Solution Architect (CN/US/Latin)
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 Solution Architect to design gateway architectures, integration patterns, and technical workflows that enable robust satellite-to-ground connectivity. This role ensures all solutions meet performance, scalability, reliability, and operational requirements across global regions. Responsibilities include developing architectural designs, validating solution feasibility, guiding integration approaches, supporting configuration standards, and ensuring gateway deployments meet performance KPIs, interoperability requirements, and long-term operational readiness.
The ideal candidate has deep expertise in satellite communications systems architecture and a proven ability to translate complex technical requirements into scalable, implementable solutions. Extensive experience in satellite gateway design and a track record of architecting mission‑critical telecommunications infrastructure at enterprise scale are essential.
This role sits at the forefront of satellite communications innovation, requiring a blend of architectural vision and hands-on implementation experience. Success demands the ability to balance forward‑leaning solution design with operational practicality while ensuring technical excellence across a rapidly expanding global satellite network.
Key Responsibilities
Architecture and Design
- Develop architecture designs for gateway systems, including high‑level and low‑level designs, data flows, and interface control to ensure end‑to‑end integrity across RF/front‑end, baseband/modem, IP/transport, management, and security domains
- Define integration patterns and technical workflows that are reusable across regions and deployment models including greenfield, expansion, and refresh scenarios
- Translate business and operational requirements into non‑functional requirements covering availability, latency, throughput, resiliency, observability, and security parameters
Feasibility and Solution Validation
- Validate solution feasibility through capacity modeling, performance analysis, and failure/edge‑case scenarios, documenting assumptions, constraints, and trade‑offs
- Establish solution acceptance criteria and traceability from requirements to verification, supporting factory/site testing and service readiness reviews
- Conduct comprehensive technical risk analysis and integration complexity evaluation to ensure architectural viability
Integration Leadership
- Guide integration across multi‑vendor components and internal platforms, ensuring interoperability, version alignment, and coherent release dependencies
- Create and maintain interface specifications and integration playbooks while leading design reviews and technical checkpoints with engineering, operations, and suppliers
- Provide architectural oversight and technical direction for complex system implementations across gateway deployment teams
Configuration Standards and Governance
- Support configuration standards by defining golden builds, baseline templates, and configuration item structures for gateway platforms and services
- Govern changes to the reference architecture, ensuring updates are reviewed, documented, and communicated to delivery and operations teams
- Establish technical frameworks that ensure consistent implementation across multiple gateway sites and regional deployments
Operational Readiness and Performance
- Ensure gateway builds meet performance KPIs, interoperability expectations, and long‑term operational readiness requirements through design guardrails, pre‑activation validation, and readiness checklists
- Engineer for operational excellence including redundancy and failover patterns, monitoring and telemetry coverage, logging and observability standards, security‑by‑design, and runbook documentation for operations handover
- Design monitoring and performance management frameworks that enable proactive identification and resolution of system performance issues
Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, telecommunications engineering ,computer engineering, systems engineering, or related technical field
- Master's degree in engineering or advanced technical discipline preferred
Experience
- Minimum 8+ years in telecommunications or satellite communications systems architecture
- 5+ years designing and implementing large-scale network infrastructure solutions
- Demonstrated experience designing and integrating complex communications or satellite ground systems, including multi‑domain solutions spanning RF/baseband and IP/transport
Required Technical Expertise
- Deep understanding of satellite communications systems including gateway architecture, RF systems, and ground-to-space link design
- Proven ability to produce HLD/LLD artifacts, interface control documents, and configuration standards, and to lead cross‑functional design reviews
- Strong grounding in IP networking and security fundamentals including routing, QoS, segmentation, encryption, access control, and reliability patterns
- Experience driving interoperability and integration across multiple vendors and internal platforms, including version, change, and release alignment
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with satellite gateway architectures supporting multi‑region deployments and service availability targets
- Exposure to 5G/NTN or carrier‑grade backhaul integration and operations handover for mission‑critical services
- Familiarity with automation‑first environments including infrastructure as code, configuration baselines, and CI/CD practices
- Background in solution architecture roles at satellite operators, telecommunications companies, or systems integrators
Professional Skills
- Systems thinking with ability to decompose complex problems and design clear, testable solutions
- Strong analytical skills for performance/capacity modeling and evaluating trade‑offs among cost, risk, and operational impact
- Integration leadership capabilities to orchestrate multi‑team delivery and anticipate interoperability issues
- Excellent communication skills for presenting architectural concepts to technical and executive audiences
Technology Proficiency
- Proficiency with system architecture and design tools including network modeling and simulation platforms
- Experience with telecommunications equipment from major vendors and integration methodologies
- Familiarity with monitoring and performance management systems for carrier-grade infrastructure
- Knowledge of database systems, middleware platforms, and enterprise integration technologies
Cross-Functional Interfaces
This role collaborates regularly with:
- Internal: RF/Antenna Engineering, Baseband/Modem Engineering, Network/Transport Engineering, Security, Cloud/IT, NOC/Operations, Service Delivery/PMO, Quality/Assurance, Supply Chain
- External: Equipment OEMs and systems integrators, ground‑segment service providers, terrestrial carriers/partners, test/validation partners
Performance Metrics
Success measured by:
- Architecture quality metrics including first‑pass design approvals and low design‑defect escape rate into integration or production
- Integration outcomes including interoperability achieved to plan and reduction in integration rework and defect cycle time
- Performance and reliability targets with gateway build meeting or exceeding latency, throughput, availability, and failover requirements
- Standardization and reuse including adoption of reference patterns, golden builds, and configuration baselines across regions
- Readiness and handover success with on‑time readiness reviews, complete runbooks and documentation, and smooth transition into operations
Tools/Standards/Methods
Architecture Methods
- HLD/LLD development, interface control documentation, design reviews and readiness checklists, requirements‑to‑acceptance traceability
Networking and Timing Standards
- IPv4/IPv6, BGP/OSPF/IS‑IS, QoS/DiffServ, IPsec/TLS, IEEE 1588 PTP/NTP for synchronization
Satellite/Ground Standards
- 3GPP NTN for satellite‑cellular integration, ETSI DVB‑S2X and DVB‑RCS2 for satellite links, CCSDS relevant ground/space data handling profiles
Operations and Management
- SNMP, NETCONF/YANG, Syslog/OpenConfig, configuration baselining and inventory management, CI/CD for infrastructure and configuration changes
Documentation and Modeling
- System diagramming and modeling tools, version control for design artifacts, performance and capacity modeling techniques
Physical Requirements
- Role will be based in United States with occasional travel for solution validation and technical coordination activities
- Ability to support technical reviews and architecture discussions across global time zones
- Occasional travel to gateway sites for solution implementation oversight and technical validation
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.