Chief Technology Officer

About the Company:

Our unique 4G/5G vRAN solution is designed to improve quality of experience, enhance spectral efficiency, provide flexibility to the operator in hardware selection, provide full network automation and significantly reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Our product is designed with leading edge hardware & software technologies. We have a team of passionate professionals who understand mobile network operator's requirements & vision. Our objective is to provide mobile network operators with the equipment required to deploy and expand their 4G/5G networks quickly and efficiently in the most feature rich and cost-effective way.

Role Summary

As a 3GPP RAN Working Group 2 (RAN2) Delegate within the CTO Office of our Radio Access Network Business Unit (NFBU), you will be a pivotal contributor to the evolution of wireless communication standards. You will primarily focus on Layer2 and Layer3 aspects of the air interface between base stations (eNB/gNB/6GNB) and user equipment (UE) for NR, and future 6G technologies. This role demands deep technical expertise, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence global standards to align with our technological vision and product roadmap. You will drive innovation, contribute to the company's intellectual property, and ensure our RAN solutions remain at the forefront of the industry.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as a primary delegate for 3GPP RAN2 meetings, representing the company's view, interests and technical positions.
• Actively participate and contribute to 3GPP RAN2 discussions, plenaries, and ad-hoc sessions, including drafting and presenting technical contributions, change requests (CRs), and study items (SIs).
• Build consensus and negotiate technical solutions with other 3GPP member companies, effectively advocating for the company's preferred approaches.
• Stay abreast of industry trends, competitor activities, and academic research in wireless communication, particularly concerning L2/L3 advancements, RAN2 features, and RAN architectures.
• Lead and contribute to the technical analysis, specification, and standardization of L2/L3 features for NR, and emerging 6G systems.
• Contribute to the company's intellectual property portfolio through patent filings and technical publications stemming from standardization work.
• Liaise with other internal 3GPP delegates to ensure consistent and aligned company positions across working groups.
• Provide internal technical guidance and training on 3GPP RAN2 specifications and decisions to relevant engineering and product teams.
• Collaborate closely with internal R&D teams, product management, and other business units to align standardization efforts with product development and strategic objectives.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in Electronics/Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field; Ph.D. preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in Radio Access Network (RAN) R&D, with a strong focus on Layer2/3 design, protocols, architecture and standardization.
• Demonstrated expertise in 3GPP LTE and NR physical layer specifications, protocols, and procedures.
• Proven track record of active participation and contributions to 3GPP RAN2, including authorship of technical papers, contributions, or patents.
• Strong understanding of wireless communication theory, data link layer and RAN architecture.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts clearly and persuasively.
• Ability to work effectively in a global, multi-cultural team environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with 6G research and development, including familiarity with potential 6G air interface concepts and enabling technologies.
• Expertise in advanced mobility techniques, conceptualisation of important RAN1 concepts including beamforming, and multi-TRP (Transmission Reception Point) operations.
• Good understanding of Physical layer concepts in NR.
• Knowledge of RAN architecture elements such as Centralized Unit (CU), Distributed Unit (DU), Active Antenna Unit (AAU), and Remote Radio Unit (RRU).
• Familiarity with concepts related to energy efficiency in RAN and IoT communication.
• Experience with AI/ML applications for physical layer optimization and RAN use cases.
• Prior experience in a CTO Office or similar advanced R&D standards-focused role.

Location and Travel

This role is based out of our Bangalore office. It will require frequent international travel to attend 3GPP RAN2 meetings (typically 4-6 times per year, each lasting 1-2 weeks), as well as occasional travel for internal meetings or industry events.

Rakuten Shugi Principles

Our worldwide practices describe specific behaviours that make Rakuten unique and united across the world. We expect Rakuten employees to model these 5 Shugi Principles of Success.

• Always improve, always advance. Only be satisfied with complete success - Kaizen.
• Be passionately professional. Take an uncompromising approach to your work and be determined to be the best.
• Hypothesize - Practice - Validate - Shikumika. Use the Rakuten Cycle to success in unknown territory.
• Maximize Customer Satisfaction. The greatest satisfaction for workers in a service industry is to see their customers smile.
• Speed!! Speed!! Speed!! Always be conscious of time. Take charge, set clear goals, and engage your team.