Principal Architect, Network Research and Development

Principal Architect, Network Research and Development

Lumen is the trusted network for the AI‑powered world, connecting people, data, and applications through our expansive fiber network and connected ecosystem. We enable secure, high‑performance connectivity across cloud, edge, and AI workloads for enterprises, governments, and communities.

At Lumen, you’ll work on infrastructure customers rely on today and build for what’s next, where performance, security, and resilience matter.

This is a high accountability environment where bold ideas drive real innovation for our customers, partners, and industry. The work is challenging, expectations are clear, and trust is built into how we operate. If you’re ready to take ownership, deliver meaningful impact, and help shape the future of AI‑ready connectivity, join us today.

The Role

As a Principal Architect,Network Research & Development, you will serve as a senior technical leader focused on shaping Lumen’s future network capabilities through deep architectural expertise, disciplined experimentation, and practical evaluation of emerging technologies. This is an individual contributor role designed for a highly credible architect who can operate at the intersection of advanced networking, emerging technology, technical strategy, and enterprise decision‑making. The Principal Architect will help define hypotheses, design experiments, evaluate vendor and partner capabilities, develop reference architectures, and provide clear technical guidance on whether emerging capabilities should be stopped, continued, scaled, or transitioned into future roadmap consideration.

Location

This is a remote opportunity open to candidates located anywhere in the U.S.

The Main Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior technical authority for Network R&D initiatives, providing architectural direction across emerging network technologies, advanced infrastructure concepts, and future capability exploration.
• Evaluate emerging technologies such as quantum networking, post-quantum cryptography, next‑generation optical and fiber systems, autonomous networks, AI infrastructure, programmable networks, edge and distributed compute, digital twins, and advanced security capabilities.
• Develop reference architectures, technical design patterns, proof‑of‑concept approaches, and decision frameworks that help determine whether emerging capabilities have relevance for Lumen’s future network strategy.
• Lead deep technical analysis of vendor, startup, academic, national lab, open‑source, and consortium‑led innovation opportunities, ensuring external partnerships produce actionable insight and usable learning.
• Design and guide experiments, pilots, lab validations, simulations, and technical assessments that test feasibility, interoperability, scalability, resiliency, security, cost, and operational fit.
• Translate ambiguous technical findings into clear architecture implications, risk assessments, trade‑off analyses, and recommendations for senior technical and business stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Network Engineering, Architecture, Product, Security, Operations, Finance, Legal, Procurement, and external partners to connect R&D work to enterprise priorities and future customer needs.
• Identify technical dependencies, integration considerations, standards implications, operating model impacts, and commercialization pathways for validated capabilities.
• Provide thought leadership on future network evolution, including how emerging technologies may influence network architecture, product enablement, automation, resilience, security, and customer differentiation.
• Help establish disciplined technical governance for R&D work, including architecture reviews, documentation standards, learning milestones, technical exit criteria, and stop/continue/scale recommendations.
• Represent Network R&D in technical forums, partner discussions, internal architecture reviews, standards conversations, and executive‑level technical briefings.
• Maintain a strong external view of technology shifts, market signals, standards activity, partner ecosystems, and competitive innovation that may create future strategic advantage for Lumen.

What We Look For in a Candidate

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, telecommunications, applied science, or a related technical field; advanced degree preferred.
• 12+ years of experience in network architecture, network engineering, advanced technology strategy, R&D, product engineering, platform engineering, security architecture, or a related technical discipline.
• Deep technical expertise in one or more advanced network domains such as optical and transport systems, IP networking, programmable networks, cloud‑native infrastructure, automation, AI‑enabled infrastructure, edge/distributed compute, security architecture, or next‑generation access technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate emerging technologies and convert technical uncertainty into structured experiments, architectural options, decision points, and business‑relevant recommendations.
• Ability to operate in ambiguity, quickly learn new technical domains, separate signal from noise, and make sound recommendations with incomplete or evolving information.
• Strong executive and technical communication skills, including the ability to explain highly complex concepts to senior leaders, peer architects, engineering teams, vendors, and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Proven ability to influence without direct authority and work effectively across matrixed teams, technical SMEs, external partners, and leadership stakeholders.
• Commitment to disciplined experimentation, including defining hypotheses, success measures, learning milestones, technical constraints, and kill criteria.
• Ability to mentor other technical contributors and help elevate architectural thinking, documentation quality, and technical decision‑making across the organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience contributing to R&D, innovation, advanced architecture, emerging technology, lab, incubation, or future‑state strategy work within a telecommunications, cloud, infrastructure, security, or deep technology environment.
• Exposure to quantum technologies, post‑quantum cryptography, QKD, photonics, next‑generation fiber, advanced optical systems, AI infrastructure, autonomous networks, digital twins, programmable network architectures, or advanced security models.
• Experience designing or leading technology pilots, proof‑of‑concepts, simulations, lab validations, vendor co‑development efforts, academic collaborations, national lab engagements, standards participation, or startup evaluations.
• Familiarity with horizon planning, stage‑gate models, tranche funding, portfolio‑based innovation approaches, learning milestones, technical readiness levels, or evidence‑based stop/continue decision frameworks.
• Understanding of intellectual property considerations, standards bodies, vendor partnership models, co‑development terms, licensing approaches, or commercialization pathways for emerging technology work.
• Experience representing an organization externally with credibility in technical forums, industry groups, partner discussions, vendor briefings, or innovation ecosystems.
• Strong curiosity and external orientation, with a demonstrated ability to connect market signals, technology trends, customer needs, and enterprise strategy into practical architecture recommendations.

Compensation

This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. Individual pay is based on skills, experience and other relevant factors. Location Based Pay Ranges $152,066 - $202,755 in these states: AL AR AZ FL GA IA ID IN KS KY LA ME MO MS MT ND NE NM OH OK PA SC SD TN UT VT WI WV WY $159,670 - $212,893 in these states: CO HI MI MN NC NH NV OR RI $167,273 - $223,031 in these states: AK CA CT DC DE IL MA MD NJ NY TX VA WA Lumen offers a comprehensive package featuring a broad range of Health, Life, Voluntary Lifestyle benefits and other perks that enhance your physical, mental, emotional and financial wellbeing. We're able to answer any additional questions you may have about our bonus structure (short‑term incentives, long‑term incentives and/or sales compensation) as you move through the selection process.

Life at Lumen is human and connected, even in a fast moving, AI‑focused organization. We set clear expectations and trust people to meet them. With real support and shared accountability, teams collaborate better, move faster, and deliver meaningful outcomes.

Our Lumen 8 behaviors guide how we interact, make decisions, and work together, shaping a culture built to perform and win.

If you are selected for a position, there will be a background screen, which may include checks for criminal records and/or motor vehicle reports and/or drug screening, depending on the position requirements. For more information on these checks, please refer to the Post Offer section of our FAQ page . Job‑related concerns identified during the background screening may disqualify you from the new position or your current role. Background results will be evaluated on a case‑by‑case basis.

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