Remote 5G Network Architect | Principal Leader & Futurist

Placements24; Rustenburg; Hybrid; ZAR 1,800,000 - 3,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options / equity grants

Health and wellness benefits

Retirement savings plan with company ?

Home office setup stipend

Unlimited PTO and flexible hours

Professional development budget

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Principal 5G Network Architect to lead the design and evolution of our global 5G infrastructure. This fully remote role is based in Rustenburg, North West, ZA, with autonomy to manage your work environment while delivering impactful results.

You will drive standards for 5G deployment, collaborate with global teams, and mentor engineers, shaping our technology roadmap for years to come.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Telecommunications, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in telecommunications network design and architecture, with at least 5 years focused on 5G technologies.
• Deep understanding of 5G standards (3GPP releases), NSA/SA architectures, and AMF/SMF/UPF/gNB components.
• Extensive experience with cloud-native network functions and containerization technologies.
• Experience with NFV/SDN, RAN, transport, and IP networking principles.

Responsibilities

• Lead architectural design and roadmap for the next-generation 5G network.
• Define standards and best practices for deployment, operation, and optimization.
• Evaluate emerging technologies to enhance capabilities and efficiency.
• Collaborate with engineering, product management, and operations to translate requirements into designs.
• Develop high-level and detailed network designs including capacity planning and security frameworks.
• Provide expert guidance and mentorship to network engineering teams.
• Represent the company in technical forums and industry discussions.
• Conduct PoC evaluations for new technologies and vendor solutions.
• Maintain comprehensive architectural documentation.

Skills

5G architecture leadership

Core network & RAN knowledge

Cloud-native CNFs & Kubernetes

NFV & SDN

5G security

Stakeholder leadership

Remote collaboration

Education

Master's degree or PhD in Electrical/Computer Engineering or Telecommunications

Tools

Kubernetes

Docker

Cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP)

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Principal 5G Network Architect to lead the design and evolution of our global 5G infrastructure. This fully remote role is based in Rustenburg, North West, ZA, with autonomy to manage your work environment while delivering impactful results.

You will drive standards for 5G deployment, collaborate with global teams, and mentor engineers, shaping our technology roadmap for years to come.