Telephony and Network Lead

About Tala

Tala is on a mission to unleash the economic power of the Global Majority – the 4 billion people overlooked by existing financial systems. With nearly half a billion dollars raised from equity and debt, we are serving millions of customers across three continents. Tala has been named by the Fortune Impact 20 list, CNBC’s Disruptor 50 five years in a row, CNBC’s World's Top Fintech Company, Forbes’ Fintech 50 list for eight years running, and Chief's The New Era of Leadership Award. We are expanding across product offerings, countries and crypto and are looking for people who have an entrepreneurial spirit and are passionate about our mission.

By creating a unique platform that enables lending and other financial services around the globe, people in emerging markets are able to start and expand small businesses, manage day-to-day needs, and pursue their financial goals with confidence. Currently, over nine million people across Kenya, the Philippines, Mexico, and India have used Tala products. Due to our global team, we have a remote-first approach, and also have offices in Santa Monica, CA (HQ); Nairobi, Kenya; Mexico City, Mexico; Manila, the Philippines; and Bangalore, India.

Most Talazens join us because they connect with our mission. If you are energized by the impact you can make at Tala, we’d love to hear from you!

About the Role

This role encompasses engineering, supporting, and managing Tala's global telephony environment in a highly available (99.9% uptime) and scalable manner. This includes VoIP Infrastructure, Asterisk PBXs, Five9 call center systems, and call recording systems for the global Operations team.

Daily responsibilities include maintaining high quality and availability for all voice systems, supporting architecture tasks, and collaborating with Operations and Shared Services to strategize and implement a unified communications platform.  Additionally, the role is responsible for ensuring high availability of employee hardware, PBX servers, softphones, network connectivity, and other related hardware.

• Dialer System Management: Collaborate with the Shared Services team globally to oversee the administration, maintenance, and optimization of Five9 dialer platform(s). This includes user management, campaign configuration, performance monitoring, and troubleshooting.
• SIP Trunk Management: Manage and maintain our SIP trunking infrastructure globally, ensuring call quality, capacity, and cost-effectiveness. Negotiate with SIP providers and optimize routing strategies.
• Asterisk Server Administration: Administer and maintain our Asterisk-based PBX systems globally, including configuration, upgrades, security patching, and troubleshooting. Develop and maintain custom dial plans and integrations.
• GSM Gateway Management: Manage and maintain our GSM gateway infrastructure primarily in the Philippines, ensuring reliable connectivity for mobile calls. Troubleshoot connectivity issues and optimize routing for cost efficiency.
• Global Telephony Support: Provide Tier 2/3 support for all telephony-related issues globally, working closely with the Shared services and other teams to resolve problems quickly and efficiently.
• Monitoring and Performance Optimization: Proactively monitor the performance of all telephony systems globally, identify potential issues, and implement solutions to ensure high availability and call quality. Develop and maintain monitoring dashboards and alerts.
• Vendor Management: Manage relationships with telephony vendors globally, including SIP providers, dialer vendors, and hardware suppliers. Negotiate contracts and ensure service level agreements are met.
• Documentation: Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation for all telephony systems, including network diagrams, configuration guides, and troubleshooting procedures.
• Project Management: Lead or participate in telephony-related projects globally, such as system upgrades, migrations, and new implementations.
• Compliance and Security: Ensure all telephony systems comply with relevant industry regulations and security standards.
• Global On-Call Support: Provide on-call support for critical telephony issues as needed
• Provide other IT support as needed in the Philippines office

• 5+ years of experience in managing and maintaining complex telephony systems, specifically in a call center environment.
• Deep understanding of VoIP technologies, including SIP, GSM, and RTP.
• Extensive experience with Asterisk PBX administration, including dial plan development and troubleshooting.
• Experience with dialer platforms e.g., Five9, Genesys is highly desirable.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Experience with scripting languages (e.g., Python, Bash) is a plus.
• Vendor negotiation and management
• End-user IT helpdesk management and support

Our vision is to build a new financial ecosystem where everyone can participate on equal footing and access the tools they need to be financially healthy. We strongly believe that inclusion fosters innovation and we’re proud to have a diverse global team that represents a multitude of backgrounds, cultures, and experience. We hire talented people regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.