Manufacturing Engineer, Satellite Integration
AST SpaceMobile · Midland, TX
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Degree
- Required (or equivalent experience)
- Experience asked
- 3+ years
- Industry
- Aerospace & defense
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level manufacturing role at AST SpaceMobile (aerospace & defense) in Midland, TX. Develop and maintain manufacturing plans, assembly procedures, and work instructions for satellite integration.
- They ask for
- 3+ years · degree required (or equivalent experience)
- Tools it names
- Lean, Root cause, GD&T, AS9100, Automation, Tooling
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
How this role compares
Against 128 other live manufacturing postings in Texas.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (3+ vs 5+)
Typical $79k–$126k, from 30 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Tooling 58%
- ✓ Root cause 57%
- ✓ Lean 41%
- New product launch 36%
- ✓ Automation 36%
- Six Sigma 29%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for AS9100, SolidWorks, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at AST SpaceMobile
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: AST SpaceMobile in Midland
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Full description from AST SpaceMobileAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Key responsibilities
- ◆Develop and maintain manufacturing plans, assembly procedures, and work instructions for satellite integration.
- ◆Design and validate fixtures, tooling, and handling equipment to support satellite assembly and subsystem integration.
- ◆Collaborate with design engineering to ensure Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) principles are applied to spacecraft and subsystem designs.
- ◆Support satellite structure, avionics, propulsion, and payload integration activities, ensuring all interfaces are aligned with engineering requirements.
- ◆Lead and support MRB (Material Review Board) and discrepancy resolution activities to ensure nonconformances are properly addressed.
- ◆Identify, analyze, and implement process improvements to increase manufacturing efficiency, reduce cost, and improve quality.
- ◆Review and approve engineering drawings, bills of material (BOM), and change notices to ensure manufacturability.
- ◆Support cleanroom operations, ensuring ESD, FOD, and contamination control compliance.
- ◆Plan and execute assembly flow sequencing, integration schedules, and resource allocation for satellite programs.
- ◆Coordinate integration and test readiness reviews (IRR/TRR) and ensure production milestones are met.
- ◆Provide engineering support during environmental testing (Vibration, TVAC, Shock, EMC) and ensure satellite hardware readiness.
- ◆Train and mentor technicians on new assembly techniques, tooling, and best practices.
- ◆Maintain compliance with AS9100, NASA, and ECSS standards.
Qualifications
- ✓Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Manufacturing Engineering or equivalent experience.
- ✓3+ years of experience in spacecraft or aerospace system integration, manufacturing engineering, or related field.
- ✓Strong understanding of satellite subsystems (avionics, structures, propulsion, harnessing, solar panels, etc.).
- ✓Experience with CAD tools (CATIA, NX, SolidWorks, Creo, or similar) and PLM systems.
- ✓Knowledge of GD&T, assembly tolerances, and precision alignment techniques.
- ✓Familiarity with cleanroom operations, ESD controls, and contamination control procedures.
- ✓Strong knowledge of lean manufacturing, process control, and root cause analysis methodologies.
- ✓Excellent communication, documentation, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- ✓Hands-on experience supporting satellite assembly, integration, and testing (AIT) is highly desirable.
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.
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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.
Summary
The Satellite Integration Manufacturing Engineer is responsible for planning, developing, and supporting integration and assembly processes for satellite subsystems and full spacecraft. This role focuses on designing efficient workflows, ensuring adherence to aerospace standards, improving production quality, and driving process optimization to meet mission requirements. The engineer will collaborate closely with design engineers, technicians, quality teams, and program management to ensure seamless integration, assembly, and testing of spacecraft.
Preferred skills
- +Experience with high-reliability aerospace hardware in a low-volume, high-complexity production environment.
- +Familiarity with tooling design and supplier management.
- +Knowledge of CFR Part 21, NASA-STD, ECSS standards, and AS9100D requirements.
- +Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities.
- +Experience working with automation or advanced manufacturing technologies.