Manager, Unified Communications & Contact Center Technology

Independence Pet Holdings; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, dental, vision

Paid parental leave

Retirement savings plan

PTO and holidays

Job summary

Independence Pet Holdings is seeking a Manager of Unified Communications & Contact Center Technology to lead the strategy and architecture of IPG’s enterprise communications. You will guide telephony administration, workforce management, and platform integrations to optimize customer engagement and operational excellence.

Key responsibilities include developing a scalable UC strategy, evaluating new technologies, and partnering with IT and business units to drive measurable improvements across

Qualifications

• Experience designing and leading telecommunications and contact center architectures.
• Strong leadership and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to translate business goals into technology strategies.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive telecommunications and contact center strategy aligned with enterprise goals.
• Architect enterprise-wide UC designs and evaluate new technologies to improve customer experience.
• Lead telephony admins, support teams, and workforce management to ensure high availability and performance.
• Collaborate with executives, IT, and business units to identify process improvements.
• Manage vendor relationships and ensure security and data standards across platforms.

Education

Post-secondary education or equivalent

Tools

Unified Communications

Contact Center Platforms

Vendor Management

Job description

Established in 2021, Independence Pet Holdings is a corporate holding company that manages a diverse and broad portfolio of modern pet health brands and services, including insurance, pet education, lost recovery services, and more throughout North America. We believe pet insurance is more than a financial product and build solutions to simplify the pet parenting journey and help improve the well-being of pets. As a leading authority in the pet category, we operate with a full stack of resources, capital, and services to support pet parents. Our multi-brand and omni-channel approach include our own insurance carrier, insurance brands and partner brands. Independence Pet Group (IPG), a subsidiary of IPH, is one of North America’s largest pet insurance and services organizations. Our impressive family of brands (Figo, Felix, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, Pets Plus Us, and AKC Pet Insurance) supports insurance for more than 1,000,000 pets in the U.S. and Canada and provides well-being, safety, resources, and business solutions to the pet industry, including microchip identification and an online pet registry.

Job Summary

IPG is seeking a Manager, Unified Communications & Contact Center Technology. The Manager, Unified Communications & Contact Center Technology is responsible for the strategic design, implementation, and ongoing leadership of IPG’s enterprise-wide telecommunications and contact center technology infrastructure. This role will serve as the telephony architect, overseeing the development of a flexible, scalable, and secure communication environment that supports the organization’s customer engagement strategies and operational excellence. The Manager will lead teams responsible for telephony administration, support, and workforce management, ensuring optimal performance and alignment with business goals. This position will collaborate with business unit leaders, end-users, and IT teams to identify, design, and implement communication solutions that enhance efficiency, improve customer service, and drive measurable business improvement across IPG.

Key Attributes

Strategic thinker with a focus on innovation and continuous improvement.

Strong leadership presence with the ability to inspire cross-functional collaboration.

Results-oriented mindset committed to operational excellence and customer satisfaction.

Adaptable and forward-looking, comfortable leading emerging technology initiatives.

Job Location

Strong prefernce for Hybrid (1-2 days/week) in Scottsdale, AZ; Chicago, IL; or New York, NY. Willing to consider Remote – USA.

#LI-Remote #LI-Hybrid

Main Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Architecture

Develop and execute a comprehensive telecommunications and contact center technology strategy that aligns with enterprise goals.

Assess and architect a flexible, enterprise-wide design for unified communications and contact center technologies.

Lead the evaluation and implementation of new communication technologies and integrations to enhance customer experience and operational agility.

Serve as a key advisor to executive leadership on telecommunications strategy, industry trends, and emerging technologies.

Oversee the evaluation and support of new technologies and integrations.

Team Leadership & Operations

Lead, mentor, and develop teams of telephony administrators, support personnel, and workforce management professionals.

Oversee day-to-day operations of telecommunication systems, ensuring high availability, reliability, and performance.

Establish clear performance goals and foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

Business Improvement & Collaboration

Partner with business unit leaders, end-users, and IT to identify opportunities for process improvement and technological enhancement.

Facilitate information gathering, requirement elicitation, and business needs analysis for telecommunications and contact center projects.

Document and validate detailed business and technical requirements; manage testing and implementation processes to ensure successful delivery.

