Research Engineer in 5G Broadcast Experimental Platforms and Validation.

Inria; Rennes; Sur place; EUR 27 900 - 34 596; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Partial public transport reimbursement

7 weeks annual leave + RTT days

Teleworking after 6 months

Professional equipment provided

Social, cultural and sports events

Vocational training access

Social security coverage

Résumé du poste

The Research Engineer will design, deploy and validate a 5G Broadcast experimental testbed based on USRP platforms, OAI, and related radio equipment. The role covers end-to-end hardware integration, protocol stack setup, signal generation and performance evaluation.

You will develop indoor and outdoor test environments, manage spectrum resources and licenses, and work with academic and industrial partners in the ROBIN project consortium to advance 5G broadcast technologies.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree or equivalent required.
• Strong knowledge of 4G/5G wireless systems and radio access networks.
• Experience with SDR platforms (USRP) and OpenAirInterface or similar platforms.
• Proficiency with Linux, Python, Bash, and/or C/C++.

Responsabilités

• Design, deploy and validate a 5G Broadcast testbed using USRP platforms and OAI.
• Configure RAN components, antennas, signal processing and measurement equipment.
• Characterize radio propagation and evaluate coverage, reliability and performance.
• Manage experimental licenses and spectrum usage for field trials.
• Collaborate with academic and industrial partners within the ROBIN project consortium.

Connaissances

Wireless communications

SDR platforms (USRP)

OpenAirInterface (OAI)

5G PHY/MAC knowledge

Linux scripting (Python/Bash)

English communication

Formation

Graduate degree or equivalent

Outils

USRP

OAI

Radio test equipment

Description du poste

Research Engineer in 5G Broadcast Experimental Platforms and Validation.

Level of qualifications required : Graduate degree or equivalent

Fonction : Temporary scientific engineer

About the research centre or Inria department

The Inria Center at the University of Rennes is one of Inria’s eight research centers and is home to more than thirty research teams. The center is a major and internationally recognized player in the field of digital sciences. It is at the heart of a rich R&D and innovation ecosystem, bringing together highly innovative SMEs, large industrial groups, competitiveness clusters, research and higher education institutions, laboratories of excellence, and a technological research institute.

Context

The Bpifrance i-Démo program, funded under the France 2030 investment plan, supports ambitious collaborative research, development, and innovation (R&D&I) projects with strong technological and economic impact. It aims to accelerate the development of breakthrough technologies and their transfer to the market by fostering collaboration between industrial companies and research organizations.

The ROBIN project is funded under this program and brings together a consortium of two academic partners (INSA Rennes and the University of Rennes) and three industrial partners (TDF, Ateme, and ENENSYS). Together, they are developing innovative solutions for 5G broadcast technologies, with a particular focus on the delivery of broadcast services to 5G terminals.

Scientific Context

The evolution of digital broadcasting and mobile networks has led to the emergence of 5G Broadcast technology, enabling the delivery of high-quality multimedia services, including TV and video content, directly to 5G-enabled terminals. This technology relies on a combination of advanced terminal architectures, communication protocols, and standardization frameworks defined by organizations such as 3GPP.

However, several scientific challenges remain to be addressed, including the optimization of physical and protocol layers, the design of efficient and robust 5G Broadcast base station architectures, and the development of adaptive transmission strategies capable of addressing heterogeneous and dynamic propagation conditions across indoor and outdoor environments.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques offer promising approaches for improving system performance through data‑driven optimization, intelligent resource management, and adaptive configuration. Nevertheless, challenges related to robustness, generalization, reliability, and computational complexity must be considered to ensure the deployment of AI-based solutions in real‑world 5G Broadcast systems.

Assignment

The Research Engineer will be responsible for the design, deployment, and validation of a 5G Broadcast experimental testbed based on USRP platforms, OpenAirInterface (OAI), and associated radio communication equipment. The mission will involve setting up an end-to-end experimental infrastructure, including hardware integration, 5G protocol stack configuration, signal generation and analysis, and performance evaluation.

The engineer will contribute to the deployment of indoor and outdoor test environments for evaluating 5G Broadcast services under realistic propagation conditions. Activities will include the configuration and operation of radio equipment, antenna systems, measurement tools, and network components, as well as the management of frequency resources, spectrum access, and required experimental licenses.

