Remote Principal Architect, Network R&D & Innovation

Lumen; Charleston (WV); Remote; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Lumen is seeking a Principal Architect, Network Research & Development, to lead architectural direction for next‑gen network capabilities across optical, IP, and AI workloads. You will shape hypotheses, design experiments, evaluate vendor capabilities, and guide decisions on which emerging capabilities to pursue, collaborate with multiple internal teams, and represent R&D in executive forums.

This is a high‑visibility role requiring clear communication with senior leaders and external partners

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical field.
• 12+ years of experience in network architecture, engineering, or related R&D disciplines.
• Ability to evaluate emerging technologies and translate findings into architectural options and business recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior technical authority for Network R&D initiatives and provide architectural direction across emerging technologies.
• Evaluate technologies such as quantum networking, post-quantum cryptography, AI infrastructure, autonomous networks, and edge compute.
• Develop reference architectures, design patterns, and decision frameworks for future roadmap relevance.
• Lead deep technical analysis of external partnerships and opportunities to gain actionable insights.
• Design experiments, pilots, and tests to evaluate feasibility, interoperability, and security at scale.
• Translate technical findings into clear architecture implications and risk assessments for executives.
• Collaborate with multiple internal teams to connect R&D work to enterprise priorities and customer needs.
• Identify dependencies, standards implications, and commercialization pathways for validated capabilities.
• Provide thought leadership on future network evolution and governance for R&D work.

Skills

Executive communication

Architectural design

Technical leadership

Mentoring

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Lumen is seeking a Principal Architect, Network Research & Development, to lead architectural direction for next‑gen network capabilities across optical, IP, and AI workloads. You will shape hypotheses, design experiments, evaluate vendor capabilities, and guide decisions on which emerging capabilities to pursue, collaborate with multiple internal teams, and represent R&D in executive forums.

This is a high‑visibility role requiring clear communication with senior leaders and external partners