Lead SRE, Mobile

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We are Optimum, a leader in the fast-paced world of connectivity, and we're on the hunt for enthusiastic professionals to join our team! We understand that connectivity isn't just a luxury anymore - it's a necessity that empowers lives, fuels businesses, and drives innovation. A career at Optimum means you'll be enabling progress and enhancing lives by providing reliable, high-speed connectivity solutions that keep the world connected. We owe our success to our amazing product, commitment to our people and the connections we make in every community.
If you are resourceful, collaborative, team-oriented and passionate about delivering consistent excellence, Optimum is the Company for you!
We are Optimum!
Position Overview
The IMS Core Lead Engineer - SRE is a key leadership role responsible for the design, architecture, and overall reliability of mission-critical platforms supporting Mobile & wireless (Wi-Fi) Core and other core network services. This position goes beyond day-to-day operations, requiring a strategic approach to ensure our systems are resilient, redundant, and perform at the highest level. You will combine deep IP networking, telecom, and Cloud engineering expertise with SRE best practices to drive operational excellence across the organization.
This is a highly collaborative and influential position. You will not only work with engineering and operations but also lead cross-functional initiatives with product and service assurance teams to deliver and maintain carrier-grade network services.
Key Responsibilities
Core Platform Strategy & Leadership

• Lead the architectural design and strategic implementation of reliable, resilient, and redundant systems that consistently meet or exceed availability targets.

• Direct the full lifecycle management of core platforms, including hardware/software upgrades, migrations, and capacity planning to ensure business continuity.

• Define and implement standards for network access, QoS, and traffic management policies.

• Lead the architectural design and strategic conversations with vendors relates to 5GSA to buils a reliable, resilient, and redundant systems that consistently meet or exceed availability targets.

SRE & Reliability Leadership

• Establish and enforce SLIs, SLOs, and SLAs for all core platforms, ensuring a data-driven approach to service reliability.

• Champion a culture of automation by leading the development of tools for provisioning, monitoring, scaling, failover, and recovery, significantly reducing manual intervention and downtime.

• Lead the incident response process during critical outages, guiding root cause analysis (RCA) and directing the implementation of long-term remediation efforts to prevent recurrence.

Monitoring & Analytics

• Lead the design and implementation of comprehensive monitoring solutions, including Netscout and Grafana dashboards , to provide a single, unified view of system health, performance, and availability.

• Direct the configuration of proactive alarms and thresholds to anticipate and address potential issues before they impact customers.

Cross-Domain Core Services Leadership

• Serve as a subject matter expert and lead technical oversight for WiFi & Mobile Core platforms, including:

• WiFi & Mobile Gateways (TWAG/LMA/SAMOG/PGW/UPF)

• Networking (Routing/Switching)

• Cloud Infrastructure (Nokia CNCS/CBIS, Cisco CVIM)

• Cloud management (Kubernetes & Virtual Machines)

• Authentication & Access: AAA, EAP, RADIUS, Diameter

• WiFi 6/e, WiFi 7

• IMS elements (x-CSCF, TAS, MRF, HSS)

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Telecommunications, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Computer Science , or equivalent practical experience.

• 7+ years in telecom engineering roles, with 3+ years in a leadership or senior-level role applying SRE or automation practices in production environments.

• Expert-level knowledge of telecom protocols: EoGRE, PMIP, RTP, SRTP, DIAMETER, RADIUS, IPSEC.

• Extensive hands-on experience with Cisco, Nokia, IMS cores , and mobile core networks (EPC, 5GC) and cloud infrastructure.

• Strong proficiency in Unix/Linux system administration, scripting (Python, Bash, Perl), and automation/orchestration tools ( Ansible, Kubernetes, Docker ).

• Demonstrated experience in designing and leading the operation of comprehensive monitoring systems using Netscout and Grafana dashboards .

• Expert-level IP networking skills: BGP, OSPF, VLANs, NAT, VPNs, ACLs, QoS .

• Proven track record of leading incident management and driving RCA-driven improvements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with NFV and cloud-native network functions in telecom environments.

• Expert knowledge of PacketCable 2.0+, VoWiFi, VoLTE , and 5G Standalone architectures.

• Experience with advanced observability tools ( Prometheus, ELK, OpenTelemetry ).

• Deep understanding of regulatory compliance implementation in telecom networks.

• Previous work in large-scale tier-1/tier-2 service provider environments .

Working Conditions

• Hybrid remote/on-site, with participation in 24/7 on-call rotations .

• Availability for after-hours maintenance and urgent service restoration activities.

• Ability to work in high-pressure, high-reliability production environments .

The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate for this role is not just a subject matter expert but a leader who can drive strategic change. You should be able to balance deep technical knowledge with a proactive, leadership-oriented mindset. You are someone who designs platforms for reliability, anticipates and prevents issues before they occur, and consistently drives continuous improvement across performance, monitoring, and service resilience.
At Optimum, we're fueled by our four core pillars: Taking Ownership, Upholding Transparency, Creating Community, and Demonstrating Expertise. Our commitment to empowering employees to take responsibility and embrace proactive problem-solving underpins Taking Ownership. Upholding Transparency is at the core of our culture, with open and honest communication fostering trust among our dedicated team and loyal customers. Creating Community is more than a goal; it's our daily commitment to fostering an environment of collaboration, innovation, and positivity. Demonstrating expertise is a promise we uphold through continuous learning and engagement with our customers to consistently deliver top-quality products and services. These pillars not only shape our culture but define Optimum as a place of excellence, trustworthiness, and thriving community, and we invite you to be a part of our journey.
If you have the drive to succeed and are ready to embark on a thrilling career, seize this opportunity today, and join our winning team, so together, we'll shape the future of connectivity.
All job descriptions and required skills, qualifications and responsibilities for a particular position are subject to modification by the Company from time to time, in the Company's discretion based on business necessity.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. The Company provides reasonable accommodations upon request in accordance with applicable requirements.
Optimum collects personal information about its applicants for employment that may include personal identifiers, professional or employment related information, photos, education information and/or protected classifications under federal and state law. This information is collected for employment purposes, including identification, work authorization, FCRA-compliant background screening, human resource administration and compliance with federal, state, and local law.
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This position is identified as being performed in/or reporting to company operations in New York State. Salary ranges are supplied in compliance with New York State law. Pay is competitive and based on a number of job-related factors, including skills and experience. The starting pay rate/range at time of hire for this position in the posted location is $133,661.00 - $219,586.00 / year. The rate/range provided herein is the anticipated pay at the time of hire, and does not reflect future job opportunity.
Pay is competitive and based on a number of job-related factors, including skills and experience.
The starting pay rate/range at time of hire for this position in [Enter State Manually] is $133,661.00 - $219,586.00 / year. For other locations, please inquire with your recruiter. The rates/ranges provided herein are the anticipated pay at the time of hire, and do not reflect future job opportunity.
Nearest Major Market: Long Island
Nearest Secondary Market: New York CIty