Fibre Engineering Team Leader
Position: Fibre Engineering Team Leader
Salary: £35,000 - £40,000 per annum, dependent on experience
Location: Melling Office as base, but primarily out in the Field across the B4RN network
Contract: Permanent
Hours: 35 hours per week plus overtime, Monday to Friday (with on-call rota)
About Us
B4RN (Broadband for the Rural North) is a unique, community-led organisation bringing hyperfast, full-fibre broadband to rural areas across the UK. As a Community Benefit Society, we work closely with local communities and volunteers to design, build and operate our Fibre to the Home (FTTH) network.
Our Engineering teams are at the heart of what we do, delivering resilient infrastructure, solving complex technical challenges and making a real difference to people and businesses in rural areas. Joining B4RN means joining a purpose-driven organisation with strong values, a practical mindset and a supportive team culture.
About the Role
This is a hands-on leadership role that combines senior technical responsibility with day-to-day people leadership. You’ll work alongside Fibre Engineers and Trainee Fibre Engineers in the field, leading by example, supporting skills development, and ensuring the highest standards of safety, quality, and performance across all network activities.
You’ll also act as a senior technical escalation point, working closely with the Head of Engineering and other internal teams to plan network builds, upgrades and improvements.
Key Responsibilities
Fibre Network Engineering & Operations
Lead the deployment, optimisation and ongoing maintenance of B4RN’s Fibre to the Home network
Oversee complex fibre installations, splicing, testing, commissioning and fault resolution
Troubleshoot network issues, carry out root cause analysis and implement long‑term solutions
Develop, maintain and promote engineering standards, best practices, and operational procedures
Collaborate with internal teams to plan network expansion, upgrades and infrastructure projects
Participate in a rota-based on-call system supporting 24x7 network operations
Ensure accurate documentation of network changes, configurations, incidents and faults
Team Leadership, Training & Mentoring
Provide day‑to‑day leadership and technical guidance to Fibre Engineers and Trainee Fibre Engineers
Work hands‑on alongside engineers in the field, ensuring work is completed safely and to a high standard
Support training, mentoring and on‑the‑job development of trainees
Act as the first point of technical escalation for engineering issues
Provide feedback on performance, capability and progression to the Head of Engineering
Foster a positive team culture focused on learning, collaboration and continuous improvement
Ensure full compliance with B4RN health & safety, environmental and safe working policies
What We’re Looking For
Essential:
Significant experience working with fibre networks (FTTH/FTTP), including splicing, testing and fault finding
Proven experience in a senior or lead engineering role
Strong technical troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
Confidence leading, mentoring and supporting engineers in the field
A strong commitment to health & safety and quality standards
Full, valid UK Driving licence
Full colour vision (required for splicing)
Desirable:
Experience of pole-based fibre deployment and working on existing pole infrastructure
Experience leading or developing trainee or junior engineers
Experience working in rural or large-scale network deployments
Strong documentation and reporting skills
Experience contributing to operational standards or process improvements
Additional Information
This role includes participation in an out-of-hours, rota-based on-call system, which may occasionally require call-outs outside of standard working hours. To support this, applicants must live within a 60-minute travel distance of B4RN’s Melling office (LA6 2QY).
If you wish to apply, please send your CV and a covering letter to the Recruitment Team, B4RN, Station Yard, Melling, LA6 2QY, or email to recruitment@b4rn.org.uk.
More information can be found on /about-us/opportunities/