Building a Global Specialist Technology Workforce for a Major Telecom Operator
Telecom Technology Recruitment | Global Talent Delivery | Customer Experience Transformation
At a Glance
INDUSTRY
Telecommunications
PROJECT
Customer Experience Transformation
SERVICE
Specialist Recruitment & Global Talent Delivery
CLIENT
Telecommunications Operator — Middle East (Confidential)
POSITIONS
FILLED
45 professionals
DELIVERY PERIOD
8 months
TALENT MARKETS
Europe, India, Singapore & International Markets
EXPERIENCE LEVEL
8+ years
ENGAGEMENT MODEL
Permanent & Contract
CORE EXPERTISE
BSS/OSS, 5G, Cloud, APIs, Cybersecurity, Architecture & Digital Technology
The Client
A major telecommunications operator in the Middle East embarked on a significant programme to transform how customers interact with the organisation.
The ambition extended across the entire customer journey — from digital channels such as websites and mobile applications to physical retail stores and other customer touchpoints.
To support the programme, the organisation established a dedicated transformation function responsible for designing and implementing the technology and operational capabilities required to create a more connected, consistent and modern customer experience.
As part of an RFP process, Leira Consulting was selected to support the client with the recruitment of specialist technology and telecom professionals required to execute the programme.
The Challenge
The requirement was not a conventional technology hiring exercise.
The programme required professionals with deep experience in telecommunications environments, combined with expertise across a rapidly evolving technology landscape.
The client required mid-to-senior professionals with a minimum of eight years' experience, capable of operating within complex telecom programmes and contributing from day one.
The talent requirement spanned a broad spectrum of specialist disciplines, including:
◇ BSS and OSS
◇ Telecom billing
◇ 5G technologies
◇ Cloud technologies
◇ APIs and digital platforms
◇ Mobile application development
◇ Cybersecurity
◇ Solution architecture
◇ Enterprise architecture
◇ Digital transformation leadership
◇ Project and programme management
◇ Contract and performance management
The challenge was therefore twofold:
Find highly specialised telecom professionals — while simultaneously building a multidisciplinary technology team capable of supporting a large-scale customer experience programme.
The Leira Approach
Starting with Telecom Expertise
The engagement was won through an RFP process, where Leira's senior telecom recruitment professionals played an active role in presenting the company's capabilities and demonstrating its understanding of the talent requirements involved.
Our senior team brought direct knowledge of the telecom recruitment market and experience supporting professionals involved in complex telecommunications programmes.
This allowed Leira to move beyond generic technology recruitment and understand the distinction between different specialist requirements within the telecom ecosystem.
Building a Global Talent Pipeline
The scale and specificity of the requirements meant that the search could not be limited to a single domestic market.
Leira activated an international talent strategy across multiple geographies.
The recruitment programme successfully attracted professionals from:
Europe | India | Singapore | Other International Markets
Approximately 40% of the professionals placed came from Europe, while Indian telecom professionals were also a particularly valuable talent pool.
The client recognised the depth and scale of India's telecommunications ecosystem and its relevance to complex, high-volume telecom environments.
Leira therefore deliberately accessed Indian telecom expertise alongside talent from other international markets.
Recruiting Across the Telecom & Technology Spectrum
Rather than focusing on one technical discipline, Leira built a multidisciplinary workforce covering the core capabilities required by the programme.
The recruitment scope included specialists across:
Telecom Platforms
BSS | OSS | Billing | Telecom Systems
Emerging Technologies
5G | Cloud | APIs | Digital Platforms
Technology & Security
Software Development | Mobile Development | Cybersecurity
Architecture
Solution Architecture | Enterprise Architecture
Programme Leadership
Digital Transformation Management | Project Management | Contract & Performance Management
This breadth enabled the client to work with a single recruitment partner across a complex portfolio of technology requirements.
Delivering Senior Talent
The programme was focused on experienced professionals rather than junior resources.
Candidates were generally required to bring eight or more years of professional experience, with many positions requiring significant exposure to large-scale telecom environments.
Leira's recruitment team therefore targeted experienced specialists and senior professionals capable of operating within complex transformation programmes.
The resulting workforce included:
✓ Senior technology professionals
✓ Telecom specialists
✓ Architects
✓ Project and programme leaders
✓ Digital transformation professionals
✓ Specialist engineers
✓ Software developers
Combining Permanent & Contract Recruitment
The majority of the engagement consisted of direct permanent hires.
For specific technology requirements, Leira also provided a small number of six-month contract professionals, including software development specialists.
These contractors were engaged through Leira's payroll, allowing the client to access specialist expertise for defined project requirements while maintaining flexibility within the overall workforce model.
Results Delivered
45 SPECIALIST PROFESSIONALS PLACED
Over an eight-month recruitment programme, Leira successfully delivered 45 professionals to support the telecom operator's customer experience transformation programme.
GLOBAL TALENT DELIVERED
The recruitment programme accessed talent across multiple international markets, with professionals recruited from:
Europe | India | Singapore | Global Talent Markets
Approximately 40% of the placed professionals were sourced from Europe.
8+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
The programme was built around experienced professionals, with the client seeking candidates with a minimum of approximately eight years' experience for its specialist requirements.
BROAD TELECOM & TECHNOLOGY COVERAGE
Leira delivered talent across the programme's major capability areas, including:
BSS/OSS • Billing • 5G • Cloud • APIs • Cybersecurity • Architecture • Digital Transformation • Project Management • Software Development
SUPPORTING A MAJOR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE PROGRAMME
The professionals recruited became part of the multidisciplinary team supporting the operator's transformation of its customer interaction channels, including digital platforms, mobile applications, physical stores and other customer touchpoints.
The Leira Difference
Telecom Knowledge Meets Global Recruitment Reach
The strength of this engagement was not simply the number of placements.
It was the combination of specialist telecom knowledge, international talent access and the ability to recruit across multiple technology disciplines within one programme.
Leira understood that a BSS/OSS specialist, a 5G engineer, a cybersecurity architect and a digital transformation manager require very different sourcing strategies.
Our recruitment team was able to identify and engage professionals across these specialist communities while maintaining a single, coordinated delivery model for the client.
From RFP to Workforce Delivery
The engagement began through a competitive RFP process.
Leira's senior telecom recruitment professionals were involved from the outset, presenting the company's capabilities and demonstrating an understanding of the client's specialist talent requirements.
Following the successful award of the engagement, Leira transitioned from winning the opportunity to delivering the workforce.
Over the following eight months, the recruitment team sourced, assessed and onboarded 45 professionals across multiple countries and technology disciplines.
This end-to-end capability — from understanding the requirement and presenting the solution through to international sourcing and successful onboarding — was central to the success of the programme.
A Global Talent Engine for Complex Telecom Programmes
The engagement demonstrated Leira's ability to support major telecommunications organisations when their talent requirements extend beyond conventional recruitment.
By combining:
◇ Telecom Expertise
◇ Global Talent Access
◇ Specialist Technology Recruitment
◇ Senior-Level Search
◇ Flexible Permanent & Contract Delivery
Leira successfully built a 45-person specialist workforce over eight months to support a major customer experience transformation programme.
The result was not simply a collection of hires.
It was a multidisciplinary telecom and technology team assembled across international talent markets to support a complex, customer-facing transformation agenda.
Want to understand the broader talent strategy behind this engagement? Read our detailed analysis, “Inside a Global Telecom Talent Transformation: How to Build a 45-Person Specialist Technology Workforce When Critical Skills Are Scarce,” to explore the recruitment challenges, global talent strategy and key lessons from this transformation programme. Read the full analysis →
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