Technical Architect Deployment Engineer 5G/6G/NTN

American IT Systems•Austin, TX

About The Position

The Expert Forward Deployment Engineer works within a customer's development program as a software developer, systems engineer, and deployment lead, shipping production code. The role turns broad concepts and business strategies into structured deployment projects and serves as the technical lead for complex, high-impact engagements. It involves diagnosing issues deep in the protocol stack (Layers 1–3), modifying software, validating fixes, and delivering controlled releases during customer development, integration, and regression cycles. This is a customer-facing software engineering role embedded directly in customer environments to customize, integrate, and deploy technology into production systems. The engineer works with wireless customer development teams, analyzes signaling and performance data, develops software and automation, and iterates on features with customers. The role also translates field problems into engineering requirements for product management and R&D, incorporates reusable improvements into the core product, and mentors other engineers. Travel may be up to 50% to local client sites, with occasional international travel.

Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree, or equivalent; post-graduate study and/or a relevant certification or license may be required.
At least 8 years of relevant software or systems engineering experience.
Strong software-development experience across multiple software stacks.
Specialized expertise in at least one domain: PHY/Layer 1, MAC/RLC/PDCP and Layer 2, or RRC/NAS and Layer 3.
Working knowledge of adjacent protocol layers and end-to-end 4G, 5G, and 5G-Advanced system behavior.
Proficiency in C/C++ and Python, including API development.
Experience with Linux, embedded or real-time software, and automated testing.
Experience debugging protocol interactions using logs, traces, packet captures, call flows, and timing analysis.
Familiarity with 3GPP specifications and the practical differences among standards compliance, interoperability, and implementation behavior.
Experience with design and test instrumentation and test emulation tools.
Ability to produce production-quality code that ships in a customer's build.
Judgment and customer presence to work within confidential development programs.
Excellent communication skills, including explaining technical trade-offs to engineers and non-technical stakeholders.
Willingness to relocate or travel to a specific customer site as required by the assignment.
Specialized depth and/or breadth across multiple protocol layers, software stacks, and deployment domains.
Demonstrated technical leadership, including designing solutions to unusually complex problems and setting direction for other engineers.

Responsibilities

Translate broad account concepts and business strategies into structured, multi-workstream deployment projects.
Serve as the key technical lead and go-to person for department or senior management on complex, high-impact deployment engagements.
Architect and own solutions to problems requiring unique or highly specialized expertise.
Work onsite or closely with wireless customer development teams during major feature introductions.
Analyze signaling flows, traces, timing behavior, and performance data to isolate failures across Keysight and customer implementations.
Write and modify application and protocol-stack software, as well as supporting software and firmware required by customer environments.
Develop and extend Python APIs for integration by customer teams.
Build automation workflows within customer workflows.
Create diagnostic instrumentation when existing tools are insufficient.
Develop, validate, and deploy controlled patches, feature flags, and interim releases under Keysight's release process.
Run rapid prototyping loops with customers to test and iterate on new features using live feedback.
Translate field problems into engineering requirements and defects for product management and R&D.
Incorporate broadly applicable field-developed improvements into the core product.
Mentor lower-level engineers and help develop the forward deployment engineering team.
Set technical direction for other engineers and provide senior technical leadership.
Travel to local client sites, up to 50%; occasional international travel may be required.