Director, Voice & Access

Role Description

This is a remote position.

Ziply Fiber is modernizing its voice platform and accelerating its fiber-first network strategy across the Pacific Northwest. The Director of Voice & Access is the technical authority and execution leader for Ziply's end-to-end voice transformation — retiring legacy TDM and copper infrastructure, deploying next-generation VoIP and SIP platforms, and enabling POTS delivery over fiber at scale. This role also owns the access network architecture that connects our subscribers: PON design, OLT placement, and CPE lifecycle management.

This is a high-impact leadership role for a voice architect who moves fast, builds business cases that get funded, and has the technical depth to own both the platform and the team. You will manage vendors, lead engineers, and deliver programs that generate measurable savings and capability — on accelerated timelines.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead Ziply's voice transformation roadmap: migration from legacy TDM/SS7 to SIP/VoIP, POTS-over-fiber deployment, and copper retirement strategy.
• Architect and own the consolidated voice platform — unifying VoIP, SIP trunking, and legacy TDM services into a single, scalable delivery infrastructure.
• Drive SS7/SIGTRAN modernization: simplify internal and external interconnects, reduce legacy signaling costs, and support full IP-based call routing.
• Own the Session Border Controller (SBC) architecture: platform selection, high-availability topology, and integration with upstream carriers and downstream CPE.
• Ensure regulatory compliance across all voice services: FCC requirements, E911 implementation, CALEA, and state-level interconnection obligations.
• Partner with Legal, Regulatory, Security, and Operations teams on policy interpretation, technical implementation, and remediation plans for voice-related requirements.
• Define the access network architecture roadmap: PON technology selection (GPON, XGS-PON), OLT placement strategy, and fiber plant design standards.
• Own CPE and ONT lifecycle management: device qualification, firmware governance, and field deployment standards.
• Build and own business cases for voice and access investments — securing executive approval with clear ROI timelines and savings projections.
• Negotiate and manage vendor agreements: SBC, VoIP platform, OLT, ONT, and CPE providers; drive favorable commercial terms and hold partners accountable to commitments.
• Build and lead a high-performing team of voice and access engineers; recruit top talent and foster a culture of speed-to-execution and technical excellence.
• Set team priorities, technical standards, decision-making cadence, and accountability mechanisms that align with the VP-level network architecture roadmap.
• Coach engineers through complex technical tradeoffs, vendor decisions, production issues, and cross-functional delivery dependencies.
• Performs other duties as required to support the business and evolving organization.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Telecommunications, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
• 12+ years of telecommunications experience with deep expertise in voice network architecture, access network engineering, and network transformation within a broadband ISP, CLEC, telecommunications provider, or related network environment, including at least 3-5 years of experience leading engineering teams and technical professionals.
• Proven track record delivering voice modernization programs with quantifiable financial impact — platform consolidations, SS7/SIGTRAN migrations, or TDM-to-VoIP transitions that generated millions in annual savings.
• Expert-level knowledge of VoIP and SIP architecture: SBC platforms (Ribbon, Oracle, Metaswitch, Cisco, or equivalent), SIP trunking, RTP media handling, and call routing.
• Experience with SS7/SIGTRAN: signaling modernization, interconnect simplification, and migration from legacy SS7 to IP-based signaling.
• Hands-on background in POTS-over-fiber and copper retirement programs — enabling fiber-native voice delivery while managing legacy subscriber transitions.
• Required access-network experience should include working knowledge of PON architectures, GPON/XGS-PON, OLT placement, ONT/CPE lifecycle, device certification, firmware governance, and field deployment standards.
• Ability to build, present, and deliver on multimillion-dollar investment cases at the executive level, with ROI accountability.
• Experience leading cross-functional technical programs with measurable delivery outcomes, including migration plans, operational readiness, customer-impact mitigation, and post-implementation performance tracking.
• Strong vendor negotiation skills; experience managing commercial relationships with voice platform and SBC vendors.
• Strong experience leading and developing engineering teams — recruiting talent, setting technical direction, and building a culture of accountability and execution.

Requirements

• Advanced experience with access network architecture, including PON platforms, OLT placement, ONT/CPE lifecycle management, device certification, and deployment standards.
• Experience with hosted voice or enterprise voice platforms: UCaaS, softphone/collaboration apps, or mobile voice application design.
• Background in voice platform API integration: SIP APIs, Java/JSON/SOAP-based integration with OSS/BSS systems.
• Knowledge of voicemail platform migration and large-scale subscriber transition programs.
• Prior work in a fiber-first or fiber-overbuilder ISP environment with active copper retirement initiatives.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, 401k, flexible spending account, paid sick leave and paid time off, parental leave, quarterly performance bonus, training, career growth and education reimbursement programs.

Work Authorization

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the US for any employer. Sponsorship is not available for this position.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential and marginal functions may require maintaining physical condition necessary for bending, stooping, sitting, walking, or standing for prolonged periods of time; most of time is spent sitting in a comfortable position with frequent opportunity to move about. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

Work is performed in an office setting with exposure to computer screens and requires extensive use of a computer, keyboard, mouse, and multi-line telephone system. The work is primarily a modern office setting.

Diverse Workforce / EEO

Ziply Fiber is an equal opportunity employer. Ziply Fiber will consider all qualified candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, and the presence of a non-job-related handicap or disability or any other legally protected status.

Ziply Fiber requires a pre-employment background check as conditions of employment. Ziply Fiber may require a pre-employment drug screening.

Ziply Fiber is a drug free workplace.