Remote Principal Architect, Network R&D & Emerging Tech

Lumen; Salem (OR); Remote; USD 152,000 - 223,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Life benefits

Bonus structure

Job summary

Lumen is seeking a Principal Architect, Network Research & Development, to shape the company’s future network capabilities. This remote role guides architectural direction, evaluates emerging technologies, and designs experiments to test feasibility and alignment with enterprise strategy.

You will translate findings into actionable guidance for senior stakeholders and collaborate across multiple domains. The position requires 12+ years in network architecture or related fields, strong

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, telecommunications, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 12+ years of experience in network architecture, engineering, R&D, or related technical discipline.
• Deep technical expertise across optical/transport, IP networking, cloud-native infrastructure, automation, AI-enabled infra, edge compute, or security.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior technical authority for Network R&D initiatives, providing architectural direction across emerging network technologies and future capability exploration.
• Evaluate technologies such as quantum networking, post-quantum cryptography, AI infrastructure, programmable networks, edge compute, and advanced security capabilities.
• Develop reference architectures, design patterns, and decision frameworks for determining relevance to Lumen’s future network strategy.
• Lead deep technical analysis of vendors, startups, academia, national labs, open-source, and consortium-led opportunities.
• Design experiments, pilots, lab validations, simulations, and assessments to test feasibility, interoperability, and cost.

Skills

Executive communication

Architectural leadership

Network architecture

Emerging technologies

Vendor evaluation

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

Job description

Lumen is seeking a Principal Architect, Network Research & Development, to shape the company’s future network capabilities. This remote role guides architectural direction, evaluates emerging technologies, and designs experiments to test feasibility and alignment with enterprise strategy.

You will translate findings into actionable guidance for senior stakeholders and collaborate across multiple domains. The position requires 12+ years in network architecture or related fields, strong