Director, Partner Technical Management

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 Director of Partner Technical Leads to provide technical leadership and coordination across our global telco partnership technical teams. This role manages and synchronizes partner technical leads, ensuring consistent engineering excellence and standardized processes across Global Tier 1 Telcos maintaining technical authority for complex multi-partner integration challenges.

This is a senior technical leadership position requiring deep satellite-cellular integration expertise, strong people management skills, and the ability to coordinate technical excellence across diverse partnership requirements and timelines. The ideal candidate will bring proven experience leading customer-facing support and deployment programs at scale.

This role operates at the intersection of advanced satellite technology and global telecommunications, requiring both technical depth and leadership breadth. Success requires balancing technical excellence with business pragmatism while managing complex stakeholder relationships across customers, vendors, and internal teams.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Team Management

• Lead and develop team of partner technical leads supporting major telco partnerships globally
• Provide technical mentorship, career development, and performance management for technical lead team
• Ensure consistent engineering standards and technical practices across all partner engagements
• Coordinate technical resource allocation and expertise distribution based on partnership priorities
• Partner closely with R&D RAN Validation engineering teams to align lab capabilities, testing strategies, and resource planning with evolving customer requirements and deployment roadmaps

Cross-Partner Technical Standardization

• Implement unified engineering processes, integration methodologies, and troubleshooting standards
• Coordinate technical decisions affecting multiple partners or requiring centralized architecture alignment
• Establish technical governance framework ensuring quality and consistency across partnerships
• Drive knowledge sharing and best practice adoption between different telco technical teams

Integration & Deployment Excellence

• Provide technical oversight for complex multi-partner deployments and integration challenges
• Coordinate technical troubleshooting during critical deployment phases across service delivery teams
• Ensure technical readiness and validation processes meet partner requirements and company standards
• Manage technical escalations and coordinate resolution with functional domain experts and R&D teams

Performance Governance & Analytics

• Track technical KPIs, integration success metrics, and partner technical satisfaction scores
• Develop technical performance dashboards and report for VP-level leadership visibility
• Identify technical process improvements and efficiency opportunities across partnership portfolio
• Coordinate capacity planning and technical resource forecasting for partnership growth

Strategic Technical Coordination

• Interface with functional technology directors on cross-domain technical requirements and solutions
• Provide technical input to partnership strategy and new business development initiatives
• Coordinate technical due diligence and feasibility assessments for new partnership opportunities
• Ensure technical team alignment with company technology strategy and competitive positioning

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Telecommunications, Systems Engineering, or related technical field
• Master's degree in engineering management or advanced technical discipline preferred

Experience

• Minimum 15+ years in telecommunications, satellite communications, or wireless network engineering
• 5+ years managing technical teams in customer-facing or partnership environments
• Proven experience with complex systems integration and multi-vendor technology deployments

Required Technical Expertise

• Deep understanding of RAN technologies, core network protocols, and telecommunications standards
• Strong knowledge of end-to-end satellite-cellular network architecture and integration
• Experience with multi-gateway, multi-beam satellite systems and terrestrial network interconnection
• Proven track record troubleshooting complex technical issues in production network environments

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) and 3GPP standards
• Background in technical leadership roles at tier 1 MNOs, major system integrators, and satellite operators
• Experience managing technical relationships with major telecom
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements and spectrum management across multiple regions
• Track record leading technical teams supporting revenue-generating partnerships exceeding $100M

Leadership & Communication Skills

• Strong technical leadership with ability to influence and mentor senior engineering talent
• Exceptional communication skills for technical presentations to executive and customer audiences
• Proven ability to coordinate complex technical initiatives across multiple stakeholder groups
• Experience building scalable technical processes and organizational capabilities

Technology Stack

• Proficiency with network management systems, performance monitoring, and analytics platforms
• Experience with collaborative engineering tools and technical documentation systems
• Familiarity with Agile/DevOps practices for technical delivery and continuous improvement

Physical Requirements

• Regular travel for partner technical meetings, on-site troubleshooting, and team coordination (~50%)
• Ability to support technical escalations across global time zones including occasional off-hours support

This job description may not be inclusive to the duties and responsibilities listed. Additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time or the scope of the job may change as needed by business demands.

AST SpaceMobile is an Equal Opportunity, at will Employer; employment is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.