AVP - Network Automation & Infrastructure AI

Verizon; Irving (TX); Hybrid; USD 192,000 - 367,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Tuition assistance

Hybrid work option

401(k) match

Paid time off

Job summary

Verizon is seeking an Associate Vice President to own the run layer of our national, multi-vendor 5G footprint. You will lead the automation and AI that turn virtualized RAN and 5G Core into self-optimizing, energy-aware infrastructure.

This builder role requires leading a distributed engineering org across cloud-native, SRE, MLOps, and network automation, with a track record of delivering CNF/VNF at scale and advancing toward Level 4 autonomy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field, or 4+ years of equivalent work experience.
• Ten or more years in large-scale network or software engineering, including 5+ years leading distributed teams.
• Proven delivery of CNF/VNF, NFV, or SDN at carrier or hyperscale.
• Hands-on depth in network automation, orchestration, and closed-loop assurance.
• Experience applying AI/ML to infrastructure such as anomaly detection or energy optimization.
• Working knowledge of 5G Core, virtualized and O-RAN, edge, and multi-cloud or on-prem AI infra.

Responsibilities

• Tie automation to customer experience and enable self-healing network.
• Lead the run layer automation platform across live network with policy-driven changes.
• Automate the virtualized network and manage zero-touch lifecycle, upgrades, and healing.
• Drive AI-native infrastructure with dynamic power management and resource optimization.
• Define agentic operating model, guardrails, and safe-autonomy standards across vendors.
• Grow and lead a distributed engineering organization across cloud-native, SRE, MLOps, and network automation.
• Advance toward Level 4 autonomy with measured success metrics.
• Represent Verizon with industry bodies and key partners.
• Ensure security, resilience, and regulatory compliance of automated actions.

Skills

Cloud-native networking

Automation & orchestration

AI/ML for infrastructure

5G Core knowledge

Kubernetes

Leadership of distributed teams

Education

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

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

Tools

CNF/VNF deployment

Kubernetes

GitOps

SRE

AI inference platforms

Job description

When you join Verizon

You want more out of a career. A place to share your ideas freely - even if they're daring or different. Where the true you can learn, grow, and thrive. At Verizon, we power and empower how people live, work and play by connecting them to what brings them joy. We do what we love - driving innovation, creativity, and impact in the world. Our V Team is a community of people who anticipate, lead, and believe that listening is where learning begins. In crisis and in celebration, we come together - lifting our communities and building trust in how we show up, everywhere & always. Want in? Join the #VTeamLife.

What you'll be doing...

Verizon is building one of the most advanced autonomous networks in the industry - self-healing, closed-loop, and increasingly agentic - across a national, multi-vendor 5G footprint.

We are looking for an Associate Vice President to own the run layer of that network: the automation and AI that turn virtualized RAN and 5G Core into self-optimizing, energy-aware, cloud-native infrastructure. You will lead the engineering organization and the automation platform that already operates at a national scale, and take Verizon from human-led operations toward TM Forum Level 4 autonomy across Plan, Build, and Run.

This is a builder's role for a leader who wants to work at the frontier of cloud-native networking and applied AI - backed by the scale of Verizon.

Key responsibilities:

Obsessed with the customer

• Tie automation to experience. Turn reliability and customer-experience targets into closed-loop operations that detect, diagnose, and resolve issues before customers feel them - the foundation of a self-healing network.

• Own the execution of intent. Partner with the network intelligence organization: take the RAN and cross-domain intent they generate and act on it through automated, policy-governed change on the live network.

Build with speed

• Automate the virtualized network. Own zero-touch lifecycle, upgrade, scaling, and healing for virtualized RAN (L2/L3) and 5G Core network functions across a multi-vendor, cloud-native environment.

• Make the infrastructure AI-native. Lead AI/ML-driven optimization of compute and energy - dynamic power management across vCPU and radio resources, workload placement, and capacity - so the network optimizes itself.

• Own and scale the platform. Run the orchestration, closed-loop assurance, and on-premises AI inference platform that already delivers hundreds of thousands of virtualized RAN upgrades and millions of automated actions each year - and take it to the next level.

• Set the reference architecture. Define the agentic operating model, policy-as-code guardrails, and safe-autonomy standards for the run layer across domains and vendors.

Drive excellence

• Build and lead the team. Grow and lead a distributed engineering organization spanning cloud-native and SRE, MLOps, and network automation, with multiple director-level leaders.

• Own the autonomy roadmap. Drive toward Level 4 against hard metrics: zero-touch success rate, mean-time-to-resolve, automation coverage, and energy savings.

• Represent Verizon externally. Engage industry and standards bodies (TM Forum, O-RAN, 3GPP) and technology and hyper scaler partners.

• Keep autonomy safe. Ensure the security, resilience, and regulatory compliance of automated action on the production network.

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field, or four or more years of equivalent work experience.

• Ten or more years in large-scale network or software engineering, including five or more years leading distributed, cross-functional technical organizations.

• Proven delivery of cloud-native network functions (CNF/VNF), NFV, or SDN at carrier or hyperscale.

• Hands-on depth in network automation, orchestration, and closed-loop assurance.

• Experience applying AI/ML to infrastructure - anomaly detection, energy or resource optimization, or autonomous operations.

• Working knowledge of 5G Core, virtualized and O-RAN, edge, and multi-cloud or on-premises AI infrastructure.

Preferred:

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.

• Experience moving an operator toward TM Forum autonomous networks Level 4.

• Production experience with agentic AI or LLM-based operations.

• Cloud-native platform leadership - Kubernetes, GitOps, SRE - and network energy-efficiency programs.

• Experience with hyper scaler partnerships (Google Cloud, AWS, Azure) and on-premises AI inference at the edge.

• Ability to translate deep technical strategy for board-level stakeholders and to lead cultural change across engineering.

Where you'll be working

In this hybrid role, you'll have a defined work location that includes working from home and a minimum of three days per week in the office, which will be set by your manager. Employees are responsible for maintaining compliance with hybrid work policies.

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Equal Employment Opportunity

Verizon is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to veteran status, disability or other legally protected characteristics.

Benefits and Compensation

• medical
• dental
• vision
• short and long term disability
• basic life insurance
• supplemental life insurance
• AD&D insurance
• identity theft protection
• pet insurance
• group home & auto insurance
• matched 401(k) savings plan
• up to 8 company paid holidays per year
• up to 6 personal days per year
• paid parental leave
• adoption assistance
• tuition assistance
• other incentives
• premium pay such as overtime, shift differential, holiday pay, allowances, etc.
• up to 15 days of vacation per year, which grows with additional service.
• for part-timers, your coverage will vary as you may be eligible for some of these benefits depending on your individual circumstances.

The salary will vary depending on your location and confirmed job-related skills and experience. This is an incentive based position with the potential to earn more. For part-time roles, your compensation will be adjusted to reflect your hours. The annual salary range for the location(s) listed on this job requisition based on a full-time schedule is: $191,500.00 - $367,000.00.