President, NRTC Broadband Solutions 

NRTC is Member Driven and Technology Focused – providing solutions that help our 1,500 electric and telephone members bring all the advantages of today’s evolving technology to rural America. NRTC’s solutions are developed specifically to meet the needs of rural utilities and their customers, and include integrated broadband, managed services, smart grid, mobile and video solutions. We are a dynamic, growing cooperative with more than 800 employees operating out of eight office locations.     

NRTC Broadband is expecting considerable growth in the next several years, as funding opportunities become more widely available. In addition, we forecast a continuing emphasis on SmartGrid applications over broadband networks, as grants and funding become available for the electric network as well.  We are therefore  looking for a seasoned leader to fill the position of President for our Broadband Solutions division. The ideal candidate must demonstrate strong business acumen, good relationship building,  high integrity, and a commitment to our rural utility members. A proven track record as a results-driven innovative problem solver with vision and strategic direction is expected. Extensive experience as a senior-level leader in the cooperative space is required;  experience overseeing the deployment of broadband services is strongly preferred. 

In short, you are the leader of a cooperative who has deployed broadband successfully, and now, you’d like to take your skills and experience and lead dozens of your fellow cooperatives to the same place! 

We expect the President of Broadband Solutions will lead the next phase of this  growth, and will help our members capitalize on the opportunities ahead of them. Critical to success is an individual who can ensure financial and operational efficiency, drive organizational execution, and provide solid  leadership to our employees. The President, Broadband Solutions will serve as a key representative of NRTC, including building strong relationships with key stakeholders and leaders across our industry, demonstrating an active commitment to our mission and striving to incorporate our values in all aspects of daily work. The President, Broadband Solutions will become a member of the NRTC Executive Leadership Team, and will report directly to the CEO of NRTC.  

JOB SUMMARY 

The President, Broadband Solutions will provide overall strategic and day to day direction to the Broadband Solutions team for NRTC.  The position directly manages several professional services teams who engage with NRTC electric and telecom member customers. These members include existing broadband network operators and those new market entrants who wish to build, operate, and manage both greenfield and brownfield broadband networks to serve their members and communities.  

Led by the President, these teams provide various levels of contracted professional services, including technical consulting and design assistance and support through the lifecycle of Layer 1, 2, 3 network construction, integration and operation, and ongoing support including providing technical and consultative support of double, triple, and in some cases, quad play ISP services to their customers. 

Additionally, the position directs the day-to-day execution of contracted SOWs and assigned network tasks and deliverables relating to the quality, accuracy, and timeliness of these deliverables within the scope and budgetary requirements of the customer contract. These projects include all elements of designing, building, and managing fiber to the home and fixed wireless broadband networks.  

The President, Broadband Solutions provides overall executive level guidance to the broadband organization, is a critical member of the executive leadership team at NRTC, is expected to be able to represent NRTC with the Board of Directors, with cooperative affiliate organizations and regional and national meetings and with key industry vendors, representatives, and partners.  Externally and within the broader Broadband communities, this position is a key Subject Matter Expert helping to shape industry policy and development programs related to rural broadband deployment. 

MAJOR AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY 

• Sales Support, Business Development, Feasibility Assessment and Solutions Development 
  • Responsible for managing and supporting the teams acquiring and supporting new customers, solutions design, and sales support and account management to drive broadband revenue growth. 

• • Direct team responsible for delivering feasibility analysis and reports including collecting information necessary to develop comprehensive feasibility assessments for member customers 

• Network Design, Engineering and Construction 

• • Responsible for broadband engineering services teams responsible for designing backbone and xTTH networks (including both fiber and fixed wireless) as well as optical networking and ISP solution architecture (internet, voice, video) including all Design, Engineering, GIS, and Deployment Engineering Teams.  

• • Manage the construction of customer broadband networks including overseeing the functions responsible for project and program management, all outside plant functions, vendor and sub-contractor management, equipment purchase and delivery, and other functions necessary to insure the successful delivery of the customer network according to the agreed delivery plan. 

• Funding, Back Office, and Go to Market support services 

• • Direct resources responsible for providing consulting and advisory services to help members secure grant and loan funding for projects, prepare for integrating systems needed to operate the networks, and to assist in tools and programs to help member customers acquire and keep customers. 

• P&L Management 

• • Responsible for setting and attaining financial targets and budgets including revenue, gross margin and EBITDA as well as all key operational metrics such as delivery, operational, and quality metrics as needed for the broadband business to meet customer member needs. 

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE 

• P&L Planning and Management 
• Business Development and Sales Support 
• Team Management, Recruitment, and Communication  
• Program/Solutions Development and Management 
• Operations Support 
• Vendor/Partner Development and Management 

JOB REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE 

• Strong Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills 
• Proven ability to lead and manage a distributed organization of both technical and non-technical, project management, and sales support teams to achieve key goals. 
• Able to effectively handle multiple priorities with a strong attention to detail in a fast-paced environment. 
• Very strong interpersonal, organizational, oral and written communications skills including giving presentations in front of small and large groups of people. 
• Significant travel to visit key customers, represent NRTC’s broadband capabilities at national and regional meetings, and as needed for vendor and partner discussions 
• Proven ability to lead from a strategic manner but also to drill down and understand the details 
• Proven ability to mentor and build a team in a positive manner 
• Must have exceptional attention to detail 

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE  

• Bachelor’s degree preferable in business, engineering or related field, MBA a plus  
• 10+ years of progressive experience related to managing Broadband Service Provider Development, Deployment, ISP Operations and/or Technology development 
• 10+ years of progressive leadership in a cooperative environment with at least 5 years of oversight of a key operating area within the cooperative
• Expertise in or in overseeing the Planning, Engineering, and/or Implementation of complex network or similar technology deployments  
• Experience Coaching, Mentoring and Leading business and technical teams, especially those that are in multiple locations 
• Proven Organizational Integration and Management Experience