Partner