Packet Core & Cloud Infrastructure SME

About the role

The Packet Core & Cloud Infrastructure SME will design, deploy and operate telecom packet‑core systems on virtualised and cloud‑native platforms. This position blends deep telecom core expertise with hands‑on experience in modern cloud environments to deliver resilient, scalable 4G/5G services.

Key responsibilities

• Architect and manage cloud infrastructure for EPC, 5G NSA and 5GC deployments.
• Deploy, configure and support virtualised network functions (VNFs) and cloud‑native network functions (CNFs).
• Operate OpenStack and Kubernetes clusters for telecom workloads, handling installation, upgrades, patching and scaling.
• Ensure high availability, redundancy and disaster‑recovery readiness across the environment.
• Perform capacity planning, performance tuning and resource optimisation.
• Lead complex troubleshooting across network, compute, storage and virtualisation layers.
• Integrate core nodes such as MME, SGW, PGW, AMF, SMF, UPF and related functions.
• Drive automation using CI/CD pipelines and Infrastructure‑as‑Code practices.
• Monitor systems with Prometheus, Grafana and CNOM, and enforce security hardening.
• Collaborate with vendors, RAN, transport and IT teams, and participate in incident management and root‑cause analysis.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science or a related discipline.
• 6–10+ years of experience in telecom core networks and cloud infrastructure.
• Proven experience with 2G/3G/4G EPC and 5G Core architectures.
• Hands‑on experience deploying and operating OpenStack and Kubernetes for telecom workloads.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills in 24/7 critical environments.
• Ability to lead technical initiatives and mentor junior engineers.

Required skills

• Packet Core protocols: GTP, Diameter, SCTP, PFCP, HTTP/2.
• Virtualised Network Functions (VNF) and Cloud‑Native Network Functions (CNF).
• OpenStack (telecom cloud).
• Kubernetes and container orchestration.
• Compute, storage and networking in cloud environments.
• Virtualisation technologies.
• CI/CD, Infrastructure‑as‑Code.
• Monitoring tools: Prometheus, Grafana, CNOM.