Director, Partner Technical Management

AST Space Mobile 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.

We are seeking a Director of Partner Technical Leads to provide technical leadership and coordination across our global telco partnership technical teams. This role manages and synchronizes partner technical leads, ensuring consistent engineering excellence and standardized processes across Global Tier 1 Telcos maintaining technical authority for complex multi-partner integration challenges. This is a senior technical leadership position requiring deep satellite-cellular integration expertise, strong people management skills, and the ability to coordinate technical excellence across diverse partnership requirements and timelines.

The ideal candidate will bring proven experience leading customer‑facing support and deployment programs s role operates at the intersection of advanced satellite technology and global telecommunications, requiring both technical depth and leadership breadth. Success requires balancing technical excellence with business pragmatism while managing complex stakeholder relationships across customers, vendors, and internal teams.

• Lead and develop team of partner technical leads supporting major telco partnerships globally
• Provide technical mentorship, career development, and performance management for technical lead team
• Ensure consistent engineering standards and technical practices across all partner engagements
• Coordinate technical resource allocation and expertise distribution based on partnership priorities
• Partner closely with R&D RAN Validation engineering teams to align lab capabilities, testing strategies, and resource planning with evolving customer requirements and deployment roadmaps

• Implement unified engineering processes, integration methodologies, and troubleshooting standards
• Coordinate technical decisions affecting multiple partners or requiring centralized architecture alignment
• Establish technical governance framework ensuring quality and consistency across partnerships
• Drive knowledge sharing and best practice adoption between different telco technical teams

• Provide technical oversight for complex multi-partner deployments and integration challenges
• Coordinate technical troubleshooting during critical deployment phases across service delivery teams
• Ensure technical readiness and validation processes meet partner requirements and company standards
• Manage technical escalations and coordinate resolution with functional domain experts and R&D teams

• Track technical KPIs, integration success metrics, and partner technical satisfaction scores
• Develop technical performance dashboards and report for VP-level leadership visibility
• Identify technical process improvements and efficiency opportunities across partnership portfolio
• Coordinate capacity planning and technical resource forecasting for partnership growth

• Interface with functional technology directors on cross-domain technical requirements and solutions
• Provide technical input to partnership strategy and new business development initiatives
• Coordinate technical due diligence and feasibility assessments for new partnership opportunities
• Ensure technical team alignment with company technology strategy and competitive positioning

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Telecommunications, Systems Engineering, or related technical field
• Master’s degree in engineering management or advanced technical discipline preferred

• Minimum 15+ years in telecommunications, satellite communications, or wireless network engineering
• 5+…