--- title: 'Partner Technical Lead - Africa at AST SpaceMobile' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/partner-technical-lead-africa-ast-spacemobile-emea-km8fjvctb39z' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-05' --- # Partner Technical Lead - Africa at AST SpaceMobile - **Company:** AST SpaceMobile - **Location:** EMEA - **Work type:** remote - **Posted:** 2026-08-27 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-05 - **Apply:** https://ast-science.com/company/careers/?gh_jid=4677733005 ## Job description 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. Position Overview We are seeking a Partner Technical Lead – Africa to drive technical alignment, integration stability, and deployment readiness with mobile network operator (MNO) partners across Africa. This role leads partner‑facing technical operations across satellite radio access networks (RAN), core, gateway, and business process management systems, ensuring seamless integration and sustained operational health in diverse regulatory and network environments. The Partner Technical Lead coordinates internal engineering and operations teams, manages partner action items and escalations, and publishes readiness KPIs to support regional launches and expansion initiatives while maintaining alignment with global integration standards. ## Key Responsibilities Partner Technical Operations & Integration Management - Lead partner technical operations and integration readiness across satellite RAN, core, gateway, and BPMS domains. - Validate interface behavior, interoperability, configuration flows, and KPIs across diverse partner network environments. - Oversee partner onboarding, interoperability testing, and pre‑launch technical readiness activities. Cross‑Functional Alignment & Issue Resolution - Coordinate closely with engineering, service assurance, operations, deployment, and planning teams to align regional partner requirements. - Drive closure of partner action items, ensuring timely resolution and transparent risk communication. - Maintain structured reporting on integration progress, blockers, and dependencies across multiple markets. Readiness KPIs, Documentation & Reporting - Define, track, and publish readiness KPIs aligned to regional market conditions and integration milestones. - Maintain accurate integration documentation, interface specifications, and technical deliverables. - Provide regular readiness and integration updates to leadership and regional stakeholder groups. Incident Escalation & Technical Support - Act as the primary escalation point for partner‑related technical issues impacting integration stability or service readiness. - Coordinate with partner network operations centers and internal engineering teams to resolve incidents efficiently. - Support root cause analysis (RCA), corrective action tracking, and follow‑up for recurring issues. Regional Stakeholder & Partner Support - Serve as a technical advisor during partner meetings, workshops, pilots, and technical discussions. - Support strategic and pre‑sales conversations requiring technical clarity on integration approaches or KPIs. - Participate in deployment sequencing, readiness reviews, and regional launch planning activities. Continuous Improvement & Partner Experience - Recommend improvements to partner integration processes, readiness dashboards, documentation, and testing frameworks. - Ensure consistent application of best practices while accommodating regional requirements. - Contribute to enhancements that improve partner onboarding efficiency and operational outcomes. ## Qualifications Education - Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field. - Advanced degree or specialized telecom certifications are a plus. ## Experience - A minimum of 5–8 years of experience in telecom integration, partner technical operations, solution engineering, or network deployment. - Experience working with mobile network operators, telecom vendors, or network operators in Africa. - Proven experience coordinating multi‑market technical readiness or integration programs. ## Preferred Qualifications - Experience with satellite‑enabled network integrations. - Exposure to multi‑vendor or multi‑operator environments. - Familiarity with regional regulatory or deployment considerations in Africa. Soft Skills - Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills across technical and leadership audiences. - Proven ability to collaborate effectively within cross‑functional and geographically distributed teams. - Excellent written and verbal communication skills in multicultural and multilingual environments. - Structured problem‑solving skills with clear articulation of risks, mitigations, and technical decisions. - Meticulous attention to detail to ensure accuracy in documentation and readiness reporting. Technology Stack - Telecom monitoring, diagnostics, and signaling analysis tools. - ITSM and ticketing platforms (e.g., Jira, ServiceNow, or similar systems). - KPI dashboards and data visualization tools (e.g., Grafana, Kibana, Power BI). - Collaboration and documentation tools (e.g., Confluence, SharePoint). - Basic