Main activities

The position will involve:

• Deployment and maintenance of a 5G Broadcast testbed using USRP-based platforms and OpenAirInterface software.
• Integration and configuration of radio access network components, antennas, signal processing modules, and measurement equipment.
• Implementation and validation of broadcast transmission scenarios in indoor and outdoor environments.
• Characterization of radio propagation conditions, signal coverage, quality indicators, and system performance.
• Management of experimental frequency licenses and coordination of spectrum usage for field trials.
• Collection and analysis of experimental data to evaluate reliability, robustness, and optimization strategies.
• Collaboration with academic and industrial partners within the ROBIN project consortium.

Skills

• Strong knowledge of wireless communication systems, particularly 4G/5G technologies and radio access networks.
• Experience with Software-Defined Radio (SDR) platforms, preferably USRP, and OpenAirInterface (OAI) or similar open-source mobile network platforms.
• Good understanding of 5G physical and MAC layers, radio protocols, and network architectures.
• Experience in deploying and operating experimental testbeds, including hardware integration and system configuration.
• Knowledge of RF measurements, signal analysis, spectrum analyzers, vector signal generators, and other radio test and measurement equipment.
• Familiarity with indoor and outdoor radio propagation measurements, coverage assessment, and performance evaluation.
• Experience with Linux environments, scripting, and programming (Python, Bash, and/or C/C++).
• Understanding of 5G Broadcast, multimedia delivery, or broadcast/multicast technologies is an asset.
• Knowledge of spectrum regulations, frequency planning, or experimental licensing procedures is desirable.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex hardware and software systems and work independently.
• Excellent teamwork and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with academic and industrial partners.
• Good written and spoken English.

Benefits package

• Partial reimbursement of public transport costs
• Leave: 7 weeks of annual leave + 10 extra days off due to RTT (statutory reduction in working hours) + possibility of exceptional leave (sick children, moving home, etc.)
• Possibility of teleworking (after 6 months of employment) and flexible organization of working hours
• Professional equipment available (videoconferencing, loan of computer equipment, etc.)
• Social, cultural and sports events and activities
• Access to vocational training
• Social security coverage

Remuneration

Net monthly salary ranging from approximately €2,500 to €3,100, depending on experience.

• Theme/Domain : Networks and Telecommunications
• System & Networks (BAP E)

Defence Security

This position is likely to be situated in a restricted area (ZRR), as defined in Decree No. 2011-1425 relating to the protection of national scientific and technical potential (PPST). Authorisation to enter an area is granted by the director of the unit, following a favourable Ministerial decision, as defined in the decree of 3 July 2012 relating to the PPST. An unfavourable Ministerial decision in respect of a position situated in a ZRR would result in the cancellation of the appointment.

Recruitment Policy

As part of its diversity policy, all Inria positions are accessible to people with disabilities.

Ideal candidate profile

The ideal candidate is someone who genuinely enjoys operating at the boundary between systems and ideas— someone who finds satisfaction not only in making things work, but in understanding why they work and what they reveal about the underlying problem. This role sits at the crossroads of distributed systems, AI, and networking: an intellectual appetite for all three, even without deep expertise in each, will go a long way.

A taste for experimentation and hands‑on work. You enjoy building things, running experiments, and letting measurements guide your thinking. You are not deterred by a system that does not behave as expected — you are curious about why.

Comfort with open-ended problems. The scope of this project will evolve. The right candidate embraces this flexibility rather than seeking rigid task definitions, and is able to self‑direct their work within a broader research agenda.

A collaborative and communicative nature. The project involves a multi-partner national programme (PEPR NF‑MUST). You will interact with researchers from different institutions and backgrounds, and you are able to share your progress, your doubts and your findings clearly and constructively.

Cross‑disciplinary curiosity. Whether your background is closer to systems, algorithms, or networking, what matters is a genuine interest in the neighbouring fields and a willingness to build bridges between them.

A research-oriented mindset. You are comfortable reading technical literature, situating your work in a broader scientific context, and contributing to written outputs that go beyond code documentation.

A thesis or significant project in the areas of network function virtualisation, edge computing, machine learning systems, or distributed optimisation would be a genuine asset. What matters most is the drive to produce rigorous, reproducible, and impactful work within a stimulating and supportive research environment.

About Inria

Inria is the French national research institute dedicated to digital science and technology. It employs 2,600 people. Its 200 agile project teams, generally run jointly with academic partners, include more than 3,500 scientists and engineers working to meet the challenges of digital technology, often at the interface with other disciplines. The Institute also employs numerous talents in over forty different professions. 900 research support staff contribute to the preparation and development of scientific and entrepreneurial projects that have a worldwide impact.