Principal Network R&D Architect | Remote AI Infrastructure

Lumen; Atlanta (GA); Remote; USD 152,000 - 203,000; Full time

Job summary

Lumen is seeking a Principal Architect, Network Research & Development to guide architectural strategy across emerging network technologies and enterprise-scale deployments. You will lead experiments, reference architectures, and vendor assessments to shape future capabilities.

This role is a remote, senior-level individual contributor position open to the U.S. Ideal candidates bring deep expertise in optical, IP, cloud-native infra, automation, and security architecture, with a strong track

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, telecommunications, applied science, or a related technical field; advanced degree preferred.
• 12+ years of experience in network architecture, network engineering, advanced technology strategy, R&D, product engineering, platform engineering, security architecture, or related discipline.
• Deep technical expertise in optical/transport, IP networking, programmable networks, cloud-native infra, automation, AI-enabled infra, edge/distributed compute, security architecture, or next-gen access tech.
• Ability to evaluate emerging technologies and convert technical uncertainty into structured experiments, architectural options, decision points, and business-relevant recommendations.
• Ability to operate in ambiguity, learn new domains quickly, separate signal from noise, and make sound recommendations.
• Strong executive and technical communication skills to explain complex concepts to senior leaders and diverse stakeholders.
• Proven ability to influence without direct authority and collaborate across matrixed teams.
• Commitment to disciplined experimentation with hypotheses, milestones, learning, and kill criteria.
• Ability to mentor technical contributors and elevate architectural thinking and decision-making across the organization.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior technical authority for Network R&D initiatives, providing architectural direction across emerging network technologies, advanced infrastructure concepts, and future capability exploration.
• Evaluate emerging technologies such as quantum networking, post-quantum cryptography, next-generation optical and fiber systems, autonomous networks, AI infrastructure, programmable networks, edge and distributed compute, digital twins, and advanced security capabilities.
• Develop reference architectures, technical design patterns, proof-of-concept approaches, and decision frameworks that help determine whether emerging capabilities have relevance for Lumen’s future network strategy.
• Lead deep technical analysis of vendor, startup, academic, national lab, open-source, and consortium-led innovation opportunities, ensuring external partnerships yield actionable insights.
• Design and guide experiments, pilots, lab validations, simulations, and technical assessments that test feasibility, interoperability, scalability, resiliency, security, cost, and fit.
• Translate ambiguous technical findings into clear architecture implications, risk assessments, trade-off analyses, and recommendations for senior stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Network Engineering, Architecture, Product, Security, Operations, Finance, Legal, Procurement, and external partners to align R&D with enterprise priorities.
• Identify technical dependencies, integration considerations, standards implications, operating model impacts, and commercialization pathways for validated capabilities.
• Provide thought leadership on future network evolution and how emerging tech may influence architecture and customer differentiation.
• Help establish disciplined technical governance for R&D work, including architecture reviews, documentation standards, milestones, exit criteria, and stop/continue/scale decisions.
• Represent Network R&D in technical forums, partner discussions, architecture reviews, standards conversations, and executive briefings.
• Maintain external view of technology shifts, market signals, standards activity, partner ecosystems, and competitive innovation.

Skills

Network Architecture

Executive Communication

Influence without Authority

Mentoring

Ambiguity Management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related technical field; advanced degree preferred

Job description

Lumen is seeking a Principal Architect, Network Research & Development to guide architectural strategy across emerging network technologies and enterprise-scale deployments. You will lead experiments, reference architectures, and vendor assessments to shape future capabilities.

This role is a remote, senior-level individual contributor position open to the U.S. Ideal candidates bring deep expertise in optical, IP, cloud-native infra, automation, and security architecture, with a strong track