This position requires office presence of a minimum of 5 days per week and is only located in the location(s) posted. No relocation is offered.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.
What You'll Do:AT&T is seeking a highly technical standards leader to shape the future of mobile network operations, automation, and management within the global telecommunications ecosystem. In this role, you will represent AT&T in industry standards organizations, drive strategic influence across key technical forums, and help define the operational frameworks supporting 5G Advanced and emerging 6G networks.
- 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 Operations, Administration & Maintenance (OAM) Service assurance and charging management Network slicing management AI/ML-driven operations Autonomous and intent-based networking Closed-loop automation Cloud-native network management Virtualized network operations Analytics, assurance, and operational APIs 5G Advanced and 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 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.
What You'll Bring:You are a recognized technical expert who combines deep telecommunications knowledge with 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.
- Strong technical writing and presentation skills with 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.
What You'll Need:- PhD, Master's, or Bachelor's degree in: Electrical Engineering Computer Engineering Computer Science Telecommunications
- PhD with 4+ years of relevant industry experience; OR
- Master's degree with 6+ years of relevant experience; OR
- Bachelor's degree with 8+ years of relevant experience.
- Direct experience with 3GPP standards development.
- Expertise in one or more of the following: 3GPP SA5 Telecom Management OAM Network Orchestration Service Assurance Autonomous Networks Network Automation Cloud-Native Operations Mobile Core Operations
- Experience developing and negotiating technical standards contributions.
- 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 Fault, performance, and analytics frameworks
- Familiarity with: O-RAN Service Management & Orchestration (SMO) O-RAN automation frameworks TM Forum Open APIs and Autonomous Network initiatives 5G Advanced and 6G network management evolution
Additional Requirements:
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally, including occasional weekend travel, to attend standards meetings and industry events.
Our Principal Member of Technical Staff jobs earn between $189,200.00 - $283,800.00 USD Annual. Not to mention all the other amazing rewards that working at AT&T offers. Individual starting salary within this range may depend on geography, experience, expertise, and education/training.
Joining our team comes with amazing perks and benefits:
- Medical/Dental/Vision coverage
- 401(k) plan
- Tuition reimbursement program
- Paid Time Off and Holidays (based on date of hire, at least 23 days of vacation each year and 9 company-designated holidays)
- Paid Parental Leave
- Paid Caregiver Leave
- Additional sick leave beyond what state and local law require may be available but is unprotected
- Adoption Reimbursement
- Disability Benefits (short term and long term)
- 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% off on eligible AT&T mobility plans and accessories, AT&T internet (and fiber where available) and AT&T phone
Weekly Hours:
40
Time Type:
Regular
Location:
Dallas, Texas, Middletown, New Jersey, USA:WA:Bothell / 20309 North Creek Pkwy - Adm (bothell 7):20309 N Creek Pkwy @ Bldg L
Salary Range:
$189,200.00 - $283,800.00