Principal Roaming & Partnerships Strategist

 

PURPOSE OF POSITION: 

Own and drive GCI’s end-to-end wholesale wireless roaming and strategic partnership strategy,  with enterprise accountability for commercial performance, partner ecosystem development, and long-term market positioning. Serve as the company’s most senior subject matter expert (SME) for wholesale wireless partnerships, leading strategy across inbound and outbound roaming, carrier relationships, and emerging partnership models. 

Operate with significant autonomy and executive visibility, influencing priorities across Product, Network, Finance, and Executive Leadership to optimize revenue, margin, network utilization and customer experience outcomes

Primary customers include international, nationwide, regional and Alaska-based wireless communications providers and roaming partners. This role serves as the primary strategic and commercial point of contact for all wholesale roaming accounts and carrier partnership relationships.

Internally, the position partners closely with Wholesale, Product, Network Operations, Engineering, Consumer, Business, Finance, and Executive Leadership teams to ensure alignment, operational execution, service excellence, and achievement of enterprise business objectives. 

Key Accountabilities Include:

• Defining and evolving GCI’s enterprise wireless roaming and strategic partnership strategy in alignment with product, consumer, business  and network priorities.
• Managing the full portfolio of inbound and outbound roaming agreements and wholesale wireless partnerships.
• Leading commercial performance, revenue optimization, and profitability of inbound roaming services. 
• Coordinating outbound roaming services and carrier relationships for GCI subscribers in alignment with operational, technical and financial objectives. 
• Developing and maintaining strong internal and external relationships  to support service delivery, issue resolution, and long-term partnership growth. 
• Ensuring compliance with company policies, contractual obligations, regulatory requirements, and applicable industry standards.

  ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Enterprise Partnership Strategy & Portfolio Ownership

• Define, develop, and evolve GCI’s wholesale wireless partnership strategy, including roaming, resale, interconnect, and broader ecosystem expansion opportunities. 
• Provide portfolio-level commercial leadership with accountability for  revenue growth, margin optimization, cost structures, and long-term strategic value  across all roaming and wholesale wireless relationships. 
• Lead development of multi-year strategic roadmaps aligned to GCI’s wireless, mobility, broadband, and enterprise growth strategies.  
• Serve as executive-level relationship lead for strategic roaming and carrier partners (e.g., Tier 1 operators, international carriers, and key industry stakeholders).
• Evaluate emerging market trends, partnership models, and competitive opportunities to support enterprise growth and differentiation. 

Complex Deal Structuring & Negotiation Leadership

• Lead high-value, complex, and multi-party negotiations for roaming and wholesale wireless agreements, including pricing structures, settlements, technical requirements, service levels, and performance obligations. 
• Develop innovative commercial constructs including reciprocal roaming models, usage-based pricing strategies, strategic alliances, and partnership frameworks. 
• Conduct financial modeling, business case development, and commercial analysis to support negotiation strategies and executive decision-making.
• Act as senior escalation points for commercial, operational,  and contractual disputes.
• Partner with Legal, Finance, Product, and Network teams to ensure agreements align with enterprise risk, operational capabilities, and strategic objectives.

Cross-Functional Influence & Execution Leadership 

• Drive alignment across Product, Enterprise, Network, Engineering, and Finance to:  
  • Optimize network utilization and roaming economics
  • Align partnership strategy with product roadmap and business priorities (e.g., FWA, mobility, MVNO and future wireless services).
• Influence prioritization of network investments, operational enhancements, an