Principal Member of Technical Staff (Wireless Technology and Standards)

att; Bothell (WA); On-site; USD 189,000 - 284,000; Full time

Job summary

AT&T seeks a Principal Member of Technical Staff to shape global standards in wireless and cloud-native networking. You will influence 3GPP SA5 activities, drive consensus among operators, vendors, and cloud providers, and craft technical positions guiding AI-driven operations and network automation.

You will collaborate with Network Architecture, Wireless Engineering, Cloud & Platform Engineering, and Security teams to translate business needs into industry-leading standards strategies for

Qualifications

• PhD, Master's, or Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science or Telecommunications.
• PhD with 4+ years of industry experience; OR Master's with 6+ years; OR Bachelor's with 8+ years.
• Direct experience with 3GPP standards development and SA5 exposure.

Responsibilities

• Represent AT&T within 3GPP SA5 and related industry organizations, influencing network management, orchestration, automation, and service delivery architectures.
• Lead standards strategy across multiple bodies (3GPP, O-RAN Alliance, TM Forum) and author technical contributions.
• Collaborate with internal teams to translate business and architectural requirements into standards strategies.

Skills

3GPP SA5

Telecom management

OAM and orchestration

AI/ML for network operations

Executive communication

Education

PhD in Electrical Engineering

Master's in Telecommunications

Bachelor's in Computer Science

Job description

This position requires office presence of a minimum of 5 days per week and is only located in the location(s) posted. No relocation is offered.

Join a team that directly influences how the global telecommunications industry operates. You'll work at the intersection of wireless innovation, cloud-native networking, AI-driven operations, and standards leadership, helping shape the evolution of future 5G Advanced and 6G networks while representing one of the industry's most influential service providers.

What You'll Do:

• Represent AT&T within 3GPP SA5 and related industry organizations, influencing the evolution of network management, orchestration, automation, service assurance, OAM, and operational architectures.
• Collaborate to develop, defend, and negotiate AT&T technical positions across standards bodies including 3GPP, O-RAN Alliance, and TM Forum.
• Lead standards strategy related to: Telecom management and orchestration Operations, Administration & Maintenance (OAM) Service assurance and charging management Network slicing management AI/ML-driven operations Autonomous and intent-based networking Closed-loop automation Cloud-native network management Virtualized network operations Analytics, assurance, and operational APIs 5G Advanced and 6G operational frameworks
• Author technical contributions, white papers, position papers, and standards proposals.
• Drive technical discussions and build consensus among operators, infrastructure vendors, cloud providers, and industry stakeholders.
• Evaluate standards impacts and translate AT&T business, operational, and architectural requirements into industry-leading standards strategies.
• Collaborate closely with internal teams spanning: Network Architecture Wireless Engineering Core Network Engineering Cloud & Platform Engineering Security Product Management Operations Vendor Management
• Coordinate standards alignment across 3GPP working groups including SA, SA1, SA2, SA3, RAN, and CT.
• Track and influence emerging work items and study items impacting network operations and service delivery.
• Support patent generation and intellectual property development aligned with AT&T's long-term technology strategy.

What You'll Bring:

You are a recognized technical expert who combines deep telecommunications knowledge with the ability to influence industry direction and build consensus across diverse stakeholders.

• Strong expertise in 3GPP standards development , particularly within SA5.
• Deep understanding of telecom management, orchestration, network operations, and lifecycle management.
• Experience influencing standards organizations, technical forums, or industry consortiums.
• Knowledge of mobile network architectures, cloud-native platforms, and virtualization technologies.
• Strong technical writing and presentation skills with experience creating standards contributions and technical documentation.
• Ability to negotiate complex technical issues and gain alignment across operators, vendors, and internal stakeholders.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to connect business priorities to technical roadmaps.
• Executive-level communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Passion for innovation, technology strategy, and industry leadership.

What You'll Need:

• PhD, Master's, or Bachelor's degree in: Electrical Engineering Computer Engineering Computer Science Telecommunications
• PhD with 4+ years of relevant industry experience; OR
• Master's degree with 6+ years of relevant experience; OR
• Bachelor's degree with 8+ years of relevant experience.
• Direct experience with 3GPP standards development .
• Expertise in one or more of the following: 3GPP SA5 Telecom Management OAM Network Orchestration Service Assurance Autonomous Networks Network Automation Cloud-native Operations Mobile Core Operations
• Experience developing and negotiating technical standards contributions.
• Strong understanding of: 5G Core IMS and service architectures Network Slicing Cloud-native Network Functions (CNFs) Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs) AI/ML for network operations Service exposure APIs Fault, performance, and analytics frameworks
• Familiarity with: O-RAN Service Management & Orchestration (SMO) O-RAN automation frameworks TM Forum Open APIs and Autonomous Network initiatives 5G Advanced and 6G network management evolution

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally, including occasional weekend travel, to attend standards meetings and industry events.

Our Principal Member of Technical Staff jobs earn between $189,200.00 - $283,800.00 USD Annual. Not to mention all the other amazing