Junior Tulip Platform Engineer

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.

Position Summary AST Space Mobile is seeking a Junior Tulip Platform Engineer to join an existing team of manufacturing systems professionals. This is an early-career, hands-on engineering role focused on learning, building, and maintaining Tulip applications across AST's manufacturing sites under the mentorship of senior team members. The successful candidate will contribute directly to app development, work alongside internal peers and a pool of onshore and offshore external resources, and grow steadily in technical depth by absorbing the team's established standards, patterns, and governance practices.

This role is well-suited to a curious, detail-oriented engineer at the start of their career who wants to develop deep expertise in manufacturing systems and enterprise applications in a fast-paced aerospace environment.

Key Responsibilities Build and maintain production Tulip applications for manufacturing execution, work instruction delivery, quality inspection, and operational data collection, with guidance from senior engineers. Assist in developing and maintaining connector integrations (HTTP, MQTT, OPC-UA via Kepware, database) for real-time data exchange with shop-floor equipment and enterprise systems (Net Suite, Windchill, Boomi/Celigo, Bar Tender). Follow and help uphold established platform standards — naming conventions, connector patterns, table schemas, and app versioning — as directed by senior team members.

Participate in peer reviews as both reviewer and reviewee; actively incorporate feedback to accelerate learning and improve code quality. Support Tulip Tables schema work for manufacturing workflows under senior guidance, including record lifecycle basics, data integrity, and integration touchpoints. Collaborate with Quality, Operations, and IT stakeholders to gather requirements and ensure Tulip solutions meet traceability and documentation expectations. Work effectively with onshore and offshore external resources on assigned development tasks, testing, and adherence to platform standards, escalating blockers appropriately.

Assist with platform administration tasks including workspace configuration, connector health monitoring, and environment promotion (Dev / QA / Prod). Continuously develop technical skills through structured mentorship, documentation, Tulip University coursework, and hands-on delivery.

Required Qualifications 0–2 years of professional software development, systems, or manufacturing IT experience; internships, co-ops, or relevant academic projects will be considered. Working knowledge of at least one scripting language (Python or JavaScript) and foundational SQL skills. Familiarity with REST APIs, JSON, and general integration concepts. Strong interest in manufacturing systems, MES platforms, and shop-floor digitalization; eagerness to develop deep expertise in Tulip.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to ask good questions, document work clearly, and give and receive constructive feedback. Collaborative working style with a demonstrated ability to work well in team environments and across cultural and time-zone boundaries. Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident.

Preferred Qualifications Hands-on exposure to Tulip (coursework, personal projects, Tulip…