Performance & Integration Engineering

Photon-IV Inc. — Cambridge, Ontario (hybrid, 2-3 days on-site)

Term: 4 months (Fall 2026 or Winter 2027)

Compensation: $24-28 CAD/hr depending on year and program

Reports to: CEO and Founder, with day-to-day technical mentorship from senior RAN engineering

About Photon-IV

Photon-IV is a Canadian defence deep-tech startup building AI-driven predictive handover orchestration for satellite-terrestrial networks. Our flagship product, Stellarlink, is an O-RAN xApp that runs inside the Near-RT RIC and predicts the optimal handover target for user equipment moving between LEO satellites and terrestrial cells.

We are hiring a co-op engineer to help us scale the testing and validation pipeline as we move from lab demonstrations to deployment-ready integrations with Canadian and allied partners.

What you will work on

You will own the end-to-end test and validation workflow for the Stellarlink xApp, working alongside our senior RAN engineers. Specifically:

RAN simulation and benchmarking. Build, configure, and run TN-NTN simulation scenarios in srsRAN and Open Air Interface (OAI), with NTN extensions for SIB19, conditional handover, and 3GPP Release 17/18 NTN signaling. Generate measurement datasets that feed into the Stellarlink ML pipeline.

xApp validation against Near-RT RIC. Validate Stellarlink xApp behavior against open-source Near-RT RIC implementations (FlexRIC, OSC RIC). Develop automated test harnesses that exercise E2 measurement subscription, control message issuance, and edge-case handling under realistic NTN signal conditions.

Performance characterization. Measure xApp inference latency, throughput, and accuracy across hardware targets. Produce performance reports that inform deployment architecture decisions.

Plugfest and interoperability preparation. Support preparation for the next O-RAN test, including test plan authoring, scenario rehearsal, and documentation. Travel to a plugfest event during the term is possible.

Internal tooling. Improve our test automation infrastructure (Python, Bash, Docker, Ansible). Reduce the manual effort in spinning up test environments from hours to minutes.

What we expect by the end of the term

A co-op term at Photon-IV is structured around three concrete deliverables.

1. A documented, reproducible TN-NTN test scenario suite that runs in CI and produces a performance dashboard.
2. A peer-reviewed performance characterization report covering at least three hardware targets and three NTN scenarios.
3. Contribution to one external technical artifact, a plugfest test report, a conference paper, an open-source upstream contribution, or a customer-facing technical brief.

You will present your work at a final term review with the CEO and the technical team.

Required.

• Currently enrolled in a Bachelor's or Master's program in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field, with at least one prior co-op term completed.
• Proficiency in Python, Linux command line, and Git.
• Familiarity with cellular networks at a textbook level (LTE or 5G NR architecture, RAN layers, mobility management).
• Comfortable reading 3GPP specifications and IEEE-style technical papers.
• Strong written communication. You will write test reports, not just run scripts.
• Canadian citizenship or permanent residency. Photon-IV holds Controlled Goods Program registration, which simplifies onboarding for citizens and PRs.

Preferred.

• Hands-on exposure to srsRAN, Open Air Interface, gNodeB software, or any open-source RAN stack.
• Familiarity with O-RAN architecture (RIC, E2, A1, O1 interfaces, xApps, rApps).
• Coursework or projects in machine learning, with an interest in applying ML to network optimization.
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, or CI/CD pipelines.
• Familiarity with NTN, satellite communications, or RF engineering at any level.
• Prior co-op or research experience in a wireless lab.

Send a resume and a one-page cover letter (or a substantive cover email, no formatting required) to ***email_hidden*** with the subject line "O-RAN Co-op Application, [Your Name]". In your cover letter, tell us about a technical project you have shipped or contributed to, and what you learned from it.

We review applications on a rolling basis. Selected candidates will be invited to a 30-minute technical conversation with the CEO and one team member.

Photon-IV is committed to building a team that reflects the country we operate in. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.