Principal NTN Radio Access and Mobility Engineer

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.

Position Overview

We are seeking a Principal NTN Radio Access and Mobility Engineer to support end-to-end integration of Gateway platform components, including eNodeB, gNodeB, BPMS, and GPS Reference System, with Antenna, RF, NCC, and OSS systems. The role defines, manages, and documents network SKUs, acceptance testing procedures, pass/fail criteria, and golden configurations, and leads networking First Office Applications for new Gateway SKUs. The role requires expertise in LTE and 5G radio-access protocols, 3GPP NTN specifications, RRC, MAC, RLC, and PDCP layers, timing advance, Doppler compensation, link adaptation, mobility management, beam transitions, cell selection and reselection, handover, session continuity, and radio-resource optimization.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own end-to-end integration of Gateway platform components across all Gateway types.
• Define, manage, and document hardware and software network SKUs.
• Develop acceptance testing procedures, pass/fail criteria, and golden configurations.
• Integrate platform components with Antenna, RF, NCC, and OSS systems.
• Lead networking First Office Applications for new Gateway SKUs.
• Define, validate, and optimize NTN radio-access behavior and resolve timing, frequency, and Doppler issues.
• Develop mobility strategies across beams, satellites, gateways, and terrestrial networks.
• Define handover behavior between terrestrial and satellite coverage.
• Translate R&D radio algorithms into production parameters and define QoS for voice, messaging, and data.
• Establish radio-performance KPIs and investigate failed registrations, dropped sessions, and degraded throughput.

Qualifications

Education:

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

Experience:

5+ years of experience in radio access network engineering with direct work on LTE and/or 5G systems, including:

• Integrating and testing eNodeB, gNodeB, or comparable RAN network elements in a production environment.
• Defining hardware/software SKUs, acceptance test plans, and golden configurations for complex network products.
• Leading First Office Application or first-deployment validation efforts for new network products.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct experience with satellite or Non-Terrestrial Network systems, including satellite-to-device or satellite backhaul architectures.
• Familiarity with GPS/GNSS reference systems and precision timing/synchronization architectures.
• Experience working directly with Mobile Network Operators on network integration or interoperability testing.
• Familiarity with OSS/NCC systems and their integration with RAN network elements.
• Background in RF systems or antenna integration related to end-to-end network performance.

Soft Skills:

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build productive relationships across technical and non-technical teams.
• Ability to collaborate within cross-functional engineering, product, and operations organizations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a methodical troubleshooting approach.
• Meticulous attention to detail.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Ability to work independently and within a team environment.

Technology Stack:

• LTE and 5G NR protocol stacks, including RRC, MAC, RLC, and PDCP.
• 3GPP NTN specifications and standards documentation.
• eNodeB, gNodeB, and BPMS platforms and configuration management tooling.
• GPS/GNSS reference and timing systems.
• RF test equipment and protocol/network analyzers.
• Network Control Center and OSS platforms.
• Test automation and acceptance-test frameworks for network hardware/software validation.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work in an office environment and use a computer for extended periods.
• Ability to work in laboratory and technical testing environments using RF test equipment and diagnostic tools.
• Ability to travel periodically for deployment, integration, testing, and operational activities.
• Ability to safely handle and move technical equipment and hardware components when necessary.
• Ability to capture, analyze, and document technical test procedures, results, and system performance data.

This job description may not be inclusive of all duties and responsibilities. Additional tasks may be assigned or the scope may change as business demands.

AST SpaceMobile is an Equal Opportunity, at-will Employer; employment is governed by merit, competence, and qualifications and will not be influenced by legally protected status.