Carrier Operations Lead
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 18, 2026. First seen by Alion on Oct 1, 2026.
About the role
Most SMS platforms work through layers of resellers. We do not. Our model is direct carrier relationships - commercial agreements with MNOs and regulated operators that give us better delivery rates, lower per-message cost, and the ability to troubleshoot routing issues by calling someone who actually controls the network, not someone who calls someone else.
This role exists to build and maintain those relationships in West and East Africa, starting with Nigeria and Uganda. You will negotiate commercial terms directly with MNO commercial teams (MTN, Airtel, Glo), navigate regulatory requirements with NCC and UCC, and manage the operational side of those partnerships once live - volume commitments, rate adjustments, escalation contacts, compliance submissions. The job requires someone who understands that telecom commercial relationships are slow to build and fast to lose, and who has the patience and credibility to operate at that pace. No middlemen. No markup layers. If a delivery issue hits MTN Nigeria at 11PM, you are the person who knows which number to call.
What you'll do
- Identify and qualify direct interconnect opportunities with West and East African MNOs; lead commercial negotiations on pricing, volume commitments, and SLA terms.
- Manage ongoing carrier relationships post-agreement: monthly review calls, volume reporting, escalation management for delivery quality issues.
- Navigate regulatory requirements for A2P SMS sender registration with NCC (Nigeria), UCC (Uganda), and equivalent bodies in adjacent markets (Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania).
- Monitor delivery quality metrics across active carrier connections; own the investigation when delivery rates drop and drive resolution with carrier technical teams.
- Build and maintain the internal carrier knowledge base: contact directories, commercial terms, technical integration specs, regulatory filing status.
- Identify expansion opportunities in adjacent markets - South Africa, Ghana, Kenya - and scope the commercial pathway for each.
What we expect
- 3+ years in telecom commercial roles - carrier sales, interconnect management, A2P SMS origination, or MVNO operations. Knowledge of how MNO commercial teams work from the inside.
- Demonstrated track record of negotiating and closing commercial agreements with African MNOs. Named deals and counterparties you can discuss are more persuasive than job titles.
- Working knowledge of A2P SMS regulatory frameworks in at least two of: Nigeria (NCC), Uganda (UCC), Kenya (CA), Ghana (NCA), Tanzania (TCRA).
- Fluency in reading and producing commercial term sheets, SLA documents, and interconnect agreements. Not a legal qualification - practical contract literacy.
- Operates without close management: you define your own weekly priorities, track your own pipeline, and flag blockers before they become delays.
- Based in Lagos or Kampala with willingness to travel regionally for carrier meetings. Relationships in African telecoms are built in person, not on Zoom.
Compensation
$25,000-$60,000 USD annually. This range reflects local market conditions in Lagos and Kampala: $40k USD in Lagos is competitive with senior commercial roles at Nigerian tech companies, and we set compensation relative to what skilled professionals can earn locally, not to what the role would pay in London. Pay is in USD, invoiced monthly as a contractor or structured as local employment depending on your jurisdiction. We adjust upward within the range based on the strength of your existing MNO relationships and whether those relationships can accelerate our carrier pipeline in year one. There is no equity at the contractor tier; full-time hires are eligible.
Hiring process
- Submit via the talent pool form at /careers/openings/carrier-operations-lead. Include a brief summary of the most complex carrier commercial relationship you have managed - which MNO, what the deal structure was, what went wrong, and how you resolved it.
- 30-minute introductory call with our operations lead: focused on your existing carrier relationships and how you approach regulatory navigation in your market.
- 60-minute structured interview with a co-founder: scenario-based questions on carrier negotiation, delivery quality escalation, and regulatory compliance situations.
- Reference check with one or two named contacts at African MNOs you have worked with directly. We will ask for introductions, not just names.