Principal Communications Engineer

Join Starkey as a Telecommunications Infrastructure Engineer and play a key role in shaping the future of global communication! In this dynamic role, you'll architect and maintain cutting-edge telecom systems, collaborate with industry leaders to design next-generation solutions, and ensure seamless connectivity across Starkey's worldwide operations-all while driving innovation that enhances the customer experience and empowers teams to stay connected without disruption.

Starkey is a world leader in the manufacturing and distribution of advanced hearing technologies. We are in the business of connecting people and changing lives. Our teams come to work each day focused on ensuring people everywhere have the products and services they need to hear better and live better.

Founded in 1967 by Bill Austin, Starkey is known for our cutting-edge hearing health innovations, industry-leading research and development, and not being afraid to push the edge of what's possible.

We are headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, have over 5,000 employees in 29 facilities across the globe, and do business in more than 100 markets worldwide.

Watch this video to see more of what sets Starkey apart: https://youtu.be/9cUYwTlCepg?si=wkovx8_R_iINfrc6

JOB SUMMARY DESCRIPTION / PRIMARY PURPOSE OF JOB

This position is responsible for designing, maintaining, and supporting the Telecommunications Infrastructure along with related services throughout Starkey.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES/RESULTS

• Interface with the business on future directions for a global organization.
  
  
  
  • Understand and define business needs/directions.
  • Work with partners, thought leaders in the Industry to design solutions.
  • Establish financial models to support technical directions.
  • Establish roadmaps for telecommunication futures.
  • Ensure business needs are met ahead of demand.
  • Maintain ongoing relationships with partners in the business to see goals are met.
  • Be active and present with the business in visioning telecommunications futures.
  
  
  
  
  • Design / Architect global Telecommunications position.
  • Develop business case, financials, and roadmap to improve customer experience.
  • Provide thought leadership in collaboration technologies.
  • Create roadmaps / designs for the collaboration space.
  
  
  
  
• Communication Systems Upgrades.
  
  
  
  • Work with partners, to determine latest appropriate release levels.
  • Create upgrade plans that mitigate and business impact.
  • Provide a means of validation and testing.
  • Interface with the business educating on the benefits, changes, and additions of new release.
  • Execute the upgrades without business disruption.
  • Provide communication across the Starkey organization.
  
  
  
  
• Perform daily moves, adds, and changes on the phone system at local and remote facilities.
  
  
  
  • Design and program extensions
  • Change extension programming
  • Install and move phones, and attached peripherals, using common telecom and hand tools. May involve connecting telephone wiring.
  
  
  
  
• Perform daily moves, adds, and changes in voicemail at local and remote facilities.
  
  
  
  • Create, purge, and delete subscriber mailboxes.
  • Design create purge and delete call-processing mailboxes.
  • Create, program, and support out calling applications.
  
  
  
  
• Troubleshoot and repair phone system related issues.
  
  
  
  • Troubleshoot and resolve problems of trunks, attendant consoles, least cost routing, and other system components.
  • Support remote software at facilities.
  
  
  
  
• Support ACD Applications.
  
  
  
  • Implement ACD design. Will involve working with other departments to learn requirements and make recommendations.
  • Train users how to use ACD features and software.
  • Make changes to existing applications.
  • Troubleshoot and resolve call routing problems.
  • Create, schedule, distribute, and explain daily, weekly, or monthly reports.
  
  
  
  
• Ensure telecommunications equipment issues are handled appropriately.
  
  
  
  • Work with vendors to report problems, order services, and open change orders, including equipment vendors, local exchange carriers, long distance carriers, and other vendors who may support telecom equipment and services.
  • Work with other department on telecom projects or issues that involve or impact those groups.
  
  
  
  
• Work with Call Detail software.
  
  
  
  • Design, implement, and distribute phone reports.
  • Work with department contact on interpreting reports. May also involve making recommendations or identifying potential problems.
  • Troubleshoot system issues.
  • Maintain software and hardware including pollable remote access units at facilities.
  
  
  
  
• Perform telecommunications administrative functions
  
  
  
  • Administer, distribute, and maintain cell phones, air cards, calling cards and pagers.
  • Support Telecom billing processes.
  • Maintain databases to track telecom resources. Databases include, but are not limited to:
    
    
    
    • Phone directories
    • Calling Cards
    • Cross connects
    • Toll free numbers
    • Pagers
    
    
    
    
  • Technical Architecture.
    
    
    
    • In alignment with the architecture team, develop technical designs to meet business goals.
    • Provide futures visioning on designs that could enhance the business.
    • Provide leadership with trends and directions in the telecom space.
    
    
    
    
  • Provide support to the Network team.
    
    
    
    • Respond to ticket queue resolving within established SLA.
    • Perform basic Network administration.
    • Provide on call support for Telecommunication/ Network team.
    
    
    
    
  • Engage with IT project and resource managers to ensure that cross project resources are identified and can engage on strategic initiatives
  • Provide technical leadership and guidance throughout IT regardless of project assignment
  
  
  
  

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education

• College degree or equivalent industry experience required

Experience

• Eight years of experience in telecom.
• 12 years of experience on Cisco call systems, Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Cisco Unified IP Queue Manager.
• 12 years' experience I Cisco UC applications (CUCM, CCX, CUPS, CUCXN, Calabrio WFM and AQM, CER, 2Ring).
• 10 years' experience in SIP Trunking, PRI, Voice Gateway Config, and troubleshooting.
• 10 years of experience physical and soft phone configurations/management.
• 10 years of experience in the design and implementation of global telecommunications infrastructures.
• 10 years of experience in global phone system management.
• 8 years of experience on physical / soft phone management.
• 8 years of experience on telephone systems upgrades.
• 8 years of experience interacting with basic Networking technologies

Knowledge / Technical Requirements

• Basic knowledge of PC's desirable
• Telecom trends and futures.
• Budget development and presentation for the telecom space.
• Basic project management.
• Experience of interfacing with the customer and designing future solutions.

Competencies, Skills & Abilities

• Good communication skills required.
• Some basic project management skills required.
• Good documentation skills required.
• Good organizational skills required.
• Ability to be highly flexible with changing business directions.
• Ability to work in an international organization, with a global customer base.
• Ability to lift up to 30 lbs. required.

WORK CONTEXT

Working Conditions

• Jobholder will move about, approximately 50% of the day
• Occasional travel is possible (5-10%)
• Occasional overtime is possible including nights and weekends
• Jobholder will be required to work underneath desks to install wiring
• Regular attendance and responsiveness to reasonable job-related directives as given by the supervisor

Equipment Operation

• Standard office equipment
• Hand tools

Salary and Other Compensation:

The target pay rate for this position is between $103,180 - $147,000 annually. Factors which may affect starting pay within this range may include: geography/market, skills, education, experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

This position is eligible for a bonus based upon performance results. There is no guarantee of payout.

Benefits: The following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements, include medical, dental and vision insurance, 401(k) retirement plan with company match, company-paid life and short-term disability insurance, long-term disability insurance, employee assistance plan, hearing aid benefits, Paid Time Off, paid holidays, paid floating holidays, paid volunteer service day, paid paternity and maternity leave and tuition reimbursement.

#LI-MP1