Research Engineer On Virtualisation of 5g

**About the role**:
The primary mission will consist of exploring innovative concepts for the disaggregation and virtualization of the Radio Access Network (RAN) functions of 5G, and future 6G generations of mobile networks. These concepts are part of the O-RAN Alliance framework and the OpenAirInterface (OAI) open-source stack.

In particular, the mission will consist of:

- identifying and designing missing functionalities in OAI, before submission to the Open Source community
- developing tools to facilitate deployment operations and tests of such architectures by operators
- designing and developing algorithms to optimize their operation

Another mission will consist of testing the solutions within the framework of the 5G test labs (e.g. Open RAN Test & Integration Centre) in order to verify the inter-operability of the open source solutions with commercial equipment, and the compatibility of these solutions with Orange’s choices in terms of Core Network, RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) and orchestration tools. In addition, one mission will consist of assisting Orange's operational services in their choice or development of solutions.

Activities

You will be in charge of:

- Conducting studies on the evolution of Radio Access Networks, both in terms of architecture and network functions
- Designing and developing algorithms to optimize the operation of Radio Access Networks
- Publishing the results of your work in international publications and conferences,
- Contributing to open source forums (OAI, Linux Foundation, etc.), and to the O-RAN SW Community
- Providing expertise to Orange operational services in their choice and development of network solutions

You will potentially be involved with:

- Filing patents and creating Intellectual Property Rights in relation to these innovations
- Participating in French or European cooperative projects
- Managing research partnership contracts
- Supervising PhD students, postdocs, or interns

**About you**:
You hold a PhD in the field of Telecommunications, and more particularly in mobile networks in the broad sense (radio network, core network,)

Experience in 5G radio networks and contributions to open source communities is desirable.

Technical skills
- Skills in radio networks (4G, 5G and beyond)
- Skills in virtualization technologies (virtual machines, containers,)
- Skills in software development (Gitlab, etc.)
- Skills in algorithmic and performance evaluation
- Knowledge in Artificial Intelligence is desirable

Transversal skills

Les compétences suivantes devraient figurer systématiquement (sauf éventuellement celle sur le développement de code logiciel si non nécessaire)
- Interest for research and initiative
- Curiosity, open-mindedness, creativity and dynamism
- Ability to understand complex problems and propose innovative solutions
- Methodological rigor and strong analytical and synthesis skills
- Motivation for working within multidisciplinary teams and for contributing to a common goal, while being autonomous in its activities
- Fluency in English (for writing documents, presentations, chairing meetings, missions )
- Written and oral communication skills with ability to convince and popularize research work, and make it understandable to a wider audience
- Expertise in the main development tools of software communities, and in virtualization (Kubernetes, VirtualBox, etc.).
- Ability to work in a transversal manner, and in a multicultural environment

**Additional information**:

- You will join a dynamic team of experts in mobile network architecture and software developers, and you will be in direct contact with manufacturers at the forefront of innovation
- You will play a direct role on the on-going transformation in RAN architecture, in particular on open RAN, a strategic and multi-domain topic, with both IT and radio components
- You will develop an expertise in open source software development
- You will have the opportunity to enhance your skills on products and functionalities of the main RAN manufacturers, and on the major evolutions in mobile networks (Open RAN, virtualization, AI,)
- You will work within a highly international and multicultural environment

**Department**:
You are willing to become a committed player in the current and future transformations: ambient connectivity thanks to 5G, generalized software infrastructure, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, novel use cases and new societal challenges, etc.

Even more than enlightening the future, Orange Research contributes to forging a fully human and digital future: identifying breakthroughs, building skills and intellectual property, contributing to the invention of innovative services and infrastructures.

Within the Orange Group, INNOV supplies the Group with innovations to develop its growth. Within Orange Innovation Networks, the Green & Radio Networks department is responsible for providing technological recommendations on Radio Access Network (RAN)