Solutions Architect - RAN & OSS

About Zinkworks Zinkworks partners with leading Telecommunications and Financial Services organizations to modernize legacy systems, migrate mission-critical platforms to the cloud, and engineer AI-driven automation. From OSS transformation to rApp development and network intelligence, our teams simplify complexity and turn it into competitive advantage. Based in Ireland and operating across the EU, UK, and US, Zinkworks combines deep domain expertise with delivery excellence to help clients modernize faster and operate smarter. The Role We are hiring a Senior Solution Architect to lead complex presales engagements across our telecom portfolio, with a particular focus on RAN automation, SON, OSS, network management, and AI-driven solutions. This is a front-line commercial & engineering role, where you will own multiple parallel pursuits end-to-end, from early discovery through to technical close. You will work closely with Tier 1 operators and major ecosystem partners, run technical workshops, design winning solutions, and contribute to RFP and procurement processes as required. Credibility in the RAN domain is central to the role. Our solutions do not stop at recommendations; they close the loop by writing configuration back into the live network. You will design the closed-loop actions behind a growing portfolio of rApp and AI application use cases, which means being as comfortable discussing MO attribute changes with an operator’s optimisation team as presenting value to their CTO. What You Will Do - Lead presales technical engagements across multiple concurrent opportunities. - Design and architect scalable, cloud-native solutions across RAN automation, OSS, network management, and AI/ML. - Define and design closed-loop actions across a portfolio of rApp and AI application use cases. - Set the measurement basis for each loop: what triggers an action, what verifies it, and what impact assessment applies to surrounding cells. - Own the configuration write path — target attributes, validation, guardrails, approvals, and rollback. - Resolve contention where multiple closed loops target the same cells or attributes, defining precedence and conflict mitigation. - Own and drive proof-of-concept implementations from a technical perspective, including RAN-connected trials. - Run discovery sessions, technical workshops, and architecture reviews with customer stakeholders, including RAN engineering and operations teams. - Own technical responses for RFPs, RFIs, and formal procurement processes. - Translate complex customer problems into compelling, commercially viable solutions. - Partner with delivery, product, and engineering teams to ensure solutions are buildable and defensible. - Represent Zinkworks credibly with C-level executives and senior technical audiences. What You Bring - Deep telecom domain expertise across 2G/3G/4G/5G, core and transport, OSS, network management fundamentals, and service assurance. - RAN subject matter expertise: 4G/5G mobile system architecture, cell and carrier configuration, neighbour relations, and mobility behaviour. - SON experience across several use case families — ANR and neighbour management, mobility robustness, load balancing, traffic steering, PCI, slice orchestration, coverage and capacity, interference, energy saving etc. - Fluency with RAN counters and KPIs on both sides of a closed loop: what triggers an action, and what proves it worked. - Practical awareness of PM granularity, counter variation across vendors and releases, and separating real degradation from traffic noise. - A working model of RAN topology and configuration as data: MO hierarchy, object relationships, and how PM, CM, FM, and topology data fit together. - Hands-on RAN MO attribute manipulation via vendor northbound interfaces: parameter dependencies and valid ranges, bulk versus per-cell changes,