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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Voice Analyst

💰 $65,000 - $95,000

Information TechnologyTelecommunicationsNetwork AdministrationData Analysis

🎯 Role Definition

A Voice Analyst serves as a cornerstone of an organization's communication infrastructure, ensuring the reliability, quality, and efficiency of all voice and unified communications (UC) systems. This role involves a blend of technical administration, in-depth troubleshooting, and performance analysis. At its core, the Voice Analyst is responsible for the day-to-day operations, monitoring, and support of VoIP platforms, contact center technologies, and associated network components. They act as the subject matter expert for voice-related incidents, service requests, and system optimizations, bridging the gap between end-users, network engineering teams, and external telecommunications carriers to deliver a seamless and high-quality communication experience.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Telecom Technician
  • IT Help Desk/Support Specialist (Tier 2)
  • Junior Network Administrator

Advancement To:

  • Senior Voice Analyst / Voice Engineer
  • Unified Communications (UC) Engineer or Architect
  • Telecommunications Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Network Analyst / Engineer
  • Systems Administrator
  • IT Business Analyst (with a focus on communications technology)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Proactively monitor the health and performance of the enterprise-wide voice infrastructure, including Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM), Unity Connection, IM & Presence, and Microsoft Teams Voice environments.
  • Conduct in-depth analysis and troubleshooting of complex voice quality issues, utilizing packet capture tools like Wireshark to diagnose problems related to jitter, latency, packet loss, and MOS scores.
  • Manage and configure Session Border Controllers (SBCs), ensuring secure and reliable connectivity for SIP trunking and interconnectivity between disparate voice systems.
  • Execute daily Move, Add, Change, and Delete (MACD) requests for end-user telephony devices, soft clients, voicemail boxes, and user profiles across multiple platforms.
  • Perform detailed analysis of Call Detail Records (CDR) and call management data to generate reports on call volume, trunk utilization, and user activity for capacity planning and cost allocation.
  • Act as a primary escalation point (Tier 2/3) for the IT service desk, providing expert-level support to resolve complex voice and video-related incidents and service requests.
  • Maintain comprehensive and accurate documentation of the voice environment, including network diagrams, dial plans, call flow configurations, and standard operating procedures.
  • Collaborate closely with the network engineering team to configure and validate Quality of Service (QoS) policies across the WAN and LAN to prioritize real-time voice and video traffic.
  • Interface directly with telecommunications carriers and service providers to provision new circuits, troubleshoot outages on SIP trunks and PRIs, and manage service-level agreements (SLAs).
  • Participate in the design, testing, and implementation phases of projects involving upgrades, expansions, or migrations of voice systems and contact center platforms.
  • Administer and support the organization's contact center infrastructure, including call routing scripts, agent configurations, and reporting within platforms like Cisco UCCX or Genesys.
  • Conduct regular system health checks, performance tuning, and patching on all voice-related servers and appliances to ensure system stability and security.
  • Develop and maintain dial plan architecture, including translation patterns, route patterns, and calling search spaces, to ensure efficient and logical call routing globally.
  • Manage and secure the voice network against potential threats, such as toll fraud, by implementing security policies on gateways, SBCs, and call controllers.
  • Assist in the lifecycle management of all telephony hardware, including IP phones, conference room devices, headsets, and analog gateways, from procurement to decommissioning.
  • Provide training and create knowledge base articles for end-users and help desk staff on new voice features, system functionalities, and basic troubleshooting steps.
  • Ensure the voice system's compliance with critical regulations, including E911/NG911, by regularly testing and validating location-based information services.
  • Analyze system capacity and performance metrics to forecast future needs, providing recommendations for hardware and software upgrades or architectural changes.
  • Develop and maintain automation scripts (e.g., using PowerShell or Python) to streamline repetitive administrative tasks such as bulk user provisioning or reporting.
  • Evaluate emerging voice and collaboration technologies, conducting proof-of-concept testing and presenting findings and recommendations to technology leadership.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis related to telecommunication expenses and usage patterns.
  • Contribute to the organization's broader data strategy and roadmap by providing insights on communication data points.
  • Collaborate with various business units to translate their communication and collaboration needs into technical and engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning sessions, daily stand-ups, and other agile ceremonies as part of the infrastructure or data engineering teams.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • VoIP & UC Platform Administration: Deep expertise in managing and configuring enterprise-grade platforms such as Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM), Cisco Unity Connection, and IM & Presence.
  • Microsoft Teams Voice: Proven experience with Microsoft Teams Phone System, including Direct Routing configuration, auto attendants, call queues, and user policy management.
  • Session Border Controllers (SBCs): Hands-on experience with the configuration, management, and troubleshooting of SBCs from vendors like Oracle (Acme Packet), Ribbon/Sonus, or AudioCodes.
  • Core Voice Protocols: Strong, fundamental understanding of SIP, H.323, MGCP, and the RTP/RTCP suite, including the ability to analyze SIP ladder diagrams.
  • Network Analysis: Proficiency in using network packet capture and analysis tools, particularly Wireshark, to diagnose and resolve voice quality and signaling issues.
  • Network Fundamentals: Solid knowledge of TCP/IP networking, including VLANs, DHCP, DNS, and especially Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms (e.g., DSCP, CoS).
  • Carrier Services: Familiarity with managing and troubleshooting telecommunication carrier services, including SIP trunks, ISDN PRI, and POTS lines.
  • Contact Center Technologies: Experience supporting contact center platforms like Cisco Unified Contact Center Express (UCCX), UCCE, or similar systems (e.g., Genesys, Five9).
  • Scripting & Automation: Basic to intermediate ability to use scripting languages, such as PowerShell or Python, for automating administrative tasks and generating custom reports.
  • Hardware Proficiency: Experience with a range of voice hardware, including various models of Cisco/Poly IP phones, video conferencing units, and analog terminal adapters (ATAs).

Soft Skills

  • Problem-Solving & Analytical Thinking: A logical and methodical approach to troubleshooting complex technical issues, with the ability to analyze data and identify root causes.
  • Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, capable of explaining complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences and collaborating effectively with technical peers.
  • Customer Focus: A strong commitment to providing outstanding support and ensuring a positive end-user experience.
  • Attention to Detail: Meticulous and precise in executing changes, maintaining documentation, and analyzing system data.
  • Collaboration & Teamwork: Ability to work effectively within a team environment, including with network engineers, systems administrators, and business stakeholders.
  • Time Management: Skilled at prioritizing tasks, managing a queue of incidents and requests, and meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
  • Adaptability: Eagerness to learn new technologies and adapt to evolving communication platforms and business requirements.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • An Associate's degree in a technical field or equivalent demonstrated experience combined with relevant industry certifications.

Preferred Education:

  • A Bachelor’s degree in a related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Information Technology
  • Telecommunications
  • Computer Science
  • Network Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 3-7 years of dedicated experience in a role focused on the administration and support of enterprise VoIP and Unified Communications systems.

Preferred:

  • Possession of relevant industry certifications is highly desirable, such as Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Collaboration / CCNP Collaboration, or Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Voice Engineer Expert.
  • Demonstrable experience in an environment with a large, multi-site, or global user base.
  • Prior experience with a migration project from a legacy PBX to a VoIP solution or from an on-premise UC system to a cloud-based one (like Microsoft Teams).
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