Principal Engineer – Network Evolution Architecture

Comcast • Philadelphia, PA

9d • Onsite

About The Position

This job leads strategic R&D initiatives, pioneering solutions and guiding teams. It involves setting technical specifications, partnering with product teams, and evaluating external solutions. Responsibilities include authoring key documentation and mentoring within the research team. Join Comcast’s Network Evolution team, a forward-looking engineering group focused on identifying, validating, and scaling next-generation wireline, optical, and wireless technologies for the HFC network. This team operates as an innovation and architecture function, driving early-stage technology evaluation, building proof-of-concepts, and influencing product direction and industry standards. The work is highly cross-disciplinary, spanning RF, optical, wireless systems, and hardware/software co-design, with a strong emphasis on improving bandwidth, latency, reliability, and efficiency.

Requirements

• ~10+ years of experience in telecommunications, systems engineering, or network architecture
• Strong understanding of physical layer (OSI Layer 1) concepts and their impact on system design
• Deep expertise in at least one domain: RF, optical networking, or wireless (e.g., WiFi / 802.11 / O-RAN)
• Experience evaluating and working with hardware/software system architectures (FPGA, ASIC, or software-based systems)
• Proven ability to perform system-level design tradeoffs (technical + cost considerations)
• Experience building or contributing to proof-of-concepts, prototypes, or early-stage solutions
• Ability to collaborate across multi-disciplinary teams and external partners (vendors, chip manufacturers)
• Experience with Python scripting or automation (ability to streamline workflows and experimentation)

Nice To Haves

• Experience with O-RAN architectures and/or 802.11 (WiFi) systems
• Background in telecom product design or R&D environments (vs. operations-focused roles)
• Familiarity with RF and optical lab environments, including test equipment, emulators, and data capture tools
• Exposure to CableLabs or industry standards development
• Experience incorporating AI/ML techniques into system design or analysis

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic architecture and system design for next-generation access and transport technologies
• Evaluate and compare hardware and software architectures (e.g., FPGA, ASIC, software-based solutions)
• Design, model, and validate RF and optical networks, including link budgets across multiple topologies (P2P, P2MP, mesh, star)
• Develop and deliver proof-of-concepts (PoCs) to validate new technologies and influence executive and industry decisions
• Perform technical and cost-benefit tradeoff analysis across competing approaches
• Define product and system requirements in collaboration with vendors and semiconductor partners
• Provide technical leadership and direction to external partners, suppliers, and standards bodies (e.g., CableLabs)
• Identify and apply innovations from adjacent industries to improve Comcast’s network capabilities

Benefits

• Medical & Dental
• 401(k) Savings Plan
• Generous paid time off
• Life Milestones - from adoption assistance, childcare resources, pet insurance, and more
• Courtesy Services - free digital TV and internet
• Discount tickets for Universal Resorts, including theme park tickets and onsite hotel rooms

What This Job Offers

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