Senior 5G Architect, 3GPP NR NTN, meoSphere

The job responsibilities outlined in this document are not exhaustive and may evolve over time and be reviewed according to business needs.

Programme Description

meoSphere is SES’s next-generation Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite constellation, designed to deliver secure connectivity services to government agencies, enterprises, and commercial customers. It will also provide high-speed broadband internet to eliminate global connectivity dead zones.

To accelerate development timelines, reduce costs, and ensure quality, SES is internalizing a critical segment of the satellite supply chain: the final integration of partner satellite platforms with SES’s software-defined payloads, all within a cutting-edge manufacturing and test facility.

ROLE DESCRIPTION 

You will act as the end-to-end technical authority for 5G & 3GPP NR NTN architecture and system integration, spanning RAN, payload, SMO/O-RAN, and core network domains.

Your primary focus is to define the system architecture, drive RAN requirements, and ensure successful multi-vendor integration and validation. You will lead critical technical decisions, and align engineering teams across domains.

Within your first year, you will enable a fully integrated NTN system, with clear RAN requirements, validated interfaces, and a robust verification strategy supporting demo and flight readiness.

As a 5G Architect, 3GPP NR NTN, meoSphere, you will be responsible to :

• Define and assess 5G RAN and 5G-NTN solution architectures, including NG-RAN functional split, protocol stack, radio interface behavior, and integration with terrestrial and non-terrestrial network environments
• Define and drive the 3GPP NR NTN system and RAN architecture, including key trade-offs across payload, RAN, and core 
• Perform and document trade-off studies covering RAN architecture, RF performance, beamforming, beam hopping, beam sweeping, coverage enhancement, mobility, and implementation complexity
• Provide architecture guidance on 5G RAN protocol stack design and integration, including RRC, SDAP, PDCP, RLC, MAC, PHY interactions and NG-RAN architecture interfaces
• Act as the technical authority for the E2E 5G NTN architecture, aligned with 3GPP Rel‑17/18/19 and future evolution 
• Drive integration of NTN RAN with 5G Core, with particular focus on distributed  UPF and core architectures 
• Lead SMO / O-RAN architecture and development direction, including SMO concepts and real-time RIC integration 
• Act as the primary technical interface across RAN, payload, core, and orchestration teams 

What you coordinate and enable 

• Coordinate all RAN-related activities across internal teams and external partners 
• Ensure multi-vendor alignment on requirements, interfaces, and integration priorities 
• Drive end-to-end system integration, verification, and performance optimization 
• Support technology roadmap, system evolution, and standardization activities 
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to senior engineers across domains 

COMPETENCIES, QUALIFICATIONS, & EXPERIENCE

• 10+ years in wireless systems, RAN, NTN, or satellite communications 
• Expert knowledge of 3GPP 5G RAN and 5G-NTN standards, including RAN2 radio layer 2 proto-cols, RAN3 NG-RAN architecture, and RAN4 RF/RRM performance aspects
• Strong knowledge of 5G-NTN features, including beamforming techniques, beam hopping, beam sweeping, random access procedure in NTN, and conditional handover in NTN
• Experience with RAN/RF performance modelling, coverage analysis, link budget interpretation, mobility studies, and vendor-provided simulation or planning outputs
• Hands-on experience with multi-vendor environments, bring-up, and vendor coordination 
• Solid knowledge of 5G Core architecture, including UPF and distributed deployments 
• Strong understanding of NTN constraints and satellite communication systems 

Nice to have

• Experience with beam hopping, beam management, or payload optimization 
• Knowledge of O-RAN architecture, SMO, and RIC frameworks 
• Background in PHY, link-level performance, or system simulation 
• Participation in 3GPP standardization or advanced research programs 

Mindset & Values

• System owner mindset — drives coherence across domains and vendors 
• Pragmatic rigor — defines clear requirements and verification without blocking delivery 
• Hands-on architect — capable of diving into technical issues when needed 
• Low ego, high standards — builds alignment across strong technical stakeholders 

OTHER KEY REQUIREMENTS / COMMENTS

• The candidate must be eligible for a “SECRET” security clearance, in accordance with the national regulations as well as EU/ESA/NATO equivalents
• Willing to work at least 60% onsite from office
• Travel as required for project realization purposes