Senior R&D Specialist

Join Nokia’s engineering team and play a key role in shaping the next generation of Nokia Cloud Operations Manager (NCOM), driving the analysis, design, and implementation of solutions for the Infrastructure Management domain.

NCOM Evo is Nokia’s next-generation, cloud-native operations layer that enables telecom software to run and evolve at scale. It simplifies complex network delivery—including packages, clusters, sites, and network functions—through a unified Operations Portal that supports design, deployment, upgrades, rollbacks, and observability, powered by Kubernetes controllers, configuration-as-data, and GitOps-based automation.

As part of the NCOM Infrastructure Management team, you will contribute to managing the full lifecycle of infrastructure, including hardware, operating systems, and Kubernetes, while advancing configuration management, networking, and closed-loop automation.

In this role, you will have the opportunity to bridge architecture and implementation, translating technical concepts into robust, production-ready solutions. You will provide technical direction and collaborate with a talented team of engineers to build scalable, resilient, and highly automated solutions that support telecom operators worldwide.

As a Senior R&D Specialist, you will...

• Own end-to-end feature delivery, from requirements gathering and design to implementation, testing, deployment, and monitoring, ensuring timely and high-quality outcomes.
• Architect and implement Openshift Container Platform (OCP) lifecycle management solutions, including installation, upgrades, and automation using Red Hat Advanced Cluster Management (RH ACM).
• Design and lead the development of cloud-native distributed systems at scale, leveraging expertise in Openshift, Docker, and Kubernetes in production environments.
• Draft and deliver comprehensive architectural studies and high-level designs (HLDs) to guide development teams toward efficient implementation and adherence to best engineering practices.
• Automate container lifecycle management, including secure base image governance, dynamic build pipelines, admission control, runtime orchestration, and ephemeral environment provisioning.
• Integrate AI-driven tools into CI/CD pipelines to accelerate workflows, such as code generation, manifest validation, vulnerability patching, and automated pull request reviews.
• Debug and resolve complex issues in Kubernetes clusters, containerized applications, and Go-based services, ensuring high performance, reliability, and scalability.
• Optimize Kubernetes ecosystems by developing custom controllers, operators, and CRDs, and managing complex service mesh layers like Istio.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to influence technical decisions, drive innovation, and ensure alignment across engineering, operations, and product teams.
• Coach and mentor development teams, ensuring adherence to best practices, efficient implementation of HLDs, and continuous improvement in feature delivery processes.

If you have:

• A Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Electronic Engineering, Telecom, or equivalent, with 10+ years of relevant experience.
• Strong software development expertise in Go or Python, with proven experience in designing and running cloud-native distributed systems at scale.
• Deep expertise in Openshift, Docker, helm and Kubernetes, including troubleshooting, administration, and lifecycle management.
• Solid understanding of CI/CD pipelines (ideally GitOps), Linux administration, networking, and security.
• Experience drafting architectural patterns and HLDs, and leading development teams in complex environments where performance, reliability, and scalability are critical.

It Would Be Nice If You Also Had

• Cloud certifications in Openshift and at least one public cloud platform (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
• Experience with hardware management, including Redfish, UEFI, BIOS/eSW upgrades, GPUs, and Linux administration.
• Hands-on experience with AI-based development workflows and workflow design for CI/CD pipelines.