Principal Architect, Network Research and Development

Lumen
United States
Workplace: RemoteFull timeUSD 152,066 - 223,031 annuallyFunction: Software EngineeringExperience: 12+ yearsEducation: bachelorsSkills: ["Executive and technical communication","Influencing without authority","Mentorship","Operating in ambiguity","Disciplined experimentation"]

Lead Network Research & Development as a senior technical authority, shaping Lumen’s future network capabilities through disciplined experimentation and practical evaluation of emerging technologies. You’ll define hypotheses, design and run pilots/lab validations and simulations, build reference architectures, and translate findings into architecture implications, risk assessments, and recommendations for senior technical and business stakeholders. Collaborate across engineering, security, product, and operations to connect R&D outcomes to enterprise priorities and roadmap decisions.

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Lumen
Lumen
2 days ago

Principal Architect, Network Research and Development

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Job Summary

Lead Network Research & Development as a senior technical authority, shaping Lumen’s future network capabilities through disciplined experimentation and practical evaluation of emerging technologies. You’ll define hypotheses, design and run pilots/lab validations and simulations, build reference architectures, and translate findings into architecture implications, risk assessments, and recommendations for senior technical and business stakeholders. Collaborate across engineering, security, product, and operations to connect R&D outcomes to enterprise priorities and roadmap decisions.
Location: United States
Workplace: Remote
Employment Type: Full time
Job Function: Software Engineering
Seniority: Mid level

Key Responsibilities

  • •Serve as a senior technical authority for Network R&D initiatives, providing architectural direction across emerging network technologies and future capability exploration.
  • •Evaluate emerging technologies (e.g., quantum networking, post-quantum cryptography, autonomous networks, AI infrastructure, programmable networks, digital twins, advanced security capabilities) for relevance to Lumen’s strategy.
  • •Develop reference architectures, design patterns, proof-of-concepts, and decision frameworks to determine whether capabilities should stop, continue, scale, or transition.
  • •Lead deep technical analysis of vendor/startup/academic/national lab/open-source/consortium innovation opportunities and ensure partnerships produce actionable insights.
  • •Design and guide experiments, pilots, lab validations, and simulations; translate findings into architecture implications, risk assessments, trade-off analyses, and recommendations for technical and business stakeholders.

Pay and Benefits

Salary: USD 152,066 - 223,031 annually
Perks:Health InsuranceDentalVision401kGym MembershipLearning Budget

Key Requirements

  • •Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, telecommunications, applied science, or a related technical field; advanced degree preferred.
  • •12+ years of experience in network architecture, network engineering, advanced technology strategy, R&D, product/platform engineering, security architecture, or related disciplines.
  • •Deep expertise in advanced network domains such as optical and transport systems, IP networking, programmable networks, cloud-native infrastructure, automation, AI-enabled infrastructure, edge/distributed compute, security architecture, or next-generation access technologies.
  • •Ability to evaluate emerging technologies and convert technical uncertainty into structured experiments, architectural options, decision points, and business-relevant recommendations.
  • •Ability to operate in ambiguity and communicate complex concepts to senior leaders, peer architects, engineering teams, vendors, and non-technical stakeholders.
Experience:12+ yearsTelecommunicationsCloudInfrastructureSecurityAIR&DOpen-source
Education:Bachelor's in engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, telecommunications, applied science, or related technical field
Skills:Executive and technical communicationInfluencing without authorityMentorshipOperating in ambiguityDisciplined experimentation
Tech Stack:Quantum networkingPost-quantum cryptographyQKDNext-generation optical systemsFiber systemsPhotonic technologiesAutonomous networksAI infrastructureProgrammable networksEdge computeDistributed computeDigital twinsSecurity architectureIP networkingSimulationsLab validation

Company Brief

Lumen
Provides integrated communications, network, edge cloud, and security services to enterprise, government, and carrier customers, operating a global fiber network and delivering connectivity and managed IT solutions.
Industry: Telecommunications
Company Size: Enterprise (1,001+ employees)
Revenue: USD 1B+
Growth: Public Company
Valuation: Public Company (Market Cap in USD)
Funding: IPO / Publicly Listed
Headquarters: Monroe, United States
WebsiteLinkedIn