Principal Transport and IP Network Engineer

About this role

AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only global cellular broadband network in space to operate directly with standard, unmodified mobile devices based on our extensive IP and patent portfolio and designed for both commercial and government applications. Our engineers and space scientists are on a mission to eliminate the connectivity gaps faced by today’s five billion mobile subscribers and finally bring broadband to the billions who remain unconnected.

Position Overview

We are seeking a Principal Transport and IP Network Engineer to support the complete networking solution within the Gateway, including switches, routers, firewalls, and the optical matrix.

This role is responsible for defining, lifecycle-managing, and documenting the network SKU across all Gateway types — including acceptance testing procedures, pass/fail criteria, and golden configurations — and for leading the networking First Office Application (FOA) for each new Gateway SKU to ensure equipment integrates with other Gateway elements such as the eNB/gNB, BPMS, NCC, and OSS systems and is ready to deploy at scale.

The ideal candidate is a deeply technical networking expert with command of carrier-grade IP, MPLS and segment routing, BGP, SDN, traffic engineering, QoS, transport resiliency, and network security, and thrives in a fast-moving environment where new Gateway designs move from lab validation to global deployment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the complete networking solution within the Gateway, including switches, routers, firewalls, and the optical matrix.

• Define, lifecycle-manage, and document the network SKU across all Gateway types.

• Develop and maintain acceptance testing procedures, pass/fail criteria, and golden configurations for the network SKU.

• Support integration of networking equipment with other Gateway elements, including eNB/gNB, BPMS, NCC, and OSS systems.

• Lead the networking First Office Application (FOA) for each new Gateway SKU.

• Design resilient connectivity from gateways to MNO interconnects, and engineer gateway diversity and redundancy.

• Define routing, traffic-engineering, and failover behavior, and build scalable IP address and routing architectures.

• Establish latency, packet-loss, and jitter objectives, and define QoS for voice, messaging, and data.

• Integrate terrestrial fiber and cloud environments, and design for gateway outage, transport failure, and congestion.

• Implement telemetry for path-level performance and troubleshoot packet loss, asymmetric routing, and service degradation.

Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, telecommunications engineering, or a related technical field.

Experience:

5+ years of experience in carrier-grade IP network engineering, including:

• Design, deployment, and operations of carrier-grade IP networks, with demonstrated ownership of routing, switching, firewall, and optical transport infrastructure in a production network.

• Defining hardware/software SKUs, acceptance test plans, and golden configurations for complex network products.

• Leading First Office Application (FOA) or first-deployment validation efforts.

• Hands-on competence across MPLS and segment routing, BGP and routing policy, SDN, traffic engineering, QoS, multicast, data-center and cloud networking, transport resiliency, network security, and gateway redundancy.

• Designing resilient, redundant network architectures spanning terrestrial fiber, cloud, and remote/edge sites.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with satellite ground-segment, teleport, or other geographically distributed gateway networking environments.

• Industry certifications such as CCIE, JNCIE, or equivalent vendor-neutral routing/switching credentials.

• Experience working directly with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) on interconnect design or interoperability testing.

• Familiarity with NCC/OSS systems and their integration with IP transport infrastructure.

• Experience with network telemetry, automation, and infrastructure-as-code tooling.

• Background integrating optical transport/DWDM systems into a broader IP network architecture.

Soft Skills:

• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build productive relationships across technical and non-technical teams.

• Proven ability to collaborate effectively within cross-functional engineering, product, and operations organizations.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly communicate complex technical concepts.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a methodical approach to troubleshooting.

• Meticulous attention to detail to ensure the accuracy of technical documentation, test results, and project deliverables.

• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.

• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a team environment.

Technology Stack:

• Carrier-grade routers, switches, and firewalls (e.g., Cisco, Juniper, Arista, or equivalent platforms).

• MPLS, segment routing, and BGP-based routing architectures.

• SDN controllers and network automation/orchestration platforms.

• Optical transport/matrix systems and DWDM equipment.

• QoS and traffic-engineering frameworks for voice, messaging, and data services.

• Network telemetry, monitoring, and path-performance analysis tools.

• Data-center and cloud networking platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP networking constructs).

• Network security tooling, including firewalls, ACLs, and intrusion detection/prevention systems.

• Test automation and acceptance-test frameworks for network hardware/software validation.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work in a standard office environment and use a computer for extended periods.

• Ability to work in laboratory and technical testing environments utilizing network test equipment and diagnostic tools.

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