Principal Member of Technical Staff (Wireless Technology and Standards)

About the Role

Join a team that directly influences how the global telecommunications industry operates. You’ll work at the intersection of wireless innovation, cloud‑native networking, AI‑driven operations, and standards leadership, helping shape the evolution of future 5G Advanced and 6G networks while representing one of the industry’s most influential service providers.

Responsibilities

• Represent AT&T within 3GPP SA5 and related industry organizations, influencing the evolution of network management, orchestration, automation, service assurance, OAM, and operational architectures.
• Collaborate to develop, defend, and negotiate AT&T technical positions across standards bodies including 3GPP, O‑RAN Alliance, and TM Forum.
• Lead standards strategy related to telecom management and orchestration, OAM, service assurance and charging, network slicing, AI/ML‑driven operations, autonomous and intent‑based networking, closed‑loop automation, cloud‑native network management, virtualized network operations, analytics, assurance, operational APIs, and 5G Advanced/6G operational frameworks.
• Author technical contributions, white papers, position papers, and standards proposals.
• Drive technical discussions and build consensus among operators, infrastructure vendors, cloud providers, and industry stakeholders.
• Evaluate standards impacts and translate AT&T business, operational, and architectural requirements into industry‑leading standards strategies.
• Collaborate closely with internal teams spanning network architecture, wireless engineering, core network engineering, cloud & platform engineering, security, product management, operations, and vendor management.
• Coordinate standards alignment across 3GPP working groups including SA, SA1, SA2, SA3, RAN, and CT.
• Track and influence emerging work items and study items impacting network operations and service delivery.
• Support patent generation and intellectual property development aligned with AT&T’s long‑term technology strategy.

Qualifications

• Recognized technical expert with deep telecommunications knowledge and the ability to influence industry direction and build consensus across diverse stakeholders.
• Strong expertise in 3GPP standards development, particularly within SA5.
• Deep understanding of telecom management, orchestration, network operations, and lifecycle management.
• Experience influencing standards organizations, technical forums, or industry consortiums.
• Knowledge of mobile network architectures, cloud‑native platforms, and virtualization technologies.
• Excellent technical writing and presentation skills; experience creating standards contributions and technical documentation.
• Ability to negotiate complex technical issues and gain alignment across operators, vendors, and internal stakeholders.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to connect business priorities to technical roadmaps.
• Executive‑level communication and stakeholder‑management skills.
• Passion for innovation, technology strategy, and industry leadership.
• Education: PhD, Master’s, or Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or Telecommunications.
• Relevant experience: PhD + 4 years, Master’s + 6 years, or Bachelor’s + 8 years in the industry.
• Direct experience with 3GPP standards development.
• Expertise in one or more areas: 3GPP SA5, telecom management, OAM, network orchestration, service assurance, autonomous networks, network automation, cloud‑native operations, mobile core operations.
• Strong understanding of 5G Core IMS and service architectures, network slicing, cloud‑native network functions (CNFs), virtualized network functions (VNFs), AI/ML for network operations, service‑exposure APIs, and fault/performance/analytics frameworks.
• Familiarity with O‑RAN Service Management & Orchestration (SMO), O‑RAN automation frameworks, TM Forum Open APIs, autonomous network initiatives, and the evolution of 5G Advanced and 6G network management.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally, including occasional weekend travel, to attend standards meetings and industry events.

Compensation

Annual salary range: $189,200 – $283,800 USD. Individual starting salary may depend on geography, experience, expertise, and education/training.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Paid time off and holidays (minimum 23 vacation days + 9 company‑designated holidays)
• Paid parental leave
• Paid caregiver leave
• Additional sick leave beyond statutory requirements (unprotected)
• Adoption reimbursement
• Short‑term and long‑term disability benefits
• Life and accidental death insurance
• Supplemental benefit programs: critical illness/accident, hospital indemnity, group legal
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
• Extensive employee wellness programs
• Employee discounts up to 50 % on eligible AT&T mobility plans, accessories, internet (including fiber where available), and AT&T phone services

Work Schedule & Location

Office presence required a minimum of five days per week; no relocation assistance is offered. Positions are based in Dallas, Texas; Middletown, New Jersey; and Bothell, Washington (20309 North Creek Pkwy). Regular full‑time schedule of 40 hours per week.