Broadband EHS Manager – Operations

AFL provides industry-leading fiber optic products and services across the globe. Our company was founded in 1984 with a single fiber optic cable and now manufactures more than 2,000 products, employs over 5,000 associates, and consistently generates annual revenues exceeding $2 billion. With our commitment to professional growth and employee development, let AFL "Connect" you to your next career opportunity!

Job Summary

The EHS Manager – Broadband Operations is responsible for leading environmental, health, safety, and security (EHSS) performance across AFL’s Broadband construction, installation, and operational field activities. This role protects employees, contractors, customers, and the public while enabling safe, efficient, and predictable project execution in fast-paced telecommunications environments.

The EHSS Manager serves as the primary EHSS liaison between AFL Broadband leadership, customers, municipalities, utilities, contractors, and field operations teams. Success is measured not only by injury prevention, but by proactive risk identification, effective hazard control implementation, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement across broadband operations.

This role reports to the EHS Director and has the authority to escalate safety concerns and stop work when critical controls are absent or when conditions present imminent risk to personnel, property, customer infrastructure, or the public.

Scope of Responsibility

Construction & Deployment

• Full EHSS oversight of broadband construction and deployment activities, including:
• Fiber optic installation
• Aerial and underground construction
• Directional drilling and trenching
• Utility make-ready activities
• Pole attachment work
• Network expansion and upgrade projects

Operations

• EHSS support for broadband maintenance, repair, service activation, network restoration, warehousing, and other field operations as assigned.

Coverage

• Supports multiple concurrent projects, customers, and geographic markets.
• Position is highly field-oriented and requires significant travel to active project sites.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership, Authority & Safety Culture

• Lead and sustain a proactive, risk-based safety culture throughout Broadband Operations.
• Promote the philosophy that safety is achieved through effective risk identification and control verification, not merely the absence of incidents.
• Maintain a strong field presence to coach leaders, supervisors, field technicians, and contractors where work is being performed.
• Partner with operational leaders to integrate EHSS controls into project planning, execution, quality, and customer commitments.
• Exercise stop-work authority when critical controls are missing or ineffective.
• Support leadership accountability for EHSS performance across all levels of the organization.

Customer, Contractor & Stakeholder Interface

Serve as the primary EHSS liaison between:

• AFL Broadband leadership
• Customer EHSS and program representatives
• Municipalities and permitting authorities
• Utility owners and pole providers
• General contractors and construction partners
• Specialty subcontractors and service providers

Additional responsibilities include:

• Translating customer-specific EHSS requirements into practical field execution standards.
• Supporting customer audits, site visits, inspections, and compliance reviews.
• Promoting consistent EHSS expectations across multi-employer work environments.
• Building strong relationships that reinforce AFL's commitment to safe project delivery.

Risk Management & Field Execution

Lead hazard identification, risk mitigation, and control verification related to:

• Utility construction activities
• Aerial fiber construction
• Pole climbing and elevated work
• Bucket truck operations
• Excavation and trenching
• Horizontal directional drilling (HDD)
• Traffic control and work-zone safety
• Electrical hazards and utility exposure
• Confined space entry, where applicable
• Fleet and mobile equipment operations
• Environmental and storm-response work

Responsibilities include:

• Supporting job hazard analyses (JHAs) and task-specific risk assessments.
• Participating in pre-task planning and daily safety briefings.
• Verifying implementation of critical controls before work begins.
• Supporting management-of-change processes when work scope or conditions change.
• Conducting field inspections and risk assessments focused on high-risk activities.

Contractor Safety Oversight

• Support contractor prequalification and onboarding processes.
• Verify contractor compliance with AFL standards, customer requirements, and regulatory obligations.
• Conduct safety observations, audits, and field assessments.
• Identify performance gaps and drive corrective actions.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and accountability for contractor EHSS performance.

Incident, Emergency & Crisis Management

• Lead or support investigations involving:
• Injuries and illnesses
• Vehicle incidents
• Property damage
• Utility strikes
• Near misses and high-potential events
• Public safety incidents
• Conduct structured root cause analysis and ensure corrective actions are effective and sustained.
• Support emergency preparedness and response planning.
• Coordinate incident reporting and escalation in accordance with AFL and customer requirements.
• Share lessons learned throughout Broadband Operations to prevent recurrence.

Security, Compliance & Program Support

• Reinforce site security expectations and protection of customer infrastructure.
• Support compliance with federal, state, local, and customer EHSS requirements.
• Interpret and apply OSHA regulations and industry standards applicable to telecommunications and utility construction.
• Maintain accurate and auditable EHSS documentation and records.
• Support internal audits, regulatory inspections, and customer compliance reviews.

Training, Communication & Engagement

• Develop and deliver practical EHSS training programs for employees and contractors.
• Oversee onboarding, refresher training, and task-specific qualifications.
• Communicate safety expectations using clear, practical, field-focused messaging.
• Support leadership engagement initiatives, toolbox talks, and safety campaigns.
• Reinforce safe behaviors through coaching and field interaction.

Metrics, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

Track and analyze key performance indicators including:

• Incident frequency and severity
• Near-miss reporting trends
• Utility strike prevention metrics
• Vehicle safety performance
• Audit findings and corrective action closure rates
• Training completion rates
• Field compliance observations
• Customer performance measures

Additional responsibilities include:

• Reporting trends and risk insights to Broadband and EHSS leadership.
• Leveraging data and field observations to drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Identifying leading indicators that reduce operational risk and improve safety performance.

Success Measures / KPIs

• Reduction in recordable and high-potential incidents
• Reduction in utility damages and service interruptions
• Timely closure of audit findings and corrective actions
• Contractor compliance and field execution quality
• Effective management of high-risk construction activities
• Positive customer audit and program feedback
• Increased proactive hazard identification and near-miss reporting
• Strong EHSS culture and engagement across Broadband Operations

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Health & Safety, Construction Management, Engineering, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 7+ years of EHSS experience supporting construction, utility, telecommunications, or field-based operations.
• Demonstrated experience managing EHSS programs in multi-employer construction environments.
• Strong working knowledge of OSHA regulations and telecommunications construction safety requirements.
• Experience supporting aerial, underground, utility, or broadband infrastructure work.
• Proven ability to influence without direct authority and build credibility with operational leaders and contractors.
• Ability to travel up to 50% and support off-hours, emergency, or restoration activities as needed.

Preferred

• Broadband, telecommunications, fiber optic, utility, or infrastructure construction experience.
• Experience supporting large-scale fiber deployment programs.
• OSHA 30-Hour Certification.
• Professional certification such as CSP, CHST, ASP, or equivalent.
• Experience with utility coordination, excavation safety, or directional drilling operations.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred.

Working Conditions

• Remote-based with frequent travel to project sites, customer locations, and field offices.
• Regular exposure to active construction environments, utility corridors, roadside work zones, and underground infrastructure projects.
• Exposure to varying weather conditions and physically demanding environments.
• Flexibility to support evening, weekend, emergency restoration, storm response, and customer-driven activities as required.

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