Act as a liaison between technical teams, vendors, and business stakeholders to ensure effective communication and solution alignment.

Support the full lifecycle of improvement initiatives—from defining mandates and implementing solutions to measuring and reporting tangible benefits.

Vendor & Technology Management

Manage vendor relationships and contracts related to telecommunications and contact center platforms.

Oversee integration of third-party technologies, ensuring compliance with IPG/IPH security and data standards.

Evaluate cost, performance, and scalability of vendor solutions to ensure value and sustainability.

Basic Qualifications

Develop and execute a comprehensive telecommunications and contact center technology strategy that aligns with enterprise goals. Assess and architect a flexible, enterprise-wide design for unified communications and contact center technologies. Lead the evaluation and implementation of new communication technologies and integrations to enhance customer experience and operational agility. Serve as a key advisor to executive leadership on telecommunications strategy, industry trends, and emerging technologies. Lead, mentor, and develop teams of telephony administrators, support personnel, and workforce management professionals. Oversee day-to-day operations of telecommunication systems, ensuring high availability, reliability, and performance. Establish clear performance goals and foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. Partner with business unit leaders, end-users, and IT to identify opportunities for process improvement and technological enhancement. Facilitate information gathering, requirement elicitation, and business needs analysis for telecommunications and contact center projects. Document and validate detailed business and technical requirements; manage testing and implementation processes to ensure successful delivery. Act as a liaison between technical teams, vendors, and business stakeholders to ensure effective communication and solution alignment. Support the full lifecycle of improvement initiatives—from defining mandates and implementing solutions to measuring and reporting tangible benefits. Manage vendor relationships and contracts related to telecommunications and contact center platforms. Oversee integration of third-party technologies, ensuring compliance with DPIP-NA/DPIP security and data standards. Evaluate cost, performance, and scalability of vendor solutions to ensure value and sustainability.

Experience and Education

• Experience in the design, deployment, and configuration of on-premises and cloud-based telephony and contact center solutions.
• Experience with integrating telecommunication with third-party systems.
• Post-secondary education or equivalent combination of education and business experience.
• 6+ years of experience in telecommunications architecture, engineering, or unified communications management.
• 5+ years of leadership experience overseeing technical and/or operational teams in a large enterprise environment.
• Proven success leading to the design and implementation of enterprise-scale contact center and unified communications solutions.
• Experience leading integration of AI-driven solutions into telecommunications and contact center platforms, such as conversational AI, chatbots, voice analytics, and intelligent routing.
• Proven ability to evaluate, select, and deploy emerging AI technologies that enhance customer experience, agent productivity, and operational efficiency.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with technical teams, business stakeholders, and external vendors.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills with the ability to resolve complex issues and leverage data-driven insights to optimize performance and drive continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently while maintaining strong collaboration within a cross-functional, team-oriented environment.
• Translating business objectives into comprehensive technology strategies and actionable implementation plans.
• Vendor negotiation and contract management experience, including with AI solution providers and cloud communication vendors.
• Authority to review, validate, and approve high-value technology expenditures and vendor invoices in alignment with budget.
• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time to support projects, vendor meetings, and cross-site collaboration.

Benefits

• Comprehensive full medical, dental and vision Insurance
• Basic Life Insurance at no cost to the employee
• Company paid short-term and long-term disability
• 12 weeks of 100% paid Parental Leave
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Retirement savings plan
• Personal Paid Time Off
• Paid holidays and company-wide Wellness Day off
• Paid time off to volunteer at nonprofit organizations
• Pet friendly office environment
• Commuter Benefits
• Group Pet Insurance
• On the job training and skills development
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Interview Technology Notice

Please note that phone and video interviews or screenings may be recorded and transcribed using interview technology to support our recruitment process. By continuing with the interview, you consent to this use.

Text Messaging Notice

If you provide a mobile phone number, you may receive job-related communications via text message. Message and data rates may apply. You may opt out of text communications at any time by replying "STOP."

Additional Information

ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, Embrace, Felix, Figo, Independence American Insurance Company, Pets Best, Pethealth, PetPartners, PetPlace, and Pumpkin are all operated by Independence Pet Holdings (IPH).

At IPH, we welcome and encourage applications from individuals with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates participating in all aspects of the selection process.