Manager, RAN Operations Excellence & Quality Management

About Altiostar: Altiostar is the mobile broadband industrys first provider of Virtual RAN (vRAN) with Ethernet front haul, for software-intensive LTE eNodeB. Our unique solution is designed to improve quality of experience, enhance spectral efficiency and significantly reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Join our team of passionate, experienced professionals who understand the mobile network operators requirements and vision. Domain: Open RAN / Virtualized RAN (vRAN) Telecommunications Designation: Manager, RAN Operations Excellence & Quality Management Location: Bengaluru Job Type: Full-Time Position Summary We are seeking a seasoned Engineering Excellence & Transformation Leader to drive Agile transformation, process optimization, and operational efficiency across a large engineering organization. In this role, you will bridge the gap between product management and engineering, defining practical, grounded SDLC frameworks tailored specifically to our Open RAN and virtualized RAN (vRAN) product lines. You will own delivery quality, build a pragmatic engineering automation strategy (including AI agent integration), and drive workforce readiness to ensure high predictability and customer satisfaction. Key Responsibilities Agile Transformation & Process OptimizationDrive Agile transformation across a large-scale engineering team by customizing standard frameworks (e.g., SAFe, LeSS, Scrum) to align with our specific RAN Network Functions business and delivery models.Optimize end-to-end workflows across Product Management and Engineering teams delivering complex products for Open and virtualized RAN (vRAN) deployments. SDLC Mapping & Practical GovernanceMap the complete SDLC lifecyclefrom initial software development, validation, and integration through to final release and customer deployment.Translate deep engineering nuances into pragmatic, grounded process definitions rather than enforcing rigid, theoretical frameworks.Quality Excellence & KPI GovernanceOwn the definition, tracking, and governance of all quality KPIs to ensure delivery predictability, zero-defect release goals, and overall quality excellence.Engineering Automation & AI IntegrationDefine and execute a two-tiered process automation roadmap: maximize existing internal tools for immediate near-term gains while evaluating new engineering technologies for long-term scalability.Evaluate and deploy AI agents within the engineering automation pipeline using strict cost-vs-benefit analysis to filter out market hype and deliver measurable ROI.Workforce Readiness & UpskillingCoordinate directly with external training vendors and specialists to design, manage, and drive workforce readiness and continuous upskilling programs for large engineering cohorts. Qualifications & Requirements Experience: 12+ years leading engineering program management, software quality governance, or process transformation in large-scale technical organizations.Domain Expertise: Proven track record in Telecommunications software delivery, and driving quality excellence, specifically within Open RAN (O-RAN), virtualized RAN (vRAN), or 4G/5G Network Functions.Agile Mastery: Deep expertise tailoring Agile frameworks to complex systems engineering environments; expert in cross-functional workflow alignment.Quality & Automation: Strong understanding of modern software validation pipelines, continuous delivery (CI/CD), quality metrics, and toolset optimization.Pragmatic Innovation: Hands-on experience evaluating emerging engineering technology (including AI automation tools) with a business-first, ROI-driven mindset.Vendor & Stakeholder Management: Experience partnering with external vendors for large-scale enterprise training and workforce capability development. RAKUTEN SHUGI PRINCIPLES: Our worldwide practices describe specific behaviors 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. .