Technical Project Lead (Network)

Cipher Recruitment; Adelaide; Hybrid; AUD 140,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Cipher Recruitment is seeking a Technical Project Lead (Network) for a dominant space-tech client in Adelaide. The role combines deep engineering with end-to-end project delivery across Space, Edge, Cloud and Operations, shaping how customer requirements become robust, field-tested solutions.

You will translate commercial strategy into rigorous briefs, drive multi-team delivery, and own go/no-go decisions, with a hybrid work pattern and relocation flexibility for Adelaide.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in engineering with 3+ years in communications (RF, PHY/MAC)
• Experience leading cross-functional engineering delivery through milestones, trials, and deployments
• Strong hands-on analytics with Python and SQL, able to build first-principles models
• Proven ability to translate customer needs into technical requirements and interfaces

Responsibilities

• Drive project briefs, governance, and resource planning through PRB
• Lead multi-team delivery across Edge, Cloud, Data, and satellite partners
• Define interfaces across RF/beam, SDK APIs, cloud pipelines
• Pressure-test designs with first-principles models including link budgets
• Plan trials, go/no-go decisions, and field demonstrations
• Triages escalations, works with Account Management on performance issues
• Ensure runbooks, telemetry, and knowledge capture for operations

Skills

Engineering leadership

Satellite IoT

Project leadership

Python

Data analysis

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Electrical Engineering

Electronic Engineering

Telecommunications Engineering

Computer Engineering

Software Engineering

Physics

Tools

Python

SQL

GitHub

Job description

Adelaide CBD | Hybrid (3–4 days in the office)

Candidates already based in Adelaide or willing to relocate will be considered.

Our client is looking for a Technical Project Lead (Network) to drive technical projects across satellite IoT connectivity, network performance and customer deployments.

The incredible opportunity

Our client's Network team sits at the core of its technology, owning wireless communications on both sides of the link: the satellite constellation, ground stations, and the communications capabilities within its device SDK.

We are looking for a Technical Project Lead who is an engineer first and a project lead by choice—someone who thrives at the intersection of deep technical detail and end-to-end delivery.

In this role, you won’t just track schedules; you will shape and challenge how engineering gets done across Space, Edge, Cloud, and Operations. You will translate customer requirements and commercial strategy into rigorous project briefs, first-principles engineering models, and field-tested solutions.

From scaling cloud infrastructure and data pipelines to driving SDK releases and resolving complex network escalations, you will ensure our space-to-ground connectivity performs seamlessly in the real world.

Key Responsibilities

Drive Project Briefs & Governance: Scope comprehensive project briefs covering problem statements, build-versus-buy decisions, FTE/capex, risk and RDTI alignment, and guide them through the Project Review Board (PRB) to secure resources.

Lead Cross-Team Delivery & Releases: Own delivery timelines across large multi-team programmes and network-specific projects, coordinating Edge, Cloud, Data, and external satellite/ground station partners using Linear and GitHub.

Define Requirements & Interfaces: Translate customer and commercial needs into locked interface specifications across RF/beam configuration, device SDK APIs, message protocols, cloud pipelines and APIs before build commences.

Challenge Technical Design: Pressure-test proposals against first-principles models, including link budgets, latency, orbital dynamics, device energy, backhaul cost, security, privacy, resilience and compliance. Break deadlocks between senior specialists and document architectural rationale.

Oversee Trials & Go/No-Go Calls: Plan lab benchmarks, network load tests and customer field trials using real-world data, owning data-backed go/no-go cutover decisions.

Resolve Customer Technical Escalations: Partner with Account Management on critical performance issues involving coverage, latency and message delivery, rapidly isolating root causes across RF, device firmware and cloud pipelines.

Ensure Operational Handover & Knowledge Capture: Ensure delivered services include verified runbooks, telemetry and monitoring accepted by Operations, leveraging modern workflows and AI tools for tracking and knowledge retrieval.

What We're Looking For

Technical Foundation: A degree in Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications, Computer/Software Engineering, or Physics, with 7+ years in engineering and 3+ years hands-on in communications (e.g. RF, PHY/MAC layers, core network, communications software or secure robust interconnects).

Satellite & IoT Expertise: Practical experience in satellite (LEO/GEO, NTN) and/or cellular IoT (LTE-M, NB-IoT) systems, link budget modelling, coverage, and capacity planning.

Technical Project Leadership: 2+ years leading cross-functional engineering delivery through formal milestones, trials, and customer deployments.

Hands-on Analytical Mindset: Ability to query your own data (Python, SQL), inspect network logs, and build rapid first-principles models rather than waiting for an analyst.

Escalation & Field Grit: Demonstrated track record triaging real-world network anomalies, managing field pilots, and driving escalations from initial alert to verified root cause.

Assertive & Collaborative Communication: Confidence to say \"no\" with evidence to sales, customers, and senior engineers while preserving strong working relationships.

Desirable Experience: Exposure to embedded SDK development, satellite orbital tasking/scheduling, cloud platforms (AWS), or agile certifications (PMP, PRINCE2, Scrum).