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PhD Position: Revolutionizing 6G with Agentic AI & Open RAN (Project GENOME)


  • Location: Barcelona (Spain)
  • Working day: Full time
  • Sector: Internet and technology
  • Vacancies: 1
  • Discipline: R&D
  • Work modality: Hybrid

Fundació i2cat

Job description

⚠️ IMPORTANT: HOW TO APPLY

Applications must be submitted exclusively through the official GENOME project website. Please note that applications sent via LinkedIn, the i2CAT website, or any other platform will not be considered. To ensure your candidacy is valid, you must follow the formal application process on the GENOME portal.

 [Apply here on the GENOME Website] 

 

Can you imagine telecommunication networks that manage themselves through Generative AI? At i2CAT Foundation, within the AI-driven Systems (AIS) group, we are looking for a PhD researcher to lead the DC i2CAT-1 project under the prestigious MSCA Doctoral Network GENOME (GENerative and connected intelligence for 6G Open ManagemEnt).

Your challenge will be to design LLM-based agentic systems capable of autonomous ("zero-touch") orchestration of virtualized networks. You will work with top-tier infrastructure (Nvidia A100/H100, SDR boards) under the supervision of Dr. Xavier Costa-Pérez and complete a 5-month secondment at NEC Laboratories Europe in Germany.

 

What you will do (responsibilities)

  • Design and develop task-agnostic multimodal Generative AI solutions for the self-organization of Open RAN infrastructures.
  • Lead research on LLM-based communication frameworks for the automatic operation of virtualized open cellular networks.
  • Train and fine-tune Large Language Models (LLMs) using telecom-specific datasets from O-RAN, edge, and cloud domains.
  • Optimize intent translation mechanisms to achieve network processing times of less than 10 ms.
  • Validate your algorithms using i2CAT’s open-source O-RAN platform and real operator data during your stay in Germany.
  • Publish and present high-quality scientific papers in top-tier journals and flagship international conferences.
  • Ensure compliance with the EU AI Act while developing cutting-edge autonomous network management frameworks.

 

⚠️⚠️⚠️Where to apply⚠️⚠️⚠️

Applications must be submitted exclusively through the official GENOME project website: https://jobs.genome-msca.eu/

 

 

Requirements

MUST HAVE:

  • Master’s degree in Telecommunications, Computer Science/Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field.
  • MSCA Mobility Rule: You must not have resided or carried out your main activity in Spain for more than 12 months in the last 3 years.
  • Academic Excellence: Eligibility to enroll in the UPC (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) doctoral program.
  • Fluency in English (C1 level or higher).
  • Hands-on experience with Python and AI frameworks/tools.

NICE TO HAVE:

  • Knowledge of vRAN, O-RAN architectures, and the Edge/Cloud continuum.
  • Experience in LLM fine-tuning, prompt engineering, and agentic systems.
  • Familiarity with cloud-native technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).

 

  • Critical thinking and analytical mindset for complex problem-solving.
  • Proactivity and autonomy to drive your own doctoral research.
  • Strong teamwork skills within a multicultural and multidisciplinary environment.

  • Location: Barcelona (Spain)
  • Working day: Full time
  • Sector: Internet and technology
  • Vacancies: 1
  • Discipline: R&D
  • Work modality: Hybrid