Principle 5G Ran Engineer

Principal 5G RAN Engineer

Location: Johannesburg 

Are you ready to take a leading role in designing, optimising, and deploying next-generation 5G RAN networks? A cutting-edge telecommunications company is seeking a Principal 5G RAN Engineer to provide technical leadership in 5G RAN planning, optimisation, and troubleshooting across national-scale deployments. This is a high-impact role that combines hands-on engineering with strategic oversight, allowing you to influence network performance, capacity, and resilience at scale.

You will work across multi-vendor environments, collaborating with planning, deployment, and operations teams to ensure that 5G networks meet stringent performance, coverage, and reliability targets. This role offers the opportunity to lead advanced RAN initiatives while mentoring and guiding engineering teams.

What you’ll do

• Lead 5G RAN design and deployment: Architect, configure, and optimise 5G radio access networks, ensuring alignment with coverage, capacity, and performance requirements.


• Drive network performance monitoring and optimisation: Monitor KPIs including throughput, latency, and coverage quality, and implement corrective actions to maximise network efficiency.


• Support network rollout and site integration: Provide technical guidance during site deployments, troubleshooting complex RAN issues and ensuring smooth integration of new sites.


• Analyse and report network performance: Use advanced RF and RAN tools to analyse network behaviour, generate actionable insights, and recommend strategic improvements.


• Collaborate with vendors and stakeholders: Work with multi-vendor teams (e.g., Nokia, Ericsson) and internal stakeholders to ensure technical alignment and adherence to RAN best practices.


• Drive innovation and strategy: Recommend enhancements to network architecture, radio optimisation strategies, and RAN automation initiatives to support future network evolution.


• Mentor and lead technical teams: Guide junior engineers and cross-functional teams, fostering knowledge transfer, best practices, and professional growth within the organisation.

What we’re looking for

• Extensive RAN experience: 10+ years in wireless network engineering, with deep expertise in 5G RAN (NSA/SA) and LTE networks.


• Technical mastery: Strong understanding of radio planning, optimisation, and troubleshooting, including tools such as Atoll, TEMS, and vendor-specific suites


• Leadership and architectural ownership: Proven track record in leading RAN projects, taking ownership of network design and performance at scale.


• Industry exposure: Experience with mobile network operators, large deployments, or major system integrators.


• Problem-solving and technical judgment: Exceptional analytical skills, capable of designing solutions from first principles and resolving complex network issues.


• Collaboration and communication: Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to diverse stakeholders, including engineering, operations, and management teams.


• Innovation mindset: Awareness of the latest RAN technologies, standards, and industry trends, with the ability to apply them to real-world networks.

This is an opportunity to make a tangible impact on the evolution of mobile networks while working alongside some of the industry’s top engineers.