Manager - Roaming Test at MTN Nigeria

MTN Nigeria is part of the MTN Group, Africa\'s leading cellular telecommunications company. On May 16, 2001, MTN became the first GSM network to make a call following the globally lauded Nigerian GSM auction conducted by the Nigerian Communications Commission earlier in the year. Thereafter the company launched full commercial operations beginning with Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. MTN paid $285m for one of four GSM licenses in Nigeria in January 2001. To date, in excess of US$1.8 billion has been invested building mobile telecommunications infrastructure in Nigeria. Since launch in August 2001, MTN has steadily deployed its services across Nigeria. It now provides services in 223 cities and towns, more than 10,000 villages and communities and a growing number of highways across the country, spanning the 36 states of the Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Many of these villages and communities are being connected to the world of telecommunications for the first time ever. The company\'s digital microwave transmission backbone, the 3,400 Kilometre Y\'elloBahn was commissioned by President Olusegun Obasanjo in January 2003 and is reputed to be the most extensive digital microwave transmission infrastructure in all of Africa. The Y\'elloBahn has significantly helped to enhance call quality on MTN network.

Mission/ Core purpose of the Job

The Test Manager has the overall responsibility to lead the end-2-end roaming testing strategy and implementation between the OpCo’s, the roaming partners, test equipment supplier.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Performance Areas: Core, essential responsibilities / outputs of the position (KPA's)

Core:

• The Test Manager will be accountable to achieve the following KPA’s:
• Deliver a GSMA-compliant roaming testing strategy for the Roaming Hub.
• Lead the Testing Team and ensure an efficient roaming testing process
• Deliver the Test Factory RVAS for all roaming partners and OpCo’s. 
• End to end responsible for all IREG testing, TADIG testing and quality testing (GRQ) between MTN OpCo’s and the roaming partners
• Ensure that SLA’s for testing and troubleshooting are maintained.
• Ensure that monthly KPI’s are met for completed IREG tests, TADIG validation (TCC), IR.21 implementations, billing implementations and quality tests.
• Keep the roaming footprint for OpCo’s up to date.
• E2E onboarding of new customers
• Logging and tracking of roaming quality issues for OPCOs/partners.
• Monitor and report on international roaming performance.
• Conduct regular regression tests (QoS) with commercially launched partners
• Liaise with foreign operators,, internal departments, and external parties with regards to roaming related issues.
• Conduct analysis of roaming service abnormalities/performance functional tests.
•  
• Responsibilities:
• The Test Manager is responsible in this position to:
• Lead and be responsible for a team of IREG, TADIG and Quality coordinators, and Services Administrator
• Ensure day-to-day activities related to roaming testing, trouble-shooting, test prioritisation, test reporting, process escalations, and for setting test requirements in compliance with the GSMA.
• Ensure contact between roaming partners and Roaming Operations IREG and TADIG testing and technical integration teams.
• Lead a team for E2E technical roaming testing (i.e. IREG - TADIG- quality service launch).
• Assume full responsibility to approve tests.
• Efficiently use test units put at disposal to meet business objectives.
• Ensure successful test provisioning to expand the MTN roaming services footprint.
• Manage testing of all roaming services; e.g. GSM (IR.24), GPRS (IR.35), CAMEL (IR.32 & IR.60), 3G, 3.5G, 4G, and 5G.

QUALIFICATIONS

Job Requirements (Education, Experience and Competencies)

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, IT, and/or Telecommunications
• Formal leadership certification training (preferred)
• English: verbal and written proficiency
• French: Advantage

Experience:

• 8 years’ experience in managing end-to-end roaming testing
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience leading roaming testing teams
• Experience with Quality of Services (QoS) and commercial launch processes
• Experience with SS7 and GPRS tracing, as well as GRX & IPX providers
• Experience with the technical troubleshooting of International Roaming; in a hub advantageous
• Experience with IR.21 creation, updates, distribution, and management in GSMA’s RAEX
• 5 + years’ experience in the leadership and development of teams
• Experienced in creating and conducting presentations in English.
• Experienced presenting to senior management and OpCo leadership.

Competencies:

• Deep understanding of telecom networks, billing flows, handsets, and roaming services
• Documented technical skills pertaining to GSMA regulations about IREG and TADIG testing (i.e. IR.24, IR.35, IR.32, IR.60, 3G, and 4G/LTE)
• Strong knowledge of SS7 signalling and core network management;
• Deep knowledge of GPRS platforms (i.e. SGSN, GGSN) and associated protocols
• Solid background, in-depth knowledge and experience GSM and LTE roaming.
• Deep technical understanding of the technology and E2E technical roaming.
• Excellent communications skills (both written and verbal)
• Demonstrated ability to successfully work well within and lead teams
• Strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills
• Strong analytical, investigative, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Demonstrated interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent influencing skills, in particular with decision-makers.
• End-to-end understanding of mobile roaming operations
• Broad knowledge of roaming billing, network engineering, and roaming operations.
• Intermediate skills with MS Office, i.e. Word, Excel, PPT, and SharePoint. Automation of reporting on powerBi and other automation platforms.

Method of Application