Planning & Design Engineer
Location: Houston, TX 77040
Schedule: 4 Days Onsite 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Duration: 6 months
Domain: Telecommunications / Telecom Engineering/ OSP Planning and Design
Pay Rate: $36/hr on w2
Application Deadline: 08/31/2026
Employment Type: Contract
Position Summary
We are seeking an experienced Planning & Design Engineer with advanced fiber and telecommunications knowledge to support network planning, design, serviceability reviews, routing requests, and survey deliverables.
This is not an entry-level opportunity. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience with fiber planning and design and be comfortable interpreting plats, public utility easements, deeds, property records, and other land/utility documentation. Candidates should also be able to research county assessor and property-record websites to validate easements, ownership information, plats, and related documentation.
The role requires strong technical judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple engineering and survey-related activities while meeting established SLA targets.
Key Responsibilities
- Own and resolve serviceability reviews, P2P routing requests, and survey deliverables within established SLA requirements.
- Perform and support planning and design activities for fiber and telecommunications networks.
- Read and interpret plats, public utility easements, deeds, property records, maps, and engineering documentation.
- Research county assessor and property-record websites to locate and validate deeds, plats, easements, and other relevant property information.
- Support survey-related activities across Residential, Commercial, SMB, Fiber, Metro Ethernet, Cell Backhaul, Managed Wave, Dark Fiber, Coax, and sales-driven requests.
- Apply knowledge of fiber design, fiber muxing standards, fiber documentation, cable routing, and network architecture to engineering decisions.
- Review and interpret maps, schematics, network drawings, and other technical documentation.
- Support walkout management, Right of Entry (ROE) requests, quality control, reporting, and operational task management.
- Utilize current engineering, mapping, workflow, and reporting tools to manage workload and maintain SLA compliance.
- Clear Swivel tasks and Design Inbox items by the end of each business day unless otherwise communicated.
- Provide clear engineering documentation, technical updates, recommendations, and resolution details to internal and external stakeholders.
- Partner with business teams to provide technical guidance, feedback, and solutions.
- Participate in weekly business-partner meetings to review performance, opportunities, training needs, processes, and business requirements.
- Attend team huddles, business updates, and required training sessions.
Required Qualifications
- Prior experience in telecommunications planning and design, preferably with significant fiber exposure.
- Advanced understanding of fiber network design and documentation.
- Experience reading and interpreting:
- Property plats
- Public utility easements
- Deeds
- Maps and schematics
- Engineering
etwork drawings - Ability to research county assessor/property-record websites to identify deeds, plats, easements, and property information.
- Strong knowledge of cable routing and easement identification.
- Understanding of fiber muxing standards and fiber network architecture.
- Experience supporting surveys, serviceability reviews, routing requests, or similar telecommunications engineering activities.
- Strong technical documentation and communication skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet established SLA and quality requirements.
- Ability to work onsite in the Houston office 4 days per week.
- Availability to work 6:00 AM – 3:00 PM CST.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with support structure design and related engineering tools/applications.
- Background in OSP/fiber network engineering or telecommunications infrastructure.
- Experience with Metro Ethernet, Cell Backhaul, Managed Wave, Dark Fiber, and/or Coax networks.
- Experience with Right of Entry processes and easement research.
- Strong map-reading and schematic interpretation skills.
- Experience with telecom survey, walkout, or construction-support activities.
- Familiarity with network planning, GIS/mapping, workflow, and reporting applications.
Performance & Development Expectations
- Take ownership of assigned engineering work and proactively resolve issues that could affect SLA, quality, or delivery.
- Identify technical knowledge gaps, training needs, and process challenges.
- Track progress against individual goals and performance expectations.
- Communicate obstacles and development needs to management in a timely manner.
- Continuously expand technical knowledge, business understanding, and operational expertise.
- Apply feedback and lessons learned to improve engineering quality, efficiency, and decision-making.
- Proactively identify solutions and remove barriers before they impact project or operational performance.
EEOC Compliance
We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.
DISCLAIMER
AI Usage Policy: Pacer Group uses AI to assist in screening applications. Final hiring decisions are made by human recruiters based on qualifications and experience.