Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer

Wecom Fiber Location: Phoenix, Arizona

About the Opportunity

Wecom is seeking a Chief Operating Officer who can architect, scale, and lead a high-performance operations engine across construction, engineering, technical support, and field operations. This executive will be responsible for driving operational excellence, standardizing processes, and ensuring the company can scale rapidly while delivering a best-in-class customer experience across rural and underserved communities in Arizona.

As a key member of the executive leadership team, the COO will partner closely with the CEO, CFO, and CCO to align the organization around a unified operational strategy that accelerates growth, improves efficiency, and strengthens Wecom's reputation as the trusted rural broadband provider in the region.

This is a pivotal role for a leader who thrives in high-growth, build-heavy environments and can bring discipline, clarity, and execution rigor to a scaling digital-infrastructure business - and who wants to build a lasting operational legacy in communities that have waited decades for high-quality broadband connectivity.

About Wecom

Wecom is an Arizona-born fiber-optic broadband provider committed to delivering reliable, high-speed connectivity to rural and underserved communities across the state. With deep roots in Northern Arizona and a growing presence across multiple counties, Wecom is focused on expanding fiber infrastructure where it is needed most - places where connectivity directly impacts economic opportunity, education, healthcare access, and quality of life.

Wecom is backed by Searchlight Capital Partners, one of the leading global investors in fiber-to-the-home and digital infrastructure. With Searchlight's support, Wecom is accelerating its build plan, expanding into new markets, and scaling its operational capabilities to meet the growing demand for high-quality broadband.

Wecom currently serves multiple markets across Arizona with a $195M BEAD subgrant award covering 17 project areas in 8 counties - one of the largest rural broadband deployments in the state. The COO will play a central role in delivering on that commitment.

Who You'll Work With

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer Peers: Chief Revenue Officer, Chief Financial Officer Direct Reports: Design and Engineering, Outside Plant (Construction & Installation), Technical Support, Network Operations

Location: Phoenix, Arizona (HQ)

How You'll Make an Impact

Build and scale a construction and engineering engine capable of delivering 1,000+ miles of fiber annually

• Own and directly lead all engineering and construction functions, with personal accountability for cost efficiency, speed to market, and build plan delivery.
• Evaluate and optimize standards, processes, and workflows to reduce complexity and improve throughput.
• Stand up a disciplined process to shorten cycle times across design, make-ready, permitting, locates, and construction.
• Implement a rigorous vendor management framework including RFPs, contracting, QA, and performance reporting.
• Own BEAD program construction operational execution, cost controls, NTIA and state broadband office construction reporting, and coordination with program administrators across 17 project areas and 8 counties.
• Navigate complex ROW and permitting environments - including municipal agreements, ADOT coordination, and state/federal agency permitting - to protect construction schedules and resolve escalations efficiently.

Own construction productivity, placement strategy, and cost-per-passing performance

• Optimize construction methods by market - including aerial, underground, microtrenching, directional boring, vibratory plowing, and traditional trenching - to minimize cost and maximize throughput given terrain, rights-of-way, and market economics.
• Drive standardization of unit costs, production rates, restoration standards, crew productivity, and quality controls across all construction crews and subcontractors.
• Maintain direct accountability for gross and net cost per passing, cost per foot, cost per install, and market-level budget performance - with weekly visibility and variance explanations to the CFO and CEO.
• Identify cost overruns early and implement recovery plans before they impact annual build targets or BEAD program commitments.

Scale dispatch, installation, and customer activation to support 3,000+ monthly adds

• Assess and improve scheduling, dispatch, and installation processes to reduce cycle time and improve customer experience.
• Define the optimal insource/outsource labor model and geographic resource distribution.
• Expand and manage contract labor capacity.
• Deploy technology, productivity tools, and fleet/inventory strategies to maximize field efficiency.

Drive cross-functional alignment and strategic execution

• Partner with finance and market development to evaluate new markets, understand cost drivers, and set budgets.
• Own coordination with sales and marketing for new market launches.
• Provide clear, data-driven updates and forecasts to Searchlight Capital and the Board.

Oversee Network Operations and ensure exceptional network performance

• Develop long-term plans for network maintenance, hardware refresh cycles, and capacity management.
• Enforce high standards of network documentation and operational discipline.
• Establish and monitor KPIs to ensure a high-quality customer experience across Wecom's growing fiber network.

Build and lead a high-performance operations organization

• Create clarity, alignment, and accountability across all operational teams.
• Develop training programs and promote continuous learning.
• Foster cross-department communication and transparency.
• Recruit, develop, and retain exceptional talent at all levels.
• Build a culture of proactive problem-solving, operational rigor, and ownership.
• Establish and enforce enterprise-wide construction safety standards - including OSHA compliance, traffic control protocols, and underground utility safety - treating safety performance as a non-negotiable operational metric.

Key Performance Accountabilities

Drive success as measured by the following metrics:

• Build plan delivery - strand miles completed vs. plan by market, quarter, and year; BEAD milestone adherence.
• Cost per passing - gross and net, by construction method and market; cost per foot; cost per install.
• RFS conversion - rate and cycle time from construction complete to Ready for Service, by market.
• Permit-to-construction cycle time - average days from permit submission to construction start, by jurisdiction and method.
• Construction quality and restoration - first-time-right rate, punchlist closure, restoration compliance, and rework cost as a % of build cost.
• Install capacity and customer activation - installs completed per month vs. plan; activation cycle time; truck roll efficiency.
• Vendor performance - QA scores, productivity against contract, safety incident rates, and on-time delivery by subcontractor.
• Cross-functional launch readiness - % of new markets launched on time and on budget with full commercial readiness across operations, sales, and customer experience.
• Forecast accuracy - construction output and operational cost forecasts vs. actuals, by market and period; board and investor reporting reliability.
• Operational culture and accountability - team health, manager effectiveness, regrettable attrition, and safety incident trends across all operational functions.

How You Operate

• Visionary and strategic, with a bias for action and the ability to translate strategy into execution.
• Operationally disciplined, with a track record of building scalable systems and processes.
• Collaborative communicator who can simplify complexity and drive alignment across teams.
• Accountable leader who sets clear expectations, provides direct feedback, and recognizes excellence.
• Results-oriented, with the ability to set aggressive goals and drive long-term outcomes.

What Makes You Qualified

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• 15+ years of progressive operations leadership, with a minimum of 7 years in telecommunications, fiber-to-the-home, or digital infrastructure; FTTH/FTTP build experience required.
• Strong financial acumen with demonstrated experience owning large-scale CapEx budgets ($50M-$150M+) in a build-heavy infrastructure environment, including comfort presenting financial performance and forecasts to PE investors and boards.
• Deep understanding of FTTH/FTTP construction, engineering, field operations, and customer operations - including strand miles, drop rates, splice productivity, make-ready workflows, and the full fiber build cycle.
• Experience leading organizational change and building high-performance teams.
• Proven ability to drive operational efficiency and deliver exceptional customer experience.
• Ability to interpret technical documentation and quickly learn new technologies.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.

What We Offer

Wecom provides a competitive compensation package including base salary, annual short-term incentive bonus, and long-term equity participation (profit interest units) structured to align with the company's growth trajectory and Searchlight Capital's investment horizon. Compensation is benchmarked against PE-backed digital infrastructure platforms of comparable scale.

NOTE:

Wecom (and its subsidiaries) complies with all Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO). Wecom does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, religion, color, national origin, marital status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, veteran status, pregnancy status or other status protected by law.

Company benefits subject to change. www.wecomfiber.com