Core Network Lead
At a glance
Senior role at Airalo. Remote, Spain · full-time · €76,800–€110,400 base.
remoteroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Lead a team of about five engineers and QA specialists through planning, task assignments and technical reviews
- Build and connect Full MVNO core systems with host mobile operators, covering signalling, packet core, voice and messaging
- Set up core components such as subscriber databases, routing and messaging platforms, then resolve signalling issues
- Make data, voice and SMS services ready, including VoLTE, legacy voice, routing, portability and market-specific compliance
- Coordinate integration and stress tests, review launch readiness, and document the handover to the 24/7 Run team
What you bring
- At least five years of hands-on work with mobile core networks
- At least two years leading engineering or QA teams in agile or delivery-focused settings
- You know packet and voice core systems, including HSS/HLR, policy and charging, VoLTE and legacy voice
- You have expertise in Diameter, SS7 and SIP, plus messaging architecture and SMS routing between operators
Who this fits
This is a hands-on technical lead role combining team management with global network integrations and rollout delivery. The position is remote and full-time; English is the main working language, so you need to communicate comfortably in meetings and asynchronously.
From the employer
Help Us Build The Future of Travel
At Airalo, we're making it easier for people to stay connected wherever they travel. As the world's first eSIM store, we help millions of travelers access affordable mobile data in 200+ countries and regions around the world.
Today, we're a team of 400+ people across 60+ countries, building a product used by travelers every day. We've grown quickly, but we've worked hard to keep what matters: trust, ownership, and the freedom for people to do great work without unnecessary layers or bureaucracy.
We're fully remote by design, genuinely global, and united by a shared mission to make travel simpler for everyone.
Your Next Destination
- Location: Remote.
- Contract: Full-time, permanent.
- Benefits: Learn more about our benefits here in this link - https://airalo-public.notion.site/Benefits-25396a97ffca81fb9bc1f0be479f1be3?pvs=74
- Languages: English is our main working language day to day, so you'll need to be comfortable communicating in it both in meetings and async.
We are looking for a highly skilled, hands-on Technical Team Lead to lead the global build and technical integration of Full MVNO systems. In this role, you will lead a dedicated Build Team responsible for architecting, integrating, testing, and commissioning end-to-end Full MVNO capabilities across global markets.
Operating under a Build-to-Run model, you and your team will build new MVNO capabilities and host MNO integrations from the ground up, execute rigorous testing, and hand over stable, operational systems to a dedicated Run team after launch. This role is ideal for someone with deep technical expertise in Mobile Core networks across voice, VoLTE, data, and SMS, strong knowledge of telecommunications regulations, and experience leading engineering and QA teams.
What You'll Do:
- Lead, mentor and manage a team of around five engineers and QA specialists, owning sprint planning, task allocation and technical reviews across concurrent global rollout streams.
- Establish engineering best practices, integration templates, automated testing strategy and technical handover standards.
- Lead technical integrations with host mobile network operators globally, across signalling, packet core, voice and messaging.
- Own the architecture and setup of Full MVNO core components, from the subscriber database (HSS/HLR) through packet core, signalling routing and messaging platforms.
- Direct implementation and troubleshooting across the signalling stack, including Diameter and SS7.
- Own end-to-end service readiness across data, voice and SMS, covering session management, policy enforcement, data routing, VoLTE, legacy circuit-switched voice and international interconnects.
- Design and validate mobile number portability routing in line with country-specific regulatory frameworks.
- Own regulatory compliance for each market, covering lawful interception (ETSI ES 201 671 / TS 102 232, HI1/HI2/HI3) and emergency service routing such as e112, 911 and 999.
- Partner with QA on integration test plans, stress testing and acceptance testing, then drive Operational Readiness Reviews and clean documented handovers to the 24/7 Run team after launch.
What You'll Bring:
- 5+ years hands-on in mobile core networks
- 2+ years leading a team of engineers and/or QA specialists in an agile or delivery-focused environment.
- Strong working knowledge of both packet core and voice core, including the subscriber database (HSS/HLR), policy and charging, VoLTE and legacy circuit-switched voice.
- Expertise across the signalling stack, including Diameter, SS7 and SIP.
- Experience with messaging architecture and SMS routing, including interworking with other operators.
- Strong delivery mindset across multiple concurrent rollout streams, with clear communication and the ability to produce documentation good enough to hand a system over on.
Nice to have
- Automation experience: CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code (Terraform, Ansible), containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes) or automated signalling test frameworks.
- Hands-on with core MVNO vendors such as Nokia, Ericsson, Mavenir, Oracle Communications, Cisco, Summa Networks, NetNumber or XIUS.
- Cloud-native or virtualised network functions on AWS, Azure, GCP or private cloud.
- Degree in telecommunications engineering, computer science, electrical engineering or similar.
Why People Join Us
We started Airalo to make staying connected effortless, wherever you are in the world. Today, millions of travelers rely on our eSIMs, and many of the people building the product were customers first.
Our team spans 60+ countries, united by a shared belief that great work happens when people are trusted to own what they do. There's trust to own what you do, space to focus without constant layers of process, and a clear sense of what you're responsible for from day one.
As Airalo continues to grow, so do the opportunities to learn, take on new challenges, and make a real impact - from anywhere in the world.