Principal System Architecture Standards Engineer

EchoStar; Littleton, Herndon (CO, VA); On-site; USD 127,050 - 181,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) Plan with company match

Flexible time away plan

Versatile health perks

Job summary

EchoStar in Littleton, Colorado, seeks a seasoned professional to lead the development of next-generation wireless standards, focusing on AI and 6G integration. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in 3GPP and TM Forum frameworks and be responsible for influencing global standards.

This role offers a competitive salary range of $127,050 to $181,500 per year and extensive health perks, including flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan with company match, and career opportunities.

The successful candidate will navigate complex industry bodies and ensure alignment with emerging technologies.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in wireless standards development within 3GPP, GSMA, or TM Forum.
• Experience with AI concepts including GenAI, supervised learning, and reinforcement learning.
• Strong problem-solving abilities to align business goals with detailed technical requirements.

Responsibilities

• Represent EchoStar in 3GPP and GSMA organizations.
• Develop actionable standards plans leveraging cloud-native core network assets.
• Collaborate with internal teams on emerging 6G technologies.

Skills

Deep technical mastery of 3GPP System Architecture

Proven expertise in TM Forum and GSMA frameworks

Strong knowledge of AI observability standards

Advanced negotiation skills

Experience leading wireless standards development

Education

Master’s or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering

Job description

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Candidates must be willing to participate in at least one in-person interview, which may include a live whiteboarding or technical assessment session.

This role addresses the complex challenge of defining and standardizing the next generation of wireless architecture which requires deep technical mastery of 3GPP System Architecture (SA5, SA6, and SA2) and OAM/EMS frameworks used to shape global wireless standards with focus on the integration of AI/ML and autonomous network capabilities. The successful candidate will navigate the evolving landscape of 3GPP, GSMA, TM Forum and AI‑related standard bodies to ensure EchoStar/Boost Mobile’s cloud‑native assets are optimized for emerging services like Native‑AI 6G, NTN‑TN integration and sensing. By driving strategic proposals, this position bridges the gap between the current network architecture/operations and the future requirements of 6G and AI‑driven autonomous systems.

What Success Looks Like (Objectives)

• Representation of EchoStar/Boost Mobile as a lead delegate in 3GPP SA, GSMA, TM Forum and AI related organizations to drive the evolution of AI‑driven system architectures and open APIs
• Strategic technology analysis for a hybrid MNO core network architecture that effectively supports AI/ML, NTN‑TN integrated services, sensing and other emerging technologies.
• Development of actionable standards plans that leverage cloud‑native core network assets to achieve departmental OKRs for network automation and service innovation
• Influential and strong presence within global industry bodies and vendor relationships to align international wireless standards with the company’s long‑term technology roadmap
• Technical ownership of AI/Data frameworks that enable Level 4 Autonomous Network capabilities and automated system management
• Cross‑functional collaboration that ensures internal engineering teams are aligned with emerging 6G technologies and protocol‑level developments
• Monitor and translate emerging AI interoperability protocols (e.g., MCP, A2A, OpenInference, OpenTelemetry, GenAI semantic conventions) into enterprise‑wide architecture guidelines and governance guardrails
• Own EchoStar’s AI observability standards, including OpenTelemetry attribute schemas for LLM spans, agent traces, tool invocations, and multi‑agent workflows across hybrid AI platform deployments
• Define and maintain standardization patterns for agentic AI frameworks (e.g., LangGraph, CrewAI, Strands, AutoGen)

Skills, Experience and Requirements

• Deep technical mastery of 3GPP System Architecture (mainly SA5 and SA6; SA2 is a plus) and OAM/EMS frameworks used to shape global wireless standards
• Proven expertise in TM Forum and GSMA frameworks, preferably regarding AI/ML use cases and autonomous network lifecycle management
• Deep understanding in AI concepts – GenAI, LLM, supervised learning, reinforcement learning, federated learning and in AI literacy and Innovation skills required to apply advanced AI/data frameworks to the development of next‑generation enterprise and system architectures
• Strong knowledge of AI observability standards and interoperability protocols (MCP, A2A, OpenInference, OpenTelemetry, GenAI semantic conventions)
• Advanced negotiation and consensus‑building skills necessary to navigate multi‑national standardization environments and influence complex technical outcomes
• Strong experience leading wireless standards development through multiple 3GPP releases, specifically focusing on 5G support of cloud‑native based core network and 6G evolution
• Strategic problem‑solving abilities to translate high‑level business goals into detailed protocol‑level technical requirements and standards proposals

Minimum Requirements

• Minimum Education: Master’s or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, IT/Data Science, or a related field
• Minimum Experience: 10+ years of experience in wireless standards development within 3GPP, GSMA, or TM Forum
• Required Technical Skills: Must have at least 10 years of experience with:
• 3GPP SA5 (OAM), SA6 (Open APIs), or SA2 (System Architecture), or
• TM Forum frameworks and specifications related to AI/Autonomous Networks, or
• 5G/6G System Architecture, interface design, and Cloud‑native Network Functions (CNFs)
• Strong knowledge of 3GPP AI/ML, NTN, and Network Energy Saving features up to Release 19
• Although this position focus is for SA WGs, prior experience in the development of overarching wireless systems requirements across UE, RAN, and CN is preferable
• Knowledge of the AI applications in 3GPP – AI for Network, Network for AI, AI for Mobility, AI LCM (Life Cycle Management), Data Framework, NWDAF, MDAF, etc. Knowledge of AI for PHY and AI for (NG) RAN is a plus
• Knowledge of AI ethics, regulatory compliance in telecom, and data privacy frameworks preferred

Visa sponsorship not available for this role

Salary Ranges

Compensation: $127,050.00/Year - $181,500.00/Year

Benefits

We offer versatile health perks, including flexible spending accounts, HSA, a 401(k) Plan with company match, ESPP, career opportunities, and a flexible time away plan; all benefits can be viewed here: EchoStar Benefits.

The base pay range shown is a guideline. Individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, and competencies; compensation is based on the role’s location and is subject to change based on work location.

Candidates need to successfully complete a pre‑employment screen, which may include a drug test and DMV check. Our company is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace where every individual has the opportunity to succeed. We are dedicated to providing individuals with criminal or arrest records a fair chance of employment in accordance with local, state, and federal laws.

The posting will be active for a minimum of 3 days. The active posting will continue to extend by 3 days until the position is filled.

We pride ourselves on developing and promoting talent as an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. EchoStar will accommodate the sincerely held religious beliefs of employees if such accommodations are not undue hardships and are otherwise within the bounds of applicable law. All qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with local, state, and federal law. You may redact any information that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of school/graduation from your application documents before submission and throughout our application process.

EchoStar will provide reasonable accommodation to otherwise qualified job applicants and employees with known physical or mental disabilities, unless doing so poses an undue hardship on the Company, poses a direct threat of substantial harm to others, or is otherwise not required by law. EchoStar has a more detailed Accommodation Policy that applies to employees. EchoStar endeavors to make echostar.com and jobs.echostar.com accessible to users. Please contact [e-mail] if you would like to discuss the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process. This contact information is for accommodation requests only; do not use this contact information to inquire about the status of applications.

Click the links to access the following statements: EEO Policy Statement, Pay Transparency, EEOC Know Your Rights (English/Spanish)