Manager, Inside Plant (ISP) Engineering

Position Overview

The Manager, Inside Plant Engineering leads the Inside Plant engineering discipline within Tract Capital's Site Communications & Network Infrastructure organization, owning the pre-construction design and construction-phase delivery of all in-building physical communications infrastructure across the company's data center campuses. This role is accountable for the engineering and field delivery of structured cabling (fiber and copper), main and intermediate distribution frames (MDF/IDF) and meet-me/main distribution areas, racks and passive infrastructure, cable trays and pathways, in-building life-safety and signal systems (ERRCS/BDA, indoor DAS, in-building 5G boosters), and the supporting safety systems (lone-worker, mass notification/PA, duress, BMS integration) — along with the cabling standards and as-built record of record for every campus.

Reporting to the VP, Site Communications & Network Infrastructure, this leader manages a team that includes the Senior Inside Plant Engineer, the Signal Systems Engineer, and the Safety Systems Specialist. The Manager translates campus design intent into constructible, code-compliant, schedule-certain inside-plant packages, drives cabling and low-voltage contractors to deliver against Tract Capital standards, and ensures clean commissioning handover to the Daily Operations chain.

This is a player-coach leadership role anchored in inside-plant physical infrastructure: the Manager sets direction and standards, makes sound engineering judgment calls, and holds vendors accountable for quality and schedule — while leaning on the team's specialists for deep technical work, particularly the code-driven in-building RF/life-safety systems. Important note – this is not an IP routing / switching role.

Job Responsibilities

The successful candidate will have practical experience across many of the following:

