Full-Time

Manager, Unified Communications & Contact Center Technology

Posted on 8/20/2026

Independence Pet Group

Independence Pet Group

501-1,000 employees

North American pet insurance provider

No salary listed

Chicago, IL, USA + 2 more

More locations: Scottsdale, AZ, USA | New York, NY, USA

Hybrid

Hybrid work is strongly preferred at 1–2 days per week in the listed cities; remote within the United States may be considered.

Bachelor's

Category
DevOps & Infrastructure (1)
Required Skills
Data Analysis

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Requirements
  • Experience in the design, deployment, and configuration of on-premises and cloud-based telephony and contact center solutions.
  • Experience integrating telecommunications with third-party systems.
  • Post-secondary education or an equivalent combination of education and business experience.
  • At least 6 years of experience in telecommunications architecture, engineering, or unified communications management.
  • At least 5 years of leadership experience overseeing technical and/or operational teams in a large enterprise environment.
  • Proven success leading the design and implementation of enterprise-scale contact center and unified communications solutions.
  • Experience leading the integration of artificial-intelligence-driven solutions into telecommunications and contact center platforms, including conversational artificial intelligence, chatbots, voice analytics, and intelligent routing.
  • Proven ability to evaluate, select, and deploy emerging artificial intelligence technologies that enhance customer experience, agent productivity, and operational efficiency.
  • Experience translating business objectives into comprehensive technology strategies and actionable implementation plans.
  • Vendor negotiation and contract management experience, including with artificial-intelligence solution providers and cloud communication vendors.
  • Authority to review, validate, and approve high-value technology expenditures and vendor invoices in alignment with budget.
  • Ability to travel up to 10% of the time to support projects, vendor meetings, and cross-site collaboration.
  • Ability to collaborate effectively with technical teams, business stakeholders, and external vendors.
  • Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills to resolve complex issues and use data-driven insights to optimize performance and drive continuous improvement.
  • Ability to work independently while maintaining collaboration within a cross-functional, team-oriented environment.
Responsibilities
  • Develop and execute a comprehensive telecommunications and contact center technology strategy aligned with enterprise goals.
  • Assess and architect a flexible, enterprise-wide design for unified communications and contact center technologies.
  • Lead the evaluation and implementation of new communication technologies and integrations to enhance customer experience and operational agility.
  • Advise executive leadership on telecommunications strategy, industry trends, and emerging technologies.
  • Lead, mentor, and develop teams of telephony administrators, support personnel, and workforce management professionals.
  • Oversee day-to-day operations of telecommunications systems to ensure high availability, reliability, and performance.
  • Establish clear performance goals and foster continuous improvement and innovation.
  • Partner with business unit leaders, end users, and information technology teams to identify process-improvement and technology-enhancement opportunities.
  • Facilitate information gathering, requirements elicitation, and business-needs analysis for telecommunications and contact center projects.
  • Document and validate detailed business and technical requirements, and manage testing and implementation processes.
  • Act as a liaison between technical teams, vendors, and business stakeholders to ensure effective communication and solution alignment.
  • Support the full lifecycle of improvement initiatives, from defining mandates and implementing solutions to measuring and reporting tangible benefits.
  • Manage vendor relationships and contracts related to telecommunications and contact center platforms.
  • Oversee the integration of third-party technologies to ensure compliance with organizational security and data standards.
  • Evaluate vendor solutions for cost, performance, and scalability to ensure value and sustainability.
Independence Pet Group

Independence Pet Group

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Independence Pet Group (IPG) is a large North American network that provides pet insurance and related services through brands like Figo, Felix, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, Pets Plus Us, and AKC Pet Insurance, covering more than 1,000,000 pets in the U.S. and Canada. Its products include insurance policies sold by its brands, plus tools such as microchip identification and an online pet registry, along with well-being resources and business solutions for the pet industry. IPG differentiates itself through its scale and breadth—multiple brand options plus industry services and technology that go beyond basic coverage. Its goal is to improve pet health and safety by making insurance accessible and offering practical tools and resources to pets, owners, and industry partners.

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

Growth Equity (Non-Venture Capital)

Total Funding

$55.6M

Headquarters

Chicago, Illinois

Founded

N/A

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Venkat's February 2026 appointment signals tighter underwriting and faster product execution.
  • The January 2024 Fear Free partnership strengthens brand trust around preventative care.
  • Employer and shelter distribution broadened in 2025, reducing dependence on direct-to-consumer acquisition.

What critics are saying

  • Spot, Embrace, Pumpkin, and Nationwide crowd IPG's core markets with sharper consumer brands.
  • Veterinary inflation hit 5.1% in February 2026, pressuring loss ratios and pricing.
  • If rates lag claims, JAB can rationalize brands and shrink IPG's standalone role.

