Director of IT - Infrastructure - Teliax, Inc

Position Overview

Teliax, a leader in telecommunications innovation, is seeking a visionary Director of IT - Infrastructure to oversee the day-to-day operations of our IT infrastructure. This includes managing our telecommunications facilities, interfacing with Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs), data centers, and colocation environments. The role requires a seasoned leader who combines technical expertise with strategic acumen to drive sustainable engineering practices across our telecommunications infrastructure. This is a hybrid position which includes team management and individual contribution.

Key Responsibilities

Infrastructure Leadership

• Oversee all aspects of physical and virtual IT infrastructure, ensuring optimal performance, security, and scalability.
• Manage the installation, configuration, and maintenance of hardware systems, including servers, switches, routers, and telecom equipment in data centers and colocation environments.
• Expertise in managing telecommunications facilities, including central offices, colocation environments, and carrier hotels.
• Ensure documentation of infrastructure assets, including network diagrams, rack layouts, and system configurations.

Physical Infrastructure Deployment & Maintenance

• Lead the deployment of physical hardware, including racking, cabling, and environmental monitoring in data centers.
• Conduct routine maintenance and inspections to ensure reliability and longevity of infrastructure assets.
• Design and implement strategies to ensure redundancy, failover, and disaster recovery for physical systems.
• Supervise the assembly, cabling, and hardware installation in data centers and remote sites, ensuring optimal performance and compliance with safety standards.
• Conduct routine inspections and preventive maintenance of hardware systems to minimize downtime.
• Coordinate with field teams to execute infrastructure installations and resolve physical hardware issues promptly
• Skilled in provisioning and troubleshooting physical and logical circuits across diverse facilities.

Telecommunications

• Liaison with carriers, equipment vendors, and internal teams to ensure proper connectivity and system performance.
• Proficient in preparing, submitting, and tracking Access Service Requests for new circuits, upgrades, or decommissioning. 
• Skilled in using telecommunications test equipment to verify signal integrity and isolate faults in TDM circuits.
• Ability to work with central office technicians to resolve facility-related issues efficiently
• Knowledgeable in coordinating with ILECs and CLECs to expedite service delivery and address regulatory compliance issues.
• Ability to manage SS7 networks including knowledge of protocols such as TCAP, SCTP, SIGTRAN, M2UA/M3UA, etc.

Networking

• Manage and optimize configurations, including network hardware and support for, LANs, WANs, and VLANs, to ensure security and performance.
• Coordinate with ILECs and service providers to integrate telecommunications services with internal systems.
• Extensive experience with the physical setup and maintenance of servers, switches, routers, and telecom systems.
• Familiarity with rack installations, cabling standards, and environmental monitoring in data centers.

Vendor and Team Management

• Negotiate with hardware vendors, service providers, and data center operators for procurement and service-level agreements.
• Lead and mentor a team of IT professionals, fostering collaboration and continuous improvement.

Strategic Planning & Alignment

• Align infrastructure initiatives with Teliax’s strategic objectives, driving innovation and operational excellence.
• Stay informed on emerging technologies to recommend upgrades and optimizations.
• Research and recommend physical technology upgrades or enhancements to improve operational efficiency.
• Design and implement failover strategies for physical systems, ensuring business continuity during outages or disasters.
• Oversee the backup, recovery, and physical security of hardware and data assets.

Required Technical Skills

Physical Infrastructure

• Extensive experience in physical system deployment, including racking, cabling, and configuring servers, switches, and routers.
• Proficiency in physical infrastructure troubleshooting and monitoring tools
• Familiarity with carrier-specific tools and processes for facilities, circuit ordering and escalation. (TIRKS, CLONES) 
• Comprehensive knowledge of legacy TDM protocols, including DS0, DS1 (T1), DS3, and SONET/SDH.

Linux Systems Knowledge

• Knowledge of Linux server management, including installation, configuration, and troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with scripting (e.g., Bash, Python) to automate tasks and improve efficiency.
• Experience with containerization tools (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, etc).
• Understand and be able to support the infrastructure consisting primarily of Linux-based systems.
• Collaborate with teams to streamline network and system integrations, including VPNs, firewalls, and authentication mechanisms (e.g., LDAP, PAMs)
• Oversee the deployment of metal for virtualization platforms and containerization tools (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) to the specifications of the Systems and Development teams.

Networking

• Understanding of network protocols and tools (e.g., DNS, DHCP, VPNs, tcpdump).
• Experience with VLANs, routing, firewalls, and high-availability networking solutions.

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Computer Engineering (Master’s preferred) or equivalent experience. 

Experience:

• 8+ years in IT infrastructure roles, including leadership experience.
• Strong background in physical infrastructure and Linux systems..
• Experience in telecommunications or related industries is highly desirable.

Skills:

• Proven ability to lead teams and manage complex infrastructure projects.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with attention to detail.

Why Join Teliax?

Join a company at the forefront of telecommunications innovation. Based in Denver, Colorado, Teliax offers competitive compensation, a comprehensive benefits package, and the opportunity to drive infrastructure advancements in a dynamic and collaborative environment.