Maintenance and Quality Assurance Manager (MQAM)

About the role

JOB DESCRIPTION

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Maintenance & Quality Assurance Manager (MQAM) to oversee the maintenance, reliability, and quality of our fiber telecommunications network and associated infrastructure throughout the Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina area.

The MQAM will lead efforts to ensure our fiber network is maintained to the highest standards of reliability, performance, safety, workmanship, and customer satisfaction. This position will manage preventive and corrective maintenance activities, quality assurance inspections, field audits, contractor performance, and maintenance documentation.

The ideal candidate combines strong knowledge of fiber optic networks and outside plant (OSP) construction with excellent leadership, organizational, troubleshooting, and quality-control skills.

KEY RESPONSIBILITES

Maintenance & Network Reliability

• Manage preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs for fiber optic outside plant, underground and aerial facilities, cabinets, handholes, pedestals, splice enclosures, and related network infrastructure.
• Establish maintenance schedules, priorities, procedures, and performance standards.
• Monitor network outages, trouble tickets, repeat failures, and service-impacting issues; identify root causes and implement corrective actions.
• Coordinate emergency restoration and repair activities to minimize customer downtime and network impact.
• Ensure maintenance activities are properly documented and completed within established service-level expectations.
• Work closely with Network Operations, Engineering, Construction, Customer Service, and Field Operations teams to resolve network issues.

Quality Assurance

• Develop and maintain quality assurance and quality control standards for fiber network maintenance and field operations.
• Conduct regular field inspections and audits of fiber facilities, repairs, splicing, construction, restoration, and workmanship.
• Verify compliance with company specifications, engineering standards, applicable codes, and industry best practices.
• Identify deficiencies and drive corrective actions through completion.
• Track recurring quality issues and develop preventive measures to improve network reliability and reduce repeat failures.
• Maintain quality metrics and provide regular reports to senior management.

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, coach, and develop maintenance and quality personnel, technicians, and field resources.
• Establish clear expectations for productivity, workmanship, safety, documentation, and customer service.
• Manage daily assignments, workload priorities, staffing requirements, and escalation procedures.
• Provide technical guidance and support for complex fiber and outside plant issues.
• Promote a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, safety, and operational excellence.

Contractor & Vendor Management

• Manage and evaluate third-party contractors performing maintenance, restoration, inspection, and repair work.
• Ensure contractors meet company quality, safety, productivity, and documentation requirements.
• Perform contractor audits and address performance deficiencies.
• Assist with contractor selection, performance evaluations, and corrective action plans.

Safety, Compliance & Documentation

• Ensure maintenance and field activities comply with company safety policies and applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
• Promote safe work practices involving aerial facilities, underground utilities, traffic control, confined spaces, and electrical hazards.
• Maintain accurate maintenance records, inspection reports, outage documentation, photographs, and asset information.
• Ensure GIS, network records, work orders, and maintenance documentation accurately reflect field conditions.
• Support audits and investigations related to safety, quality, customer-impacting events, and network performance.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• 5+ years of experience in telecommunications, fiber optics, outside plant, network maintenance, construction, or a closely related field.
• 2+ years of supervisory or management experience.
• Strong understanding of fiber optic networks, including aerial and underground OSP facilities, fiber splicing, closures, terminals, handholes, pedestals, and related infrastructure.
• Experience troubleshooting fiber network issues and coordinating restoration activities.
• Demonstrated experience with quality assurance, field inspections, audits, or construction/maintenance quality control.
• Strong understanding of fiber testing and documentation, including OTDR and optical power testing.
• Excellent communication, leadership, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to read and interpret fiber network maps, construction drawings, splice diagrams, and engineering documentation.
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel throughout the service territory as needed.

Preferred:

• Bachelor's degree in telecommunications, engineering, construction management, business, or a related discipline; equivalent industry experience will be considered.
• Experience with FTTH/GPON/XGS-PON or similar broadband fiber networks.
• Experience with GIS, network management, work-order, or asset-management systems.
• Fiber optic certifications such as CFOT or equivalent.
• Experience managing both company employees and outside contractors.
• Knowledge of NESC, OSHA, MUTCD, utility-pole, and applicable telecommunications construction/maintenance standards.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This is a field-oriented management position requiring regular travel throughout the Greenville/Spartanburg, SC service area. The MQAM should be comfortable working in both an office and outdoor field environment and may occasionally be required to respond to significant network outages or emergency restoration events outside normal business hours.

The position may involve exposure to weather conditions, construction environments, traffic, aerial facilities, underground utilities, and other typical telecommunications field conditions.

Travel Required

Up to 75%

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Equal Opportunity Employer

Mainline LLC is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and provides consideration for employment to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local anti-discrimination laws.