Partner Technical Lead - Africa

About AST SpaceMobile

AST SpaceMobile is pioneering a global cellular broadband network from space that connects directly to standard mobile devices without any modifications. Leveraging a comprehensive IP and patent portfolio, the technology is crafted for both commercial and governmental uses. The mission is to close the connectivity divide affecting five billion mobile users worldwide and bring broadband access to billions currently without it.

Position Summary

The role of Partner Technical Lead – Africa entails overseeing technical coordination, integration stability, and deployment preparedness with mobile network operator partners across the African continent. The incumbent will manage technical operations spanning satellite radio access networks, core networks, gateways, and business process management systems, ensuring smooth integration and steady functionality under varied regulatory and operational circumstances.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Head partner technical operations and readiness across satellite RAN, core, gateway, and BPMS domains.
• Verify interface performance, interoperability, configuration workflows, and KPIs within diverse partner network settings.
• Supervise partner onboarding, interoperability tests, and technical preparations before launch.
• Collaborate closely with engineering, service assurance, operations, deployment, and planning teams to meet regional partner needs.
• Drive resolution of partner-related action items with timely communication of risks.
• Maintain detailed reporting on integration status, challenges, and interdependencies across markets.
• Establish, monitor, and publish readiness KPIs tailored to market conditions and milestones.
• Keep integration documentation, interface specifications, and technical deliverables current.
• Provide routine updates on readiness and integration to leadership and regional stakeholders.
• Serve as the primary escalation contact for technical issues affecting integration stability or readiness.
• Coordinate incident resolutions with partner operations centers and internal engineering teams.
• Support root cause analysis and tracking corrective actions for recurring problems.
• Offer technical expertise during partner meetings, workshops, pilots, and strategic discussions.
• Contribute to deployment sequencing, readiness evaluations, and regional launch planning.
• Recommend and implement enhancements to partner integration processes, readiness monitoring, documentation, and testing frameworks.
• Promote consistent application of best integration practices while adjusting for regional requirements.
• Drive improvements to onboarding efficiency and operational results.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a closely related discipline.
• Minimum of 5 to 8 years’ experience in telecom integration, partner technical operations, solution engineering, or network deployment.
• Proven history working with mobile network operators, telecom vendors, or related entities in Africa.
• Demonstrated ability to oversee multi-market technical readiness or integration initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with satellite-enabled network integrations.
• Familiarity with multi-vendor and multi-operator settings.
• Understanding of regional regulatory environments and deployment considerations in Africa.

Soft Skills

• Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management abilities across technical and leadership levels.
• Effective collaboration skills within cross-functional and geographically dispersed teams.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills suited for multicultural and multilingual contexts.
• Analytical problem-solving with clear risk identification, mitigation strategies, and technical decision-making aptitude.
• High attention to detail ensuring accuracy in documentation and readiness reporting.

Technical Tools and Environment

• Expertise in telecom monitoring, diagnostics, and signaling analysis tools.
• Familiarity with IT Service Management systems like Jira, ServiceNow or equivalents.
• Experience with KPI dashboards and data visualization platforms such as Grafana, Kibana, or Power BI.
• Proficiency with collaboration and documentation tools like Confluence and SharePoint.
• Basic scripting or automation knowledge (e.g., Python, Bash) is advantageous.

Work Conditions and Travel

• Capability to perform duties in an office or remote setting using a computer extensively.
• Willingness to coordinate across time zones involving African and U.S. partners.
• Preparedness to travel regionally for workshops, testing, and integration assessments as required.

Additional Information

The responsibilities outlined are not exhaustive and may evolve as business needs change. The company practices equal opportunity employment without discrimination by any legally protected status.