• Directly lead, manage, and develop a small team of three specialists — the Senior Inside Plant Engineer (structured cabling, IDF/MDF, rack-and-stack), the Signal Systems Engineer (ERRCS/BDA, indoor DAS, 5G boosters), and the Safety Systems Specialist (lone-worker, mass notification, duress, BMS) — owning hiring, onboarding, goal-setting, and performance management for the group.
• Allocate work across the team, balance workloads against the campus build schedule, and serve as the technical escalation point and decision-maker when sub-specialties intersect (e.g., where cabling, in-building RF coverage, and life-safety systems must be reconciled in the same space).
• Coach and grow each team member's technical and professional skills, building bench strength and cross-coverage so the small team can support multiple concurrent campuses without single points of failure.
• Own the Inside Plant engineering function end-to-end — structured cabling (fiber and copper), MDF/IDF and distribution areas, racks and passive infrastructure, cable trays and pathways, cross-connects, and intra-/inter-building fiber — from pre-construction design through construction, commissioning, and as-built turnover.
• Guide structured-cabling design (rack elevations, cable schedules, pathway/fill and separation, labeling, firestopping) and establish Inside Plant design standards and QA/QC criteria for consistent, repeatable campus builds.
• Oversee in-building signal, life-safety, and safety-systems deliverables — ERRCS/BDA, indoor DAS, 5G boosters, lone-worker devices, mass notification/PA, duress, and BMS integration — ensuring fire-marshal/AHJ compliance and relying on the Signal Systems Engineer and Safety Systems Specialist for specialist depth.
• Review and validate engineering and contractor deliverables (drawings, BOMs, redlines, as-builts) for accuracy, constructability, and code/standards compliance (e.g., TIA-942, ANSI/TIA-568/569/606, BICSI 002, NEC, Division 27/28, NFPA/IFC for ERRCS).
• Drive cabling and low-voltage contractors to deliver on time and to quality, managing scope, schedules, budgets, and vendor performance.
• Ensure acceptance testing and commissioning (e.g., OTDR, OLTS/power meter and copper certification, fusion splicing, ERRCS signal-level testing) meet standards, and that as-built records are captured in the appropriate documentation/asset systems.
• Drive clean commissioning handover to the Daily Operations / Network Operations and Safety Systems Operations teams, and partner cross-functionally with Outside Plant (OSP) Engineering, Network Engineering, Carrier & Vendor Relations, Delivery Management, Construction, Design & Engineering, and Operations — ensuring work meets safety, security, and compliance standards.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Telecommunications, Information Technology, Construction Management, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• 10+ years in inside-plant / structured-cabling engineering, data center physical-layer infrastructure, or low-voltage/communications construction delivery — or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 3+ years directly managing and developing a small technical team (engineers and/or specialists), in addition to leading contractors and projects delivering physical communications or low-voltage infrastructure.
• Experience leading a small team whose members hold different sub-specialties; you do not need to have personally managed structured cabling, in-building RF/life-safety, and safety systems all at once — the ability to direct and coordinate specialists is what matters.
• Strong, hands-on working knowledge of low voltage structured cabling design and build — fiber and copper, redundant (HA) MDF/IDF rooms, racks and pathways, cross-connects, raceways, risers and high-density/MPO concepts (this is the role's anchor discipline).
• Familiarity with one or more adjacent inside-plant areas — in-building signal/life-safety systems (ERRCS/BDA, indoor DAS) and cabling testing/commissioning (OTDR, OLTS/power meter, copper certification) — with the ability to come up to speed on the others and set acceptance criteria.
• Strong vendor/contractor management and clear communication with internal stakeholders and external authorities.
• Proficiency with common design and documentation tools (e.g., AutoCAD or Revit, Bluebeam, Visio) and inventory management design.
• Valid driver's license (role requires periodic field/site work and inspections).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience delivering inside-plant and structured-cabling infrastructure for data centers, mission-critical facilities, hyperscale/cloud campuses, or large capital projects.
• Experience supporting builds at scale across multiple concurrent sites or campuses, including greenfield and live/retrofit environments.
• Familiarity with high-density and AI/GPU fabric cabling, MPO/MTP breakout and shuffle harnesses, and hot/cold-aisle containment pathway design.
• Experience with ERRCS/BDA design and AHJ approval, indoor DAS, and in-building 5G/CBRS coverage.
• Familiarity with code and standards frameworks including TIA-942, ANSI/TIA-568/569/606/607, ISO/IEC 11801, BICSI 002, NEC, and Division 27/28.
• Experience establishing cabling design standards, SOPs, QA/QC programs, and as-built/asset-management governance in a fast-growth organization.
• BICSI RCDD (or the DCDC Data Center Design Consultant credential), or progress toward it, is a plus
• PMP, OSHA 30, FOA fiber certifications, or manufacturer cabling certifications (e.g., Corning, CommScope, Panduit, Leviton) are also a plus.

Required Traits and Skills

• Leadership and Team Management: Inspire, guide, and develop a small team of specialists, enhancing performance, managing disputes, and fostering a collaborative environment across structured cabling, signal/life-safety, and safety-systems sub-specialties.
• Effective Communication: Clearly convey expectations and requirements to vendors, contractors, and life-safety/AHJ authorities while understanding their needs and constraints, and comfortably deliver written and verbal updates to internal leadership.
• Critical Thinking Skills: Find innovative, constructible solutions and remain flexible in addressing unexpected field, coordination, and compliance challenges in dense in-building environments.
• Relationship Management: Cultivate trust, collaboration, and long-term partnerships across contractors, manufacturers, and authorities, while building a network that provides benchmarking and alternative delivery options.
• Proactive Risk Management: Anticipate risks, identify vulnerabilities in routes, permits, and field execution, and proactively implement mechanisms to safeguard safety, availability, and schedule certainty.

Expected Salary Range

Base Salary: $175,000- 200,000 + Discretionary Bonus

Tract employees enjoy competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits, including 100% employer-covered medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401K program, standard paid holidays, and unlimited PTO.

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as assigned to meet the organization's ongoing needs.

Tract Capital is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment regardless of age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status. If you need assistance applying for any of our open positions, please contact us at info@tractcapital.com.