Staff RAN Operations Engineer

About Skylo

Skylo is a global Non-Terrestrial Network service provider based in Mountain View, CA, offering a service that allows smartphone and IoT cellular devices to connect directly over existing satellites. 

Skylo’s direct-to-device service is now live on millions of activated devices across five continents, with more than 60 million square kilometers of coverage, in partnership with multiple satellite operators, mobile network operators (MNOs), Tier-1 chipset makers, and OEMs. Devices connected over satellite are managed and served by Skylo's commercial NTN vRAN, featuring a 3GPP standards-based cloud-native base station and core. Skylo provides anywhere, anytime connectivity solution that seamlessly roams between terrestrial and satellite networks. Our focus is on enabling connected services for people outdoors and connected workflows across three main verticals: mass-market consumer devices, automotive, and industrial IoT.

This role is located in Mountain View, CA where we are onsite 3 days a week in office. 

Summary Of How You Will Impact Skylo

Skylo is hiring a Staff RAN Operations Engineer to help fulfill Skylo's mission of making
satellite connectivity available to all. This individual will be a production-focused RAN engineer responsible for supporting live network performance, executing RAN optimization activities, and acting as a Level-3 escalation point for RAN-related incidents. You will bridge the gap between traditional telecom and cloud-native architecture, ensuring the reliability of the world’s first commercial, live direct-to-device satellite network.

How You Will Contribute

• RAN KPI Support & Analysis: Monitor and analyze KPI domains including attach/access success rates, RRC behavior, and RF performance (SINR, RSSI, noisefloor)
• Production RAN Optimization: Execute parameter tuning and configuration adjustments to improve network stability and coverage consistency under established change-management processes.
• Advanced Technical Support (Level 3): Act as the L3 escalation authority for RAN-related production incidents, performing deep root cause analysis using eNodeB/gNodeB logs and RF telemetry.
• AI/ML for Network Ops: Develop and implement Anomaly Detection models for RAN KPIs to preemptively identify "silent failures" before they impact customer SLAs.
• Incident Support & Prevention: Participate in a 24x7 on-call rotation to support RCA efforts and identify recurring failure patterns across RAN, Core, and cloud infrastructure.
• Operational Governance: Author and enforce high-standard MOPs (Methods of Procedure) to ensure all RAN changes are auditable, safe, and backed by a clear rollback strategy.
• NTN Physics Optimization: Manage unique satellite-specific challenges, including link budget sensitivity, Doppler compensation, and the impact of high latency on 3GPP protocol timers (T300/T310).
• NetOps Enablement: Translate RAN behavior into detection logic and operational runbooks, while mentoring L2 NOC engineers on KPI interpretation and Linux-based troubleshooting.
  

What We Look For 

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree (or equivalent professional experience) in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, or Computer Science.
• Experience: 6–10+ years of experience in RAN engineering and operations, specifically supporting live production LTE/5G networks.
• Cloud-Native Expertise: Significant experience managing vRAN/ORAN architectures and containerized network functions using Kubernetes (GCP preferred).
• Advanced Analytics: Proven experience applying Machine Learning to wireless network optimization, specifically for predictive trend analysis.
• Technical Depth: Deep knowledge of NAS/AS layers, RRC state machines, and protocol analysis (Wireshark/PCAP) at the S1-U and Uu interfaces.
• Systems & Tools: Proficiency in Linux, Cloud platforms (GCP), and automation tools like Python or Ansible for operational scaling.
• Specialized Skills: Understanding of 3GPP Control Plane Cellular IoT, SCEF (Service Capability Exposure Function), and exposure to IoT testing)

What We Offer

With employees working across three continents, Skylo is proud to be an equal opportunity employer dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workforce. Our worldwide and inclusive culture encourages a flexible approach to work, and we also offer an attractive range benefits such as: 

• Competitive compensation packages including a stock option based equity program 
• Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, retirement plan
• Monthly allowances for wellness and education reimbursement
• A generous time off policy, holi