Principal Automation and AI Operations Engineer

AST SpaceMobile and our global partners are building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network to be accessible by standard smartphones. Called SpaceMobile, this ultra-powerful network is being designed to provide connectivity at 4G/5G speeds everywhere on the planet – on land, at sea and in flight. Position Overview We are seeking a Principal Automation and AI Operations Engineer to support the definition, lifecycle management, and documentation of the NAS and NCC SKUs within the Gateway and their integration with other Gateway elements — including the Q/V systems, eNB/gNB, BPMS, and Networking — as well as other OSS systems. This role is responsible for designing automated test frameworks and scripts for Gateway subsystems, driving pre- and post-deployment validation of each Gateway SKU against golden configuration and performance baselines, and partnering with RF, hardware, software, and service delivery teams on test plans, pass/fail criteria, field trials, and FOAs to ensure Gateway operability under a highly autonomous operating model. The ideal candidate is collaborative, methodical, and automation-minded, and thrives in a fast-paced environment where test coverage, manual-touch reduction, and automation scope expand with each new Gateway SKU and feature. Key Responsibilities: • Define, lifecycle-manage, and document the NAS and NCC SKUs within the Gateway. • Design and build automated test frameworks and scripts for Gateway subsystems, including RF chain, baseband, BPMS, eNB/gNB, networking, and NCC/OSS interfaces. • Drive pre- and post-deployment validation on each Gateway SKU against golden configuration and performance baselines. • Partner with RF, hardware, and software engineering teams to align test plans and pass/fail criteria, and support field trials and FOAs. • Work with Operations and OSS teams to enable end-to-end visibility and management of the Gateway. • Automate repetitive operating and engineering tasks, and build event-driven remediation workflows. • Integrate telemetry with operational decision engines, and develop predictive failure and capacity models. • Create automated incident triage and build engineering assistants for troubleshooting. • Establish guardrails for AI-driven operational actions and develop digital representations of network and service state (digital twins). • Automate configuration validation prior to deployment, and measure automation coverage and manual-touch reduction. Qualifications Education: Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical field. Experience: • 5+ years of experience in network automation, DevOps/SRE, or operations engineering, ideally within telecom, networking, or satellite ground-segment environments. • Building automated test frameworks that replace manual validation procedures at scale. • Defining and lifecycle-managing hardware/software SKUs and associated acceptance criteria. • Supporting field trials, FOAs, or first-deployment validation for new network products. • Proven, hands-on competence across network automation; Python, Go, or similar languages; infrastructure as code; event-driven systems; workflow automation; data engineering; machine learning; AIOps; autonomous remediation; digital twins; and policy-driven operations. • Integrating telemetry pipelines with operational decision engines or automated remediation systems. Preferred Qualifications: • Experience building or operating toward a highly autonomous operations model. • Familiarity with NAS and NCC systems, or equivalent core network/operations-support platforms. • Experience with predictive/ML-based failure detection or capacity planning models in a production network. • Familiarity with satellite, RF, or baseband subsystems and their test/validation requirements. • Experience developing digital twins or simulation models of network/service state. • Background establishing governance or guardrails for AI-driven or autonomous operational actions. 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: • Python, Go, or similar languages for automation and tooling development. • Infrastructure-as-code frameworks (e.g., Terraform, Ansible, or equivalent). • Event-driven and workflow-automation platforms. • Data engineering and telemetry pipelines (e.g., streaming/message-bus systems, time-series databases). • Machine learning and AIOps platforms for predictive analytics and automated remediation. • Digital twin/simulation tooling for network and service state modeling. • CI/CD and automated test frameworks for RF, baseband, BPMS, eNB/gNB, and networking subsystems. • NCC/OSS platforms and their APIs for end-to-end Gateway visibility and management. 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. • Ability to travel periodically to support deployment, integration, testing, and operational activities. • Ability to safely handle and move technical equipment and hardware components when necessary. • Ability to capture, analyze, and docu