Carrier Relations, Specialist

As a Senior Carrier Relations Specialist , you will serve as Xplore’s operational and commercial subject matter expert for third-party transport circuits. You will be responsible for ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and completeness of carrier service records, validating carrier costs, supporting optimization initiatives, and managing carrier performance across Xplore’s transport network.

You will act as a key liaison between Xplore and external carriers, supporting circuit delivery, service assurance, billing resolution, and contract compliance. This role combines operational expertise, financial analysis, data governance, and vendor management to ensure transport services are delivered efficiently, accurately tracked, and aligned with business and engineering objectives.

Unlike a traditional transport administrator focused primarily on order management, this role provides advanced analytical leadership, drives continuous improvement initiatives, and delivers authoritative circuit and cost data that supports Planning, Architecture, Finance, Transport Engineering, and executive decision-making.

Key responsibilities include:

• Manage complex carrier circuit orders, upgrades, renewals, relocations, and disconnects while tracking delivery milestones, dependencies, and carrier commitments.
• Coordinate with Transport Engineering, Planning, Field Operations, and external carriers to ensure successful implementation and lifecycle management of transport services.
• Maintain and govern the authoritative inventory of all carrier circuits, including technical, commercial, contractual, and operational attributes.
• Lead reconciliation activities between carrier invoices, internal inventory systems, engineering records, and financial data sources to ensure accuracy and completeness.
• Support compliance, audit, and SOX-related documentation requirements by maintaining accurate records and controls.
• Identify data quality gaps, inconsistencies, and process inefficiencies while driving automation initiatives and improvements to data governance practices.
• Lead monthly carrier invoice validation, reconciliation, dispute management, and accurate GL coding across all transport services.
• Analyze circuit utilization, cost trends, and service consumption patterns to identify optimization opportunities, eliminate waste, and support network efficiency initiatives.
• Develop and maintain transport cost forecasts, budget inputs, and long-range financial models to support strategic planning and capital investment decisions.
• Serve as the primary operational escalation point for carriers regarding delivery delays, service impairments, SLA performance concerns, and billing disputes.
• Monitor carrier performance and provide insights, evidence, and reporting to support vendor performance reviews, contract negotiations, and procurement activities.
• Provide accurate circuit inventory and cost data to Architecture, Planning, and Transport Engineering teams for network modeling, design, and investment planning.
• Ensure IRU and leased-circuit information is fully integrated into engineering workflows, documentation, network designs, and operational processes.
• Produce advanced reporting and analytics related to carrier costs, circuit inventory, SLA compliance, delivery performance, and operational metrics.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on process optimization, automation, operational efficiency, and reporting accuracy.
• Collaborate across Planning, Engineering, DevOps, Finance, Procurement, and Operations teams to improve end-to-end carrier management practices.
• Mentor junior Carrier Relations Specialists and contribute to the ongoing development of team capabilities, best practices, and operational standards.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• 10+ years of experience in carrier services, telecommunications operations, transport administration, vendor management, or a related field.
• Strong knowledge of telecommunications transport circuits, carrier networks, IRUs, backhaul services, middle-mile infrastructure, and transport technologies.
• Hands-on experience managing carrier ordering, provisioning, escalation management, service delivery, and vendor performance processes.
• Expertise in telecom billing, invoice validation, cost reconciliation, financial analysis, and operational cost management.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills with experience using data management, reporting, auditing, and reconciliation tools.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex vendor relationships, negotiate outcomes, and resolve operational and commercial issues effectively.
• Strong understanding of data governance, inventory management, record accuracy, and compliance requirements.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence internal stakeholders and external carrier partners.
• Exceptional attention to detail, organizational skills, and commitment to maintaining data integrity and operational excellence.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced telecommunications environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Telecommunications, Finance, or a related discipline.
• Experience supporting large-scale telecommunications networks with multiple carrier partners and transport technologies.
• Knowledge of telecommunications regulatory requirements, wholesale carrier agreements, and service-level management frameworks.
• Experience developing forecasting models, budget planning processes, and long-range financial analyses.
• Familiarity with inventory management systems, network planning platforms, and telecom cost management tools.
• Experience leading process automation, workflow optimization, or data quality improvement initiatives.
• Previous experience mentoring team members and contributing to operational best practices within a carrier relations or transport services function.