Senior RAN Validation Engineer (LTE/5G) – Lab & NPI Lead

First Point Group; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

First Point Group is seeking a Senior Network Engineer to lead end-to-end LTE/5G RAN feature and call flow validation in a lab environment, focusing on protocol-level signaling, testing, and interoperability across multi-vendor deployments.

The role requires extensive experience in RAN engineering, validation, and FOA readiness, with strong Python/UNIX/Linux scripting skills to accelerate test execution and regression cycles. North America-focused deployments are anticipated.

Qualifications

• 10–15+ years of experience in LTE/5G RAN engineering, validation, or system integration.
• Deep understanding of end-to-end call flows and 3GPP signaling procedures.
• Strong expertise in RAN feature validation, NPI cycles, and FOA readiness.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end LTE and 5G feature validation, including protocol-level call flows across lab and pre-production environments.
• Validate service lifecycle call flows including attach/detach, handover, mobility events, and session continuity.
• Perform feature-level testing of RAN capabilities, ensuring compliance with 3GPP specs and operator requirements.
• Analyze signaling flows using network tools and logs to identify defects and interoperability issues.
• Drive New Product Introduction (NPI) testing for LTE/5G RAN hardware and software releases.
• Execute integration and feature acceptance testing (ATP) in lab environments prior to field deployment.
• Support FOA readiness and controlled rollout validation for new radio technologies.
• Validate macro and small cell RAN deployments including BBU, RRH, and next-gen radios.
• Troubleshoot multi-layer issues across RAN, transport, and core interfaces.
• Perform root cause analysis on feature failures, call drops, handover issues, and performance degradation.
• Develop automation scripts to accelerate test execution and regression cycles.
• Interface with vendor engineering teams on defect resolution and roadmap validation.

Skills

RAN validation

LTE/5G knowledge

Call flow analysis

Troubleshooting

Automation scripting

Python scripting

Lab testing

Multi-vendor ecosystems

Root cause analysis

Communication skills

Tools

Python

UNIX/Linux

Log analysis tools

Job description

First Point Group is seeking a Senior Network Engineer to lead end-to-end LTE/5G RAN feature and call flow validation in a lab environment, focusing on protocol-level signaling, testing, and interoperability across multi-vendor deployments.

The role requires extensive experience in RAN engineering, validation, and FOA readiness, with strong Python/UNIX/Linux scripting skills to accelerate test execution and regression cycles. North America-focused deployments are anticipated.