Remote Senior Architect, Network R&D & AI‑Ready Infra

Lumen Technologies; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 152,000 - 203,000; Full time

Job summary

Lumen Technologies is seeking a seasoned Principal Architect to shape the future of our AI-ready connectivity. This remote, senior role focuses on deep architectural expertise, disciplined experimentation, and practical evaluation of emerging technologies.

You will help define hypotheses, reference architectures, and guidance on whether to stop, continue, or scale R&D efforts. The role requires leadership across engineering, security, product, operations, and external partners, translating

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 in optical/transport, IP networking, cloud-native infra, automation, security architecture, or next-gen access tech.

Responsibilities

• Provide architectural direction for Network R&D initiatives and future capability exploration.
• Develop reference architectures, design patterns, and proof‑of‑concept approaches.
• Lead deep technical analysis of external partners, startups, and academic collaborations.
• Design experiments, pilots, and simulations to test feasibility, scalability, and security.
• Translate findings into architecture implications and guidance for stakeholders.
• Collaborate across multiple teams to align R&D with enterprise priorities and customer needs.
• Identify dependencies, standards implications, and commercialization pathways for validated capabilities.
• Represent Network R&D in technical forums and executive briefings.

Skills

Network architecture

R&D leadership

Emerging technologies evaluation

Executive communication

Cross‑functional collaboration

Technical strategy

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Optical and transport systems

Programmable networks

AI infrastructure

Edge and distributed compute

Job description

Lumen Technologies is seeking a seasoned Principal Architect to shape the future of our AI-ready connectivity. This remote, senior role focuses on deep architectural expertise, disciplined experimentation, and practical evaluation of emerging technologies.

You will help define hypotheses, reference architectures, and guidance on whether to stop, continue, or scale R&D efforts. The role requires leadership across engineering, security, product, operations, and external partners, translating