Director of Network Operations

Must be authorized to work in USA: No sponsorship now or in the futureEmployment Type: Direct HireTitle: Director of Network OperationsLocation: Either Collinston, LA or Monroe, LAOnsite: 100% onsite We're not a big telco where you'll manage a slice of someone else's vision. You'll have a seat at the leadership table of a company that has served Louisiana communities since 1948 and is actively expanding across a multi-state footprint. You'll make decisions that matter — and see them executed quickly.Family-owned and financially stable — no quarterly earnings pressure, no revolving-door leadershipFiber-first infrastructure: multi-gig Calix FTTX platform deployed since 2010, with aggressive expansion underwayNimble organization: proposals become projects fast — bureaucracy won't slow you downStrategic growth mode: active pursuit of grants, acquisitions, and partnerships across northeast Louisiana and beyondMarkets served today: Monroe, West Monroe, Shreveport, Collinston, Mer Rouge, Bonita, Jones, Bastrop — and growingThis is a senior leadership role — not a hands-on-keyboard network engineer position. You will own the technology roadmap, lead the IT organization, and serve as a key voice in shaping where this company goes next. You'll report directly to executive leadership and have meaningful P&L exposure.Lead, hire, and develop the IT team supporting broadband, voice, managed IT, and OSP operationsDrive long-range technology planning: platform modernization, capacity, redundancy, and security postureOwn vendor strategy and contract negotiations across network, telecom, and managed services platformsServe as internal and external technical authority — pre-sales engineering, enterprise customer relationships, and solution designPartner with operations and finance to align capital planning with network growth and service commitmentsEnsure operational resilience: monitoring, incident management, change management, and disaster recoveryWhat You BringWe're looking for a well-rounded operator with deep ISP/telecom roots and the leadership credibility to grow a team and influence strategy. Specifics matter less than having seen these environments from the inside.Network & Broadband OperationsFTTH/FTTX architecture and operations — Calix E7 platform experience is a strong plusISP capacity planning: backbone circuits, redundancy, peering, and last-mile scalingCisco routing and switching at a production ISP scaleTelecom & VoiceVoIP operations and architecture — Metaswitch experience highly desiredTDM/SS7 working knowledge; Hosted PBX exposure helpfulIT Infrastructure & SecurityVirtualization, Windows Server, Linux, and open-source stack (BIND, DHCP, Apache, Asterisk)Network security fundamentals: SIEM, IDS/IPS, firewall management, endpoint protectionDatabase administration, backup/restore, and DR planningLeadership & Business AcumenProven track record managing technical teams in a telecom or ISP environmentAbility to translate technology decisions into financial and operational context for executive audiencesOutside plant familiarity and basic AC/DC power knowledge are beneficialManaged services (MSP) experience — designing and delivering solutions for enterprise customersYou'll Thrive Here If...You're energized by being a big fish in a focused pond — not just maintaining, but buildingYou want your fingerprints on the company's next decade of growthYou'd rather move fast with a small team than wait for committee approval in a large orgYou take pride in rural connectivity — bringing fiber to communities that have historically been underservedYou're comfortable wearing multiple hats and expect the same from your team