Senior NTN Service Validation Engineer

AST SpaceMobile · Lanham, MD

Level: Senior
Team: Quality
Experience asked: 5+ years
Industry: Aerospace & defense
Posted: 30+ days ago

The role in 30 seconds

A senior quality role at AST SpaceMobile (aerospace & defense) in Lanham, MD. In Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, RF Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.

They ask for: 5+ years
Tools it names: Root cause, Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), Automation, Tooling

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026

Quality Engineer roles in Maryland: typical posted base $99k–$145k.

Median of the low and high ends of 6 live postings that list pay, out of 13 quality engineer openings in Maryland, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

Maryland plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 12 other live quality postings in Maryland.

Base pay: Not listed in this posting
Experience asked: Typical (5+ years)

Skills these teams ask for most

ISO 9001 46%
Lean 46%
FMEA 46%
✓ Root cause 46%
Six Sigma 31%
AS9100 31%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

Stands out: this posting asks for Tooling, Python, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.

It asks for 5+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone doing this work there first.

At a glance

Lifts up to 25 lbs

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 Quality 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?
- Which standards drive the work here: ISO 13485, IATF 16949, AS9100?
- How much of the job is customer complaints versus prevention?
- 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 Lanham

3 other open roles at this site.

Payload Operations Engineer · Production
Satellite Operations Engineer · Production
Thermal Blanket Fabrication Supervisor · Manufacturing · Supervisor

Full description from AST SpaceMobileAs posted on their careers site.Show

Key Responsibilities

◆Lead in-orbit testing and LTE end-to-end validation across the satellite payload, gateway RF chain, and RAN domains.
◆Own technical validation of satellite and gateway configuration files, digital beamforming scaling, DSA settings, frequency plans, ADC/DAC scale factors, and AGC loop parameters against per-pass link budget targets.
◆Perform RF and link budget analysis for LEO service passes, including FSPL vs. elevation-angle-dependent scan loss, EIRP and G/T budgeting, and beam pattern and pointing accuracy.
◆Analyze IQ domain captures to diagnose signal quality, calibration convergence, harmonic/interference effects, and beamforming performance.
◆Troubleshoot RF, RAN, payload, and gateway issues impacting LTE performance, mobility, handovers, multibeam operation, and customer experience, using telemetry, RF measurements, and RAN counters.
◆Define feature acceptance criteria, RF/RAN KPIs, validation plans, rollout strategies, and production readiness success metrics.
◆Lead cross-functional technical reviews, coordinating feature execution with R&D, Operations, Service Delivery, Service Assurance, and test teams.
◆Build and maintain custom diagnostic and visualization tooling (RF/telemetry dashboards, beam and spectrum visualizers, IQ analyzers) to accelerate pass analysis and troubleshooting.
◆Drive technical reporting, documentation, KPI reviews, readiness assessments, and production handover packages for management and stakeholders.

Education

B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, RF Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.

Experience

✓5+ years of experience in RF engineering, RAN, satellite communications, or wireless systems validation environments.
✓Practical understanding of link budget analysis for wireless links, free space path loss, elevation-angle-dependent scan loss, EIRP, G/T, interference mitigation, and RF measurement techniques.
✓Experience with IQ domain/DSP signal analysis, including spectrogram or FFT-based inspection, power-vs-time analysis, and identifying harmonic or co-channel interference.
✓Deep knowledge of LTE/RAN technologies.
✓Scripting/automation experience (Python, Lua, MATLAB) for configuration validation, telemetry parsing, and building custom analysis tools.
✓Proven ability to analyze test results, identify root causes, implement corrective actions, and drive issue resolution across multiple engineering teams.
✓Experience leading feature validation, production readiness, rollout planning, technical reviews, and operational handover activities.
✓Strong technical leadership and cross-functional collaboration skills, working effectively with R&D, Operations, Service Delivery, Service Assurance, and customer-facing teams.

Requirements

✓Ability to lift up to 25 lbs.
✓Ability to use a computer for extended periods.
✓Ability to work in an office and lab environment, including hands-on work with RF test equipment and ground station systems.
✓Ability to travel to ground station sites to support configuration, validation, and troubleshooting activities as needed.

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

Show full description ↓

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 talented and motivated Senior NTN Service Validation Engineer to join the Service Enablement team, owning the RF and system-level correctness of every satellite service pass — from beamforming configuration through link budget validation to post-pass RF/RAN analysis. This role sits at the intersection of RF systems engineering, satellite payload configuration, and ground segment operations, responsible for configuring, validating, and troubleshooting satellite RF configuration against link budget and RF chain requirements, and for tracing anomalies back through telemetry, IQ captures, and LTE/RAN counters to root cause. This person works across ground station sites applying consistent, version-controlled configuration practices, and acts as a Service Enablement feature owner — defining acceptance criteria and KPIs for network/RF features, leading readiness reviews, planning validation from lab through in-orbit test (IOT) to production, and ensuring a clean technical handover to Operations, Service Delivery, and Service Assurance.

Soft Skills

•Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with high attention to technical detail.
•Ability to work independently while coordinating with multiple engineering and operations owners.
•Strong communication skills, including clear technical writing, concise issue summaries, and stakeholder-ready presentations.
•Comfortable leading technical discussions, readiness reviews, and cross-functional alignment for features and service validation.
•Comfortable operating in fast-paced test campaigns with changing priorities and cross-time-zone coordination.
•Team player with an ownership mindset and the ability to drive issues from investigation to closure.

Technology Stack

•Link budget analysis tools and RF measurement equipment.
•IQ domain/DSP signal analysis tooling, including spectrogram and FFT-based inspection.
•Python, Lua, and MATLAB for configuration validation, telemetry parsing, and custom analysis tooling.
•Telemetry and LTE/RAN counter systems for cross-domain root-cause analysis.
•Custom diagnostic and visualization tooling, including RF/telemetry dashboards, beam and spectrum visualizers, and IQ analyzers.

Physical