Senior Lead Architect – AI-Ready Optical Network

Lumen; Little Rock (AR); Remote; USD 132,000 - 194,000; Full time

Job summary

Lumen is seeking a Senior Lead Architect to drive bold architectural solutions for AI-ready connectivity across the global network. You will lead complex initiatives, shape strategic vision, and deliver scalable designs that impact customers, partners, and the industry.

Based in the US with a remote work option, you’ll translate emerging technologies into actionable roadmaps, engage with standards bodies, and develop business cases that justify architectural choices while collaborating across

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical, optical, or Telecommunication engineering, or 5-7+ years of equivalent experience and training.
• MBA, or 5-7+ years of equivalent experience in financial modeling
• Fluent in DWDM, Coherent Optics, ROADM/Open Line Systems, Optical performance modeling, and network resiliency
• Strong analytical approach to solving problems
• Experience communicating technical solutions from C-Level to entry level employees
• Has been the technical subject matter expert that has successfully led a new Product introduction into the production network
• Strong data extraction and analytic skills using tools like SQL and Power BI

Responsibilities

• Optical Strategist: translate emerging technologies into deployable architecture, standards, vendor requirements, and operational models
• Architectural Recommendations: include technology roadmaps, reference architectures, lifecycle planning, and interoperability requirements.
• Visionary: Envision future optical network over a 1–3-year horizon and turn them into reality
• Original Mindset: Think, how can we do this?
• AI-Enabled Innovation: Use AI tools to accelerate research, network analytics, documentation, automation, modeling, and decision support.
• Standard Bodies Participation: Engage in standard bodies such as an MSA, IEEE, OIF, Open ROADM, etc., to drive Lumen’s initiatives
• Data Mining and Trending Analytics: Utilize strong data mining skills to extract network data and present current and trending demands
• Financial Model Derivation: Fluent in TCO, ROI, NPV, sensitivity analysis, marginal cost, long‑run average cost, capital efficiency, and demand‑based forecasting.
• Business Case Development: Develop business cases to support architectural designs and decisions
• Automation Vision: Create an automation vision for the Optical Product line

Skills

Analytical thinking

C-level communication

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical/optical/telecommunication engineering

MBA or equivalent in finance

Tools

SQL

Power BI

Job description

Lumen is seeking a Senior Lead Architect to drive bold architectural solutions for AI-ready connectivity across the global network. You will lead complex initiatives, shape strategic vision, and deliver scalable designs that impact customers, partners, and the industry.

Based in the US with a remote work option, you’ll translate emerging technologies into actionable roadmaps, engage with standards bodies, and develop business cases that justify architectural choices while collaborating across