Associate Director – RAN Cloud Job Lakewood area,New Jersey USA,IT/Tech

leads a specialized team responsible for the architectural strategy, deployment, and automation of Verizon’s virtualized Radio Access Network (vRAN) and Cloud Infrastructure (VCP)
Oversees the lifecycle of Cloud-native RAN platforms, manages complex multi-vendor ecosystems, and drives AI-driven automation
Directing end-to-end strategy and deployment of Cloud-native RAN platforms, overseeing FOA rollouts, hardware cutovers, and infrastructure upgrades across thousands of Far Edge nodes
Serving as the primary interface for key partners (Samsung, Wind River, Ericsson, Red Hat), holding them accountable for technical roadmaps, deliverables, and SLAs through rigorous triage and patch management
Spearheading the development and integration of AI-driven tools and internal software (e.g., Skinny OS, AI Copilots) to automate diagnostics, site pre-checking, and 'Day 2' operational workflows
Driving vRAN roadmap planning, ensuring integration of new technologies (e.g., Granite Rapids compute) while maintaining infrastructure consistency and performance metrics
Facilitating cross-functional collaboration between Planning, Engineering, Maintenance Engineering (MTCE), and Operations teams to troubleshoot high-stakes production issues and maintain system stability
Mentoring and developing team members, fostering a culture of high morale and professional excellence, while designating and grooming leads for specific work streams (e.g., SS requirements, E/// requirements)
Directing high-stakes technical troubleshooting for complex production issues, including kernel crashes, PTP synchronization failures, and driver-level conflicts (Intel ICE drivers)
Identifying opportunities for process improvement and driving efficiencies to simplify repeatable tasks
Providing coverage for any operational issues and ensuring platform outages are handled in accordance with predefined guidelines for ticket management, prioritization, documentation, escalation, and resolution
Ensuring that the performance of the entire staff is maximized by establishing individual and group objectives, providing routine feedback and counseling (when necessary), and conducting yearly performance appraisals
Identifying opportunities for operational and management automation while performing as a subject matter expert for the technology

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or four or more years of work experience
Eight or more years of relevant experience required, demonstrated through one or a combination of work and/or military experience, or specialized training
Experience in Cloud Infrastructure, Open Shift (CaaS), and vRAN architecture, with experience in RHEL, Linux kernel fine-tuning, and CaaS resource management
Experience in managing external technology relationships, articulating firm technical requirements, and leading high-stakes escalations to meet aggressive delivery timelines
A degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related fields is even better.
Ability to analyze issues and solve complex problems with innovative solutions
Technical leadership and experience in one or more of the following areas:
Telecommunications, Networking, IT systems & Virtualization/Cloud technologies
Proven ability to make clear-headed, decisive actions under high-pressure scenarios, particularly regarding infrastructure cutovers and production troubleshooting
Demonstrable history of effective partnership and empathy across diverse organizations (MTCE, Operations, Engineering) to solve complex problems and manage executive escalations
Ability to effectively articulate technical requirements to vendors and provide clear, strategic updates to executive leadership
Automation Mindset:
Experience in driving the transition from manual processes to AI-driven, automated network workflows
Experience with deploying and managing applications running in a virtualized or containerized environment
Completion of an undergraduate degree and an MBA to complement technical expertise with strong business acumen
Rotational experience or familiarity with lateral domains such as RAN or Transport to widen technical scope
Experience in developing or deploying AI-driven agents or custom scripts for log…