Sr. 3GPP RAN Standardization Engineer (Starlink Mobile)

SpaceX • Palo Alto, CA

7d

About The Position

The 3GPP RAN Standardization Engineer will serve as the company’s technical expert within the 3GPP Radio Access Network (RAN) working groups. This individual will actively participate in 3GPP meetings, drive company contributions to influence 5G and 6G standards (including NTN, spectrum evolution, network architecture, and physical layer design) and ensure alignment between internal engineering teams and global standards developments. The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise in radio access (RAN) technologies, practical experience developing products or participating in standardization activities for a product-focused company, and strong diplomacy and advocacy skills to represent the company’s technical interests in an international standards environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor degree degree in STEM discipline.
• 6+ years of experience with cellular RAN design and/or system architecture.
• 4+ years of experience working with/on 3GPP standardization.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree (PhD) in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, or related field.
• Deep understanding of: 5G NR and LTE PHY/MAC/RRC layers.
• Emerging 6G enhancements, studies, and feature evolution
• NTN (Non-Terrestrial Networks) and satellite integration into 3GPP systems
• Spectrum coexistence, PFD limits, RF propagation, and link budgets.
• Proven experience contributing to and/or leading submissions within 3GPP RAN working groups.
• Prior leadership role (e.g., rapporteur, ad hoc chair, or company lead delegate) in a 3GPP or similar standards body.
• Familiarity with ITU-R, ETSI, GSMA, or regional regulatory processes.
• Background in satellite communications, NTN, or RF systems integration.
• Ability to manage multiple contributions across parallel RAN WGs and releases.

Responsibilities

• Act as the company’s subject matter expert in the 3GPP RAN2 and RAN3 Working Groups.
• Present, negotiate, and defend company contributions and proposals to ensure alignment of emerging standards with product and regulatory goals.
• Build and maintain relationships with other 3GPP members, operators, chipset vendors, and regulatory bodies.
• Draft, review, and submit technical contributions on topics such as 5G/6G NR, 5G/6G NTN, RAN architecture, spectrum bands, and performance evaluation.
• Provide detailed technical analysis on topics relevant to the Working Group discussion, such as: Design and analyze mobility features and enhancements, Develop signaling and protocol analysis of control plane and user plane features, Maintain ASN.1 for internal requirement consumption, Develop architecture and interconnect features.
• Participate in internal design reviews to translate 3GPP outcomes into actionable engineering requirements.
• Track standardization timelines, Study Item/Work Item progress, and Release planning (e.g., Release 20, 21, and beyond).
• Summarize and communicate 3GPP meeting outcomes to internal stakeholders through concise reports and recommendations.
• Identify emerging standardization opportunities, risks, and competitive moves.
• Partner with system engineering, RF design, regulatory, and product teams to align internal technical roadmaps with 3GPP evolution.
• Support business and partnership discussions with standards-based technical insights.

Benefits

• comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage
• access to a 401(k)-retirement plan
• short and long-term disability insurance
• life insurance
• paid parental leave
• various other discounts and perks
• 3 weeks of paid vacation
• 10 or more paid holidays per year
• paid sick leave
• long-term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards
• potential discretionary bonuses
• ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior