Senior 3GPP Core Network Engineer - 4G/5G & Cloud-Native

astspacemobile; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

AST SpaceMobile is building the first global cellular broadband network to operate directly with standard mobile devices. We seek a Senior Core Network Engineer to design, deploy, and optimize 3GPP core networks (4G LTE EPC, 5G SA).

You will configure interfaces (S1-AP, NAS, GTP, PFCP), build automation in Python/Ansible/Terraform, and lead FAT/SIT/UAT testing with cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands-on telecommunications experience in 3GPP core networks.
• Proven experience with large-scale 4G LTE EPC and 5G Standalone Core deployments.
• Experience with core network solutions from Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung, or Mavenir.

Responsibilities

• Engineer, implement, and deploy 3GPP core network elements (4G LTE EPC, 5G SA Core).
• Translate designs into engineering plans with Solutions Architects.
• Configure core network interfaces and services (S1-AP, NAS, GTP-C/U, Diameter, HTTP/2, SCTP, PFCP).
• Develop automation frameworks and scripts using Python, Ansible, Terraform, and Bash.
• Lead integration between core network elements and RAN, transport, OSS/BSS, and third-party platforms.
• Design, develop, and execute FAT, SIT, and UAT test plans.
• Perform functional, performance, regression, interoperability, and stress testing.
• Identify, analyze, and resolve complex technical issues with vendors and teams.
• Support PoCs, field trials, and new technology evaluations.
• Provide expert-level incident support, troubleshooting, and RCA planning.
• Monitor and analyze network KPIs to identify bottlenecks and optimize performance.
• Drive continuous improvement of deployment, integration, automation, and ops processes.
• Create and maintain engineering documentation and as-built diagrams.
• Ensure deployments adhere to 3GPP standards, security policies, and internal guidelines.

Skills

Telecommunications engineering

3GPP core networks

VNF/CNF deployment

Automation mindset

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Telecommunications

Tools

Kubernetes

OpenShift

OpenStack

VMware

Job description

AST SpaceMobile is building the first global cellular broadband network to operate directly with standard mobile devices. We seek a Senior Core Network Engineer to design, deploy, and optimize 3GPP core networks (4G LTE EPC, 5G SA).

You will configure interfaces (S1-AP, NAS, GTP, PFCP), build automation in Python/Ansible/Terraform, and lead FAT/SIT/UAT testing with cross-functional teams.