Lead Permit Coordinator

Ritter Communications•Jonesboro, AR

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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 crossâfunctional 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

Responsibilities

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