What makes Independence Pet Group unique

  • IPG unifies AKC, Figo, ASPCA, Spot, and Felix under one operating stack.
  • Kirk Haggard kept the platform private within JAB's pet-care ecosystem.
  • Vandana Venkat joined in February 2026, bringing insurance underwriting and AI operating discipline.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Paid Vacation

Paid Holidays

Parental Leave

Commuter Benefits

Employee Assistance Program

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

24%

1 year growth

24%

2 year growth

24%
PR Newswire
Feb 24th, 2026
Independence Pet Holdings appoints Vandana Venkat as president of Independence Pet Group

Independence Pet Holdings has appointed Vandana Venkat as President of Independence Pet Group. Venkat brings over 20 years of experience in insurance and financial services, having held senior positions at Argo Group, Clearcover and PURE Insurance, where she led underwriting, operations strategy and AI innovation. Earlier in her career, Venkat worked in product, pricing and risk management roles at Progressive, Kemper and Allianz/Fireman's Fund. She holds dual master's degrees in Industrial Engineering & Operations Research and Applied Mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Independence Pet Group oversees brands including AKC Pet Insurance, OnePack Plan by PetPartners, Figo and ASPCA Pet Health Insurance. Independence Pet Holdings, established in 2021, manages pet insurance services supporting over one million pets across the US and Canada.

Coverager
Jun 3rd, 2024
Independence Pet acquires Spot Insurance

Independence Pet Group (IPH) has acquired a majority interest in Spot Pet Insurance, a company founded in 2019 and launched in 2020, headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida. This acquisition builds on a partnership that began in 2022 with IPH’s initial investment in Spot. IPH, founded in 2021 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, has $55.59 million in total funding. IPH currently handles Spot’s underwriting, customer service, claims activities, and other administrative services.

Coverager
Jun 3rd, 2024
Independence Pet Holdings acquires Spot Pet Insurance

Independence Pet holdings acquires Spot Pet Insurance.

PR Newswire
Jan 17th, 2024
Independence Pet Group® And Fear Free, Llc, Team Up To Improve Emotional Wellbeing Care For Pets

Pet health and wellbeing advancements drive partnership to increase awareness across the industrySCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Independence Pet Group® (IPG), a leader in pet insurance and services, and Fear Free®, LLC, a revolutionary animal health and welfare online education company, announced today a new strategic relationship to increase the accessibility and education of Fear Free practices and pet insurance in an effort to further pets' emotional and physical wellbeing.Since 2016, Fear Free has educated 265,000+ pet industry professionals, volunteers, and pet parents on how to help relieve fear, anxiety, and stress in pets. As Fear Free's latest Corporate Program Member, IPG's pet insurance brands will be Fear Free's pet insurance providers of choice. IPG's brands include Figo Pet Insurance, Felix Cat Insurance, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, and AKC Pet Insurance in the US and Pets Plus Us in Canada."Independence Pet Group recognizes pet health is holistic and it's critical to address both a pet's physical and emotional wellbeing. Through this relationship, our brands will provide pet parents with best-in-class content on how to address and support their pet's behavioral and emotional wellbeing, further strengthening the bond they share with their pet," said Nilpa Srivastava, Chief Marketing Officer, Independence Pet Group.Fear, anxiety, and stress in pets has been linked to inaccurate diagnostics, aggression at the vet, and other issues.1 Because of this, many pet owners, such as cat owners, steer clear of the vet, further inhibiting their felines from receiving routine care for both physical and emotional needs. To further support feline health, the Felix Cat Insurance program and Fear Free will create informational content for both industry professionals and pet parents to help reduce fear and alleviate stress and anxiety for pets when it comes to getting the care they need."We are passionate about listening to the needs of animal health professionals and the new generation of pet owners and providing information and resources to fit those needs," said Randy Valpy, Chief Executive Officer, Fear Free

Capitol Broadcasting Co., Inc.
Nov 17th, 2023
Pet Insurance Firm Based In Raleigh Raises $55M, Business Nc Reports

Insurance Pet Holdings raised the money from 27 investors and sold stock, options and warrants.The company recently acquired cat insurance company Felix for an undisclosed amount. In addition to providing insurance for more than 800,000 pets, Insurance Pet also offers microchip identification and an online pet registry.Dogs make up the majority of insured pets in the United States, with 80.1% of insured dogs compared to 19.9% of insured cats, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association State of the Industry Report. The total number of pets insured in 2022 reached 5.36 million, up from 4.4 million in 2021, according to the report.The pet insurance market size was valued at $9.4 billion in 2022 and is estimated to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 17.04% from 2023 to 2030, according to Grand View Research.Its CEO is Lane Kent, who had served as chief operating officer since the company’s formation in 2021. He became CEO at the beginning of 2023 and has more than 30 years of industry experience, including holding executive positions at Mutual of Omaha, New York Life, Univita/LTCG, and Southern Guaranty Insurance.For more details, read the full story at Business North Carolina