familiarity with scripting or automation tools (e.g., Python, Bash) is a plus. Physical Requirements - Ability to work in a standard office or remote environment and use a computer for extended periods. - Ability to collaborate across time zones with stakeholders in Africa & US. - Willingness to travel within the region for partner workshops, testing cycles, and integration reviews 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 an Equal Opportunity, at will Employer; employment is governed on the basis of merit, competence and 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. ## About AST SpaceMobile ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard, unmodified smartphones. - **Entity Type**: Public (Nasdaq: ASTS) - **Headquarters**: Midland, Texas, USA - **Founded**: 2017 - **Founders**: Abel Avellan ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Space-based telecommunications / Satellite broadband - **Target customers**: B2B (mobile network operators), B2C (indirectly through MNOs), and government/defense agencies - **Mission**: To eliminate connectivity gaps faced by today’s nearly six billion mobile subscribers and bring broadband to the billions who remain unconnected using a space-based cellular network. ## Products & Services - **[SpaceMobile Network]**: A space-based cellular broadband network that delivers 4G/5G connectivity directly to standard smartphones without any hardware modifications, apps, or software updates. - **[BlueBird Satellites]**: The company’s commercial satellite constellation, designed to provide full broadband coverage globally. BlueBird satellites are among the largest commercial communications arrays in low Earth orbit. - **[BlueWalker 3]**: The prototype satellite used to demonstrate world-first voice, 5G, and video calls from space to ordinary phones. - **[Government & Defense Solutions]**: Tailored connectivity for tactical and public safety applications (e.g., FirstNet tests, government contracts). ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Market capitalization exceeded $8 billion as of August 2024 (stock price ~$38.60). More recent figures are not publicly available but the company has raised over $2 billion as of Q2 2025. - **Key Metric (Total Funding)**: Over $2 billion raised (debt and equity) as of Q2 2025. - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Vodafone, Rakuten, American Tower, Samsung Next, Cisneros, Google (product partnership), AT&T, Verizon, FirstNet Authority. - **Growth Signals**: - Partnerships with nearly 60 mobile network operators covering ~3 billion combined subscribers. - Successfully completed first VoLTE voice calls, video calls, and 5G data connections using standard smartphones via satellite. - First public safety tests on FirstNet (Jan 2024) and first activation for government defense use cases (June 2025). - Commercial contract with Vodafone through 2034 for Europe and Africa. - 578 employees as of 2024; expanding manufacturing and office footprint globally. ## Competitive Advantages - **First-mover**: Only company offering direct-to-smartphone satellite broadband with no specialized hardware or software required. - **Patent Moat**: Over 3,800 patents and pending claims protecting proprietary technology. - **MNO Integration**: Deep partnerships with major global operators enable seamless integration with existing terrestrial networks. - **Satellite Scale**: BlueBird satellites feature large phased-array antennas (BlueWalker 3 array is 693 sq ft), providing a field of view over 300,000 sq miles. ## Strategic Focus - **Constellation Deployment**: Rapidly launching and operationalizing the BlueBird satellite fleet to start generating significant commercial revenue. - **Global Coverage Expansion**: Targeting full service across multiple continents, with a focus on remote and underserved regions. - **Government & Defense**: Broadening contracts for secure, tactical connectivity. - **Technology Advancement**: Continued R&D on next-generation satellite capabilities and network optimization. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Fast-growing company with a startup mindset; employees are encouraged to wear many hats and tackle meaningful challenges. - **Global Presence**: Offices in Midland (TX), Homestead (FL), Miami (FL), Lanham (MD), Tel Aviv, Barcelona, Edinburgh, Hyderabad, and other locations. - **Impact**: Opportunity to work on a historic transformation in global connectivity, directly connecting billions of people. - **Perks & Environment**: Nearly 500,000 sq ft of manufacturing and office facilities; emphasis on innovation, autonomy, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. - **Career Growth**: Open positions listed on Greenhouse; values proactive, passionate innovators. ## Sources 1. [AST SpaceMobile Official Website](https://ast-science.com) 2. [AST SpaceMobile Company Page](https://ast-science.com/company/) 3. [AST SpaceMobile Careers Page](https://ast-science.com/company/careers/) 4. [AST SpaceMobile Investor Relations](https://investors.ast-science.com/) 5. 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