4G/5G RAN Test Engineer III

NextGen | GTA: A Kelly Telecom Company; Plano (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

NextGen | GTA: A Kelly Telecom Company is seeking an experienced 4G/5G RAN Test Engineer III in Plano, TX for a 12-month contract. You will lead test strategies, perform system and interoperability testing, and engage with customer labs to validate next-generation wireless solutions.

The role covers 4G/5G air interface, protocol analysis, and O-RAN validation, with heavy emphasis on troubleshooting and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or related field required; 8-10 years with Bachelor's, or Master's with 6+ years preferred.
• Strong knowledge of 4G LTE and 5G NR RAN technologies; air interface, call processing, and RAN architecture.
• Understanding of PHY, MAC, RLC, RRC, and PDCP layers; DL/UL scheduling, LTE power control, beamforming, MIMO, EN-DC.
• Experience with system testing, feature validation, test strategy, test case development, test execution, parameter optimization, and performance analysis.
• Strong troubleshooting skills for 4G/5G wireless protocols and RAN systems; inter-vendor testing.
• Experience with Kubernetes and virtualization system integration; O-RAN product validation.
• Knowledge of 3GPP Core and RAN networks; wireless test tools like Wireshark, XCAL, QXDM.

Responsibilities

• 30% 4G LTE / 5G NR RAN & Air Interface Testing.
• 20% System, Feature & Performance Validation.
• 15% Call Processing & Protocol Analysis.
• 15% Inter-Vendor / O-RAN Interoperability Testing.
• 10% Troubleshooting, Reporting & Customer Technical Support.

Skills

4G LTE

5G NR RAN

RAN testing

Inter-vendor testing

Kubernetes

Virtualization

Wireshark

QXDM

Protocol analysis

Customer-facing communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Wireshark

QXDM

Protocol analyzers

Spectrum analyzers

Signal generators

XCAL

Kubernetes

Job description

This is an exciting contract opportunity in Plano, TX with a leading global technology company specializing in advanced wireless communications, 4G LTE, 5G, and RAN technologies. The team is looking for an experienced 4G/5G RAN Test Engineer III to support product and feature validation, system testing, performance analysis, call processing, and customer lab activities for next-generation wireless solutions.

This is a great opportunity for a senior RAN testing professional to work on cutting-edge 4G/5G and O-RAN technologies while gaining exposure to complex customer environments, inter-vendor interoperability testing, virtualization, and Kubernetes-based test systems. The ideal candidate is someone who enjoys solving challenging wireless problems, working directly with customers, and collaborating with engineering teams across the organization. You will have the opportunity to expand your expertise across the RAN protocol stack, system performance, O-RAN, virtualization, and 3GPP technologies while contributing to major product rollouts and deployments.

Contract Duration: 12 months

Required Skills & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field.
• 8-10 years of directly related experience with a Bachelor's degree; Master's degree with 6+ years of experience preferred.
• Strong understanding of 4G LTE and 5G NR RAN technologies.
• Strong knowledge of 4G/5G air interface, call processing, and RAN network architecture.
• Solid understanding of PHY, MAC, RLC, RRC, and PDCP layers.
• Understanding of DL/UL scheduling, LTE power control, beamforming, MIMO, and EN-DC.
• Experience with system testing, feature validation, test strategy creation, test case development, test execution, parameter optimization, and performance analysis.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills related to 4G/5G wireless protocols and RAN systems.
• Experience with inter-vendor radio testing / interoperability testing.
• Experience with Kubernetes and virtualization system integration.
• Experience with O-RAN product validation.
• Understanding of 3GPP Core and RAN networks.
• Experience with wireless test and diagnostic tools such as Wireshark, XCAL, QXDM, protocol analyzers, channel emulators, spectrum analyzers, and signal generators.

Desired Skills & Experience

• Experience with ongoing 3GPP Release activities.
• Hands-on experience in LTE/5G lab testing and IOT testing.
• Experience with eMTC and NB-IoT technologies.
• Understanding of S1 and X2 interfaces.
• Experience with EMS systems and network element management.
• Experience with software upgrades and MOP verification.
• Understanding of hardware and software architecture.
• Software development or scripting experience.
• Experience evaluating new software releases, products, and wireless features.
• Strong customer-facing communication and presentation skills.
• Experience working with geographically distributed engineering and cross-functional teams.
• Willingness and ability to travel periodically based on project requirements.

What You Will Be Doing

• 30% 4G LTE / 5G NR RAN & Air Interface Testing
• 20% System, Feature & Performance Validation
• 15% Call Processing & Protocol Analysis
• 15% Inter-Vendor / O-RAN Interoperability Testing
• 10% Troubleshooting, Reporting & Customer Technical Support

Daily Responsibilities

• 40% Hands-On Testing & Validation
• Develop and execute system and feature test cases.
• Perform LTE/5G RAN validation in customer lab environments.
• Conduct interoperability and performance testing.
• Analyze protocol traces and troubleshoot system issues.
• 25% Technical Analysis & Troubleshooting
• Analyze 4G/5G wireless protocols and call flows.
• Perform performance analysis and parameter optimization.
• Investigate product and feature issues and identify root causes.
• Evaluate new software releases and product features.
• Participate in customer review sessions.
• Present test results, technical findings, and recommendations.
• Work closely with engineering, support, logistics, and other cross-functional organizations.
• Educate customers on new products and services.
• 15% Documentation & Project Support
• Create detailed test documentation and reports.
• Develop test strategies and descriptions.
• Support virtualization bring-up and test-bed setup.
• Ensure customer commitments and project milestones are achieved.