Lead Telecoms Core Engineer — 4G/5G Lab & Security

National Physical Laboratory (NPL); Birmingham; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the United Kingdom is seeking an experienced Telecoms Core Engineer to design, implement and maintain the lab environment supporting advanced security research. You will lead technical decisions, work with suppliers and research teams, and evolve the core network and test tools for vulnerability research and evaluation.

The role requires hands-on leadership, strong collaboration with cross-functional teams and a focus on secure, reliable lab operations to

Qualifications

• Expert knowledge of 4G core functions (MME/SGW/PGW).
• Expert knowledge of 5G core functions (AMF/SMF/UPF).
• Experience building and managing Kubernetes container environments.
• Experience with OpenStack-based hypervisors.
• Strong troubleshooting across complex telecoms environments.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, integrate and maintain 4G/5G core network systems and test tools.
• Act as design authority for lab systems; ensure security and resilience for research.
• Lead fault-finding, debugging and resolution in lab environments.
• Support supplier reviews, integration, testing and operations.
• Advise on roadmaps and evaluate new components for lab evolution.
• Maintain lab security posture and review third-party exports.

Skills

4G core functions

5G core functions

Kubernetes

OpenStack

Tools

Kubernetes

OpenStack

Job description

National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the United Kingdom is seeking an experienced Telecoms Core Engineer to design, implement and maintain the lab environment supporting advanced security research. You will lead technical decisions, work with suppliers and research teams, and evolve the core network and test tools for vulnerability research and evaluation.

The role requires hands-on leadership, strong collaboration with cross-functional teams and a focus on secure, reliable lab operations to