Senior Specialist, Radio Network Engrg

The Senior Specialist, Radio Network Engineering is responsible for evaluating, validating, and introducing new Radio Access Network (RAN) technologies and features to support the company's network evolution strategy. The role drives the technical assessment of emerging radio technologies through standards analysis, laboratory testing, feature evaluation, field trials, and commercial readiness activities, ensuring new capabilities deliver measurable improvements in network performance, spectrum efficiency, energy consumption, and customer experience.

1. Evaluate emerging RAN technologies, vendor solutions, and 3GPP Releases (e.g., Release 17, Release 18/5G-Advanced and Release 19 features) to support network evolution and technology roadmap planning.
2. Review and assess new 3GPP specifications and industry developments, including AI/ML for RAN optimisation, Ambient IoT, Reduced Capability (RedCap) devices, Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), XR optimisation, enhanced Massive MIMO, network energy-saving features, and multi-antenna enhancements.
3. Conduct technical evaluation of new RAN software features, hardware platforms, and vendor releases, including capabilities such as 5G Carrier Aggregation enhancements, MIMO enhancements, Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS), uplink enhancements, network slicing support, positioning services (NR Positioning), and energy-saving functions.
4. Develop, execute, and manage laboratory validation plans to verify feature functionality, interoperability, performance, stability, and standards compliance prior to field deployment.
5. Plan, coordinate, and execute Proof of Concept (PoC), interoperability testing, pilot deployments, and field trials, including defining objectives, KPIs, success criteria, and performance evaluation methodologies.
6. Support commercial rollout of approved radio technologies by developing deployment strategies, implementation guidelines, operational readiness documentation, and rollout acceptance criteria.
7. Analyse trial, benchmarking, and post-deployment performance data to identify improvement opportunities and recommend optimisation or corrective actions.
8. Collaborate with Radio Planning, Optimisation, Core Network, Transport, Device, OSS, Automation, and Operations teams, as well as equipment vendors, to ensure successful end-to-end technology introduction.
9. Engage equipment vendors to assess product roadmaps, software maturity, interoperability, and implementation plans, ensuring alignment with the company's network strategy and 3GPP standards evolution.
10. Prepare technical reports, engineering recommendations, standards impact assessments, deployment documentation, and executive presentations to support engineering governance and investment decisions.

Skills for Success:

1. Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
2. Minimum 6–8 years of experience in mobile radio network engineering, RAN planning, optimisation, technology introduction, or network performance.
3. Hands-on experience in evaluating, testing, and deploying LTE and 5G NR features.
4. Experience conducting laboratory validation, interoperability testing, field trials, and commercial rollout of radio technologies.
5. Experience working with radio equipment vendors and cross-functional engineering teams.
6. Strong understanding of LTE, LTE-Advanced, and 5G NR radio technologies and architecture.
7. Ability to interpret and assess 3GPP specifications and translate standards into deployment requirements.
8. Proficiency in laboratory testing methodologies, feature validation, troubleshooting, and KPI analysis.
9. Knowledge of radio performance metrics, RF engineering principles, and network optimization