Talent Acquisition Partner – Engineering Development Program (EDP)
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.
AST SpaceMobile is seeking a Talent Acquisition Partner – Engineering Development Program (EDP) to build and scale our early-career engineering pipeline across El Paso and West Texas.
This role will own university recruiting, recent graduate hiring, and strategic pipeline development for our Engineering Development Program (EDP). The EDP is a structured career path where high-potential engineering graduates enter as technicians, gain hands-on manufacturing and integration experience, are promoted into Engineering Supervisor roles managing technicians, and ultimately transition into our Engineering organization.
This is a high-impact, travel-based recruiting role responsible for building long-term university partnerships, driving early-career hiring strategy, and feeding top-tier engineering talent into a disciplined internal development model.
Key Responsibilities
Engineering Development Program (EDP) Recruiting
- Own full-cycle recruiting for recent engineering graduates entering the EDP.
- Partner with engineering and production leadership to forecast annual EDP cohort hiring targets.
- Develop structured screening and evaluation frameworks aligned to long-term leadership potential, not just GPA.
- Manage candidates from initial engagement through offer acceptance and program onboarding.
University Relations & Campus Strategy
- Build and maintain strong relationships with universities across El Paso and West Texas.
- Establish recurring presence at:
- Career fairs
- Engineering department events
- Capstone project reviews
- Student organization meetings (IEEE, ASME, AIAA, etc.)
- Develop faculty and career center partnerships to identify high-performing students early.
- Coordinate internship-to-EDP conversion pathways.
- Create targeted outreach strategies for mechanical, electrical, aerospace, and manufacturing engineering programs.
Early-Career Pipeline Development
- Proactively source recent graduates and upcoming seniors through LinkedIn, university databases, referrals, and direct outreach.
- Build long-term relationships with engineering students 6–12 months before graduation.
- Educate candidates on the EDP model: technician entry → supervisor → engineering.
- Assess for grit, leadership potential, hands-on aptitude, and alignment with a manufacturing-first engineering culture.
Travel & Regional Coverage
- Serve as the face of AST’s engineering recruiting efforts across El Paso and West Texas.
- Travel regularly to university campuses and recruiting events.
- Host information sessions and on-site tours in partnership with engineering leadership.
- Support relocation discussions and candidate conversion for Midland-based training assignments.
Program Operations & Metrics
- Track EDP recruiting metrics including:
- University source effectiveness
- Offer acceptance rate
- Conversion from technician to supervisor
- Long-term retention
- Maintain disciplined ATS documentation and reporting.
- Collaborate with HR, Finance, and Engineering leadership on annual EDP cohort sizing and workforce planning.
- Ensure recruiting strategy aligns with long-term succession planning and leadership bench strength.
Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- Background in Business, Human Resources, Engineering, or related field preferred.
Experience
- 3–7+ years of full-cycle recruiting experience, ideally including university or early-career hiring.
- Experience building campus recruiting programs or managing university partnerships.
- Demonstrated success recruiting engineers or technical talent.
- Experience supporting workforce planning or structured development programs preferred.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in aerospace, manufacturing, or high-growth industrial environments.
- Experience designing or scaling leadership development pipelines.
- Military officer recruiting or ROTC partnership experience.
- Familiarity with engineering disciplines including mechanical, electrical, aerospace, and manufacturing.
Soft Skills
- Strategic mindset with long-term talent pipeline orientation.
- Strong relationship builder with students, faculty, and internal leadership.
- High energy and comfortable representing the company in public forums.
- Ability to assess leadership potential and coach early-career candidates.
- Data-driven with strong operational follow-through.
Technology Stack
- Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
- LinkedIn Recruiter
- University recruiting platforms
- Microsoft Excel for workforce planning and pipeline tracking
- HRIS systems
Physical Requirements
- Based in El Paso or anywhere in West Texas.
- Frequent travel to regional universities and recruiting events.
- Occasional travel to Midland for alignment meetings and candidate visits.
- Ability to support campus events, career fairs, and networking functions.
What Winning Looks Like
- Strong annual EDP cohorts composed of high-potential engineering graduates.
- Consistent pipeline from targeted universities with growing brand recognition.
- Graduates successfully transition from technician roles into Engineering Supervisor positions on schedule.
- Long-term conversion of EDP participants into core engineering roles.
- Engineering leadership views the EDP as a sustainable succession and growth engine for the organization.
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.