Remote Principal Network R&D Architect

Lumen

Sacramento (CA)

Remote

USD 167,000 - 223,000

Full time

14 days+

Application generator

Don’t send a generic resume — generate a resume and cover letter tailored to this exact role.

Get past ATS filters

Job summary

Lumen is the trusted network for the AI‑powered world, connecting people, data, and applications through our expansive fiber network. The Principal Architect, Network Research & Development will be a senior technical leader shaping the future of our network capabilities with experiments, reference architectures, and clear guidance for complex decisions.

This is a remote role open to US candidates, requiring deep expertise in advanced networking, automation, security, and enterprise strategy,

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 a related technical discipline.
Deep technical expertise in one or more advanced network domains such as optical and transport systems, IP networking, programmable networks, cloud-native infrastructure, automation, AI-enabled infrastructure, edge/distributed compute, security architecture, or next‑generation access technologies.
Demonstrated ability to evaluate emerging technologies and convert technical uncertainty into structured experiments, architectural options, decision points, and business‑relevant recommendations.

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 produce actionable insight and usable learning.
Design and guide experiments, pilots, lab validations, simulations, and technical assessments that test feasibility, interoperability, scalability, resiliency, security, cost, and operational fit.
Translate ambiguous technical findings into clear architecture implications, risk assessments, trade-off analyses, and recommendations for senior technical and business stakeholders.
Collaborate with Network Engineering, Architecture, Product, Security, Operations, Finance, Legal, Procurement, and external partners to connect R&D work to enterprise priorities and future customer needs.
Identify technical dependencies, integration considerations, standards implications, operating model impacts, and commercialization pathways for validated capabilities.
Provide thought leadership on future network evolution, including how emerging technologies may influence network architecture, product enablement, automation, resilience, security, and customer differentiation.
Help establish disciplined technical governance for R&D work, including architecture reviews, documentation standards, learning milestones, technical exit criteria, and stop/continue/scale recommendations.
Represent Network R&D in technical forums, partner discussions, internal architecture reviews, standards conversations, and executive-level technical briefings.
Maintain a strong external view of technology shifts, market signals, standards activity, partner ecosystems, and competitive innovation that may create future strategic advantage for Lumen.