II

Join Our Team as an Outside Plant Construction Technician II in Appleton, WI!

Ready to roll up your sleeves and bring cutting-edge fiber technology to life? As our Outside Plant Construction Technician II, you'll be at the heart of building and maintaining our state-of-the-art PON/fiber network.

From installing buried and aerial fiber facilities to mastering construction equipment like trenchers, backhoes, end loaders, and plows, you'll make a real impact every day. You'll also install, test, troubleshoot, and repair fiber facilities to keep our customers connected. If you love working with your hands, being outdoors, and making a difference in your community, this is the role for you!

This position is eligible for a $1,000 sign-on bonus! (Payout terms apply)

Schedule:

This is a full-time, 40-hour-per-week role with a *flexible schedule.

*Please note that the schedule may vary depending on the specific market.

Compensation:

The pay for this position ranges from *$25.13 to $37.69 per hour.

*This range reflects the minimum and maximum base compensation for the role. The actual offer amount will carefully consider multiple factors, such as relevant skills, qualifications, work experience, location and/or competencies that align with the specified role. Certain positions are eligible for additional forms of compensation such as bonuses and equity awards.

Why Join Us?

As a member of our Construction and Service Enablement team at TDS, you'll play a critical role in building and maintaining cutting-edge fiber optic networks that connect communities nationwide. With over 50 years of experience, TDS is a leader in fiber internet innovation, delivering up to 10 Gigabit speeds to homes and businesses. Join our team and be part of a collaborative environment where your skills in construction, safety, and technology will directly impact the future of connectivity in urban, suburban, and rural areas.

What We're Looking For:

Self-Motivated: You're driven, ambitious, and always looking for ways to improve.
• Attention to Detail: You are committed to following safety protocols, and you take pride in precision, ensuring every measurement and assembly is accurate.
• Teamwork and Communication: You have strong communication skills and thrive in collaborative environments.
• Technical Proficiency: You have a solid understanding of telecommunication systems and equipment operation.

What You'll Do:

Perform general construction and maintenance of aerial and buried fiber facilities, ensuring compliance with maps, staking sheets, and safety standards.

• Operate and maintain construction equipment, including excavation tools, to build and repair outside plant fiber networks.
• Install, splice, test, troubleshoot, and repair fiber optic facilities using specialized equipment.
• Conduct cable fault acceptance tests, locate defective fiber, and resolve issues efficiently.
• Update GIS, maps, and as-builts; set and label infrastructure like peds, vaults, and handholes.
• Restore worksites to original condition upon project completion.
• Train and mentor team members as needed and maintain construction equipment.
• Provide support to field service technicians and complete required documentation promptly.

The functions listed above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by associates assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities; other duties may be assigned.

Required Qualifications

• 1+ years of construction equipment operation utilizing various underground and aerial construction equipment such as directional drills, trencher/plow/rocksaw, backhoe, or bucket trucks -OR- current military service, or prior military service with honorable discharge.
• Must follow the TDS attendance guidelines in order to meet TDS's business needs including but not limited to our obligations to our customers and to our customers' needs.
• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license and remain eligible for DOT requirements.

Other Qualifications

• Ability to obtain a Class A CDL (current CDL preferred; training and certification provided if eligible).
• Ability to operate manual transmission vehicles.
• Successful completion of safety training and customer-specific requirements, including potential background checks.
• Physically capable of climbing, kneeling, digging, lifting, and pulling as needed for the role.
• Preferred: 1+ years of experience in fiber optic construction or utility installation.
• Familiarity with telecommunications products and services.
• Strong organizational and multitasking skills.
• Willingness to travel, work overtime, and adapt to various shifts as needed.

Do you meet all of the Required Qualifications, but aren't sure if your experience meets the Other Qualifications? We encourage you to apply! Research shows that some candidates may not apply for jobs unless they feel they meet 100% of the qualifications, when, in fact, they have the skills and experience to be successful in the role! Experience and skills come in many different forms and may not always look identical to what we have on paper, but still lead to success in the role. If you meet the Required Qualifications and believe you have what it takes to be successful in the position, apply today!

Training

As an Outside Plant Construction Technician II, you will have the opportunity to obtain a Class A CDL through our in-house training program. You will attend safety training at one of our new facilities where you will also be trained on Pole Climbing and Bucket Trucks. On-the-job training includes exposure to various construction equipment including Directional Drill Rigs, Mini Excavators, Trenchers, and Locators. Fiber optic training includes Fusion Splicing, Fault Detection, and exposure to OTDRs and other advanced testing equipment.

The duration of training varies based on the team assignment. Training for underground teams is 3 weeks, with an additional 1 week required for aerial training. Depending on factors such as market needs, prior skills, and team size, some individuals may only complete underground training, while others may undergo the full 4-week program, including aerial training.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

This role requires frequent standing, walking, kneeling, climbing, and handling equipment, with the ability to lift/move up to 50 pounds regularly and over 100 pounds occasionally. Vision requirements include close, distance, color, peripheral, depth perception, and focus.

Work conditions often include exposure to outdoor weather, attics, crawl spaces, high-risk areas (e.g., high voltage, trenches, manholes), and mechanical equipment. Occasional exposure to extreme temperatures, humidity, fumes, and loud noise is expected.

Benefits

Associates scheduled to work 20 or more hours per week have access to medical, dental, vision, life insurance, a 401(k) plan, and paid time off benefits such as vacation (15 days accrued per year for full-time; pro-rated for part-time associates working between 20-39 hours), sick leave (10 days accrued per year for full-time and pro-rated for all other associates), seven paid national holidays and one floating holiday, paid parental leave (2 weeks after 12 months of employment), among others. Short Term Disability and Long Term Disability coverage is also available for associates working 30 or more hours per week and Education Assistance is available to full-time associates. Associates scheduled to work under twenty hours per week or for a limited term (i.e. interns) are eligible for medical coverage, the 401(k) plan (if 18 or older), as well as sick leave (10 days accrued per year for full-time and pro-rated for all other associates).

At TDS, we embrace Equal Employment Opportunity by valuing our differences and consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by law.

TDS Telecommunications LLC (TDS Telecom/TDS) delivers high-speed internet, TV entertainment, and phone services to a mix of rural and suburban communities throughout the U.S. With 1.2 million connections, TDS is a rapidly growing technology company. Powered by fiber-optics and new industry-leading technologies, TDS delivers up to 8 Gigabit internet speeds and offers internet-protocol based TV entertainment solutions along with traditional phone services. TDS also offers businesses VoIP advanced communications solutions, dedicated internet service, data networking, and hosted-managed services. Visit tdstelecom.com.