Us_east | Industrial & Network Operations Engineer_l4 - Remote Eligible

L0 Optical Architect with System Engineering Expertise

The role involves end-to-end optical system architecture design within Layer-0 (optical transport) networks, including:

• Flex Grid architecture definition (slot-width strategies such as 37.5 / 50 / 75 GHz, etc.)
• End-to-end Open Line System (OLS) reference architecture (terminal → line system → amplifier chain)
• Open ROADM-based and ROADM-less OLS design considerations
• Support for mixed modulation formats and baud rates
• Spectrum planning and coexistence (legacy fixed grid with flex grid)
• Other Layer-0 optical transport architecture considerations

This role does not involve hardware development (WSS or pluggable optics design). Focus is on system-level software integration and orchestration ("plumbing software"). Key areas include:

• Optimization of line amplifiers (EDFA, Raman) via APIs/SDKs
• Selection and tuning of Flex Grid-capable WSS
• Optical power, OSNR, and spectral tilt management
• Redundancy, protection, and physical-layer resiliency handling

Domain expertise:

• Flex Grid DWDM systems
• Open Line Systems (OLS) and disaggregated optical architectures
• Open ROADM specifications and YANG models
• Coherent optics, modulation schemes, and optical impairments

Expected capabilities:

• Own end-to-end OLS architecture design
• Perform trade-off analysis across cost, performance, openness, and scalability
• Work with Flex Grid WSS, EDFA/Raman amplifiers, and passive optical components
• Influence long-term platform and technology decisions (including architectural decisions similar to Nokia ecosystems)
• Drive alignment across hardware, software, and ecosystem teams
• Demonstrate exposure to Open ROADM MSA, TIP, OIF, or similar optical industry forums
• Understand SDN principles and YANG modeling for Layer-0 systems

Interoperability & validation experience:

• OLS designs supporting heterogeneous coherent pluggable optics
• Optical performance envelope definition and tuning
• Large-scale interoperability validation (lab and brownfield production environments)
• Plug-and-play optics qualification and deployment

Mandatory skills:

• Flex Grid DWDM systems
• Open Line Systems (OLS) and disaggregated optical architectures
• Open ROADM specifications and YANG models

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.