Lead Permit Coordinator

Ritter Communications, headquartered in Jonesboro, Arkansas, is the largest privately held telecom provider serving the Mid-South. Recognized as one of Arkansas' Best Places to Work for five years running, we deliver world-class broadband fiber, telecom, video, and data center services.

With rapid growth and millions invested in advanced infrastructure, we now serve 197 communities and over 60,000 customers across six states. At Ritter Communications, our team combines cutting-edge technology with a customer-first mindset and we're looking for talented individuals who share our passion for excellence and community impact.

General Summary:

The Lead Permit Coordinator oversees the end to end permitting, easement, and regulatory compliance functions for outside plant (OSP) telecommunications projects across multijurisdictional environments. This role serves as the subject matter expert for advanced permitting activities, including municipal, state, federal, Corps of Engineers, and Native American tribal authorities, while providing leadership, project coordination, and data driven visibility for permitting operations.

The Lead Permit Coordinator acts as the primary escalation point for complex permitting issues, owns permitting systems and reporting, and ensures alignment between permitting timelines, construction schedules, and financial requirements.

Essential Job Functions:

• Oversees the complete lifecycle of permitting activities for OSP construction projects, ensuring compliance with all applicable local, state, federal, and tribal regulations;
• Researches, interprets, and applies zoning regulations, permit requirements, construction codes, and telecommunications infrastructure standards;
• Prepares, submits, and manages advanced permit applications, including applications, engineering drawings, environmental documents, and project specifications;
• Maintains direct working relationships with municipalities, government agencies, utility companies, and tribal entities to obtain approvals efficiently;
• Remains current on regulatory changes, industry practices, and permitting trends to proactively adjust processes and reduce risk;
• Identifies, negotiates, and processes easement acquisition agreements, including coordination of execution and filing with appropriate county authorities;
• Manages joint use agreement activities and ensure compliance with contract requirements and utility standards;
• Reviews, prepares, and submits permit-related bonding requests and track associated approvals and requirements;
• Partners with engineering, construction, legal, and finance teams to resolve permitting constraints, application revisions, invoicing questions, and compliance concerns;
• Serves as the lead point of contact for permitting-related escalations affecting project schedules or budgets;
• Provides guidance and direction to permit coordinators, vendors, and consultants on process standards and documentation expectations;
• Monitors and manages permitting schedules to ensure alignment with project milestones and construction readiness;
• Forecasts permitting timelines, identify schedule risks or variances, and communicate impacts to project and leadership teams;
• Owns and maintains permitting systems, tools, and workflows to ensure data integrity, accuracy, and audit readiness;
• Develops, manages, and maintains dashboards and reporting to track permit status, throughput, cycle times, costs, and backlog;
• Analyzes permitting data to identify trends, bottlenecks, and opportunities for process improvement;
• Provides accurate status reporting, forecasts, and variance explanations to management and project stakeholders;
• Develops training materials and standard operating procedures for permitting staff and permitting vendors as needed;
• Mentors and supports permit coordinators through guidance, workflow standardization, and knowledge sharing;
• Promotes continuous improvement by documenting best practices and driving consistency across permitting operations;
• Travels to project sites, customer locations, business-related events, and other company locations as required;
• Performs other related duties and special projects as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Extensive knowledge of telecommunications construction and outside plant engineering principles;
• Extensive knowledge of permitting practices and procedures, including municipal, state, federal, Corps of Engineers, and Native American tribal permitting;
• Strong understanding of easement acquisition, real estate documentation, joint use agreements, and bonding requirements;
• Knowledge of project management principles and permitting lifecycle integration;
• Knowledge of company products, services, and construction methodologies;
• Advanced written and verbal communication skills with internal and external stakeholders;
• Strong analytical and reporting skills, including dashboard development and performance metrics;
• Proficiency with permitting systems, databases, spreadsheets, and office software tools;
• Ability to interpret technical documents, including engineering prints, contracts, invoices, bonds, and regulatory filings;
• Ability to lead and influence across crossfunctional teams without direct authority;
• Ability to organize, prioritize, and manage multiple complex projects simultaneously;
• Ability to make sound decisions using regulatory guidance, project data, and business priorities;
• Ability to maintain a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail;
• Ability to travel as required; must possess a valid driver's license with a satisfactory driving record.

Ritter Communications is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We strive to maintain a drug-free workplace.

We offer competitive compensation and an outstanding benefits package including health, dental, vision, cancer, accident and life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, 401(k) with company match, flexible spending accounts, free gym membership, company discounts, tuition reimbursement, paid training, paid leave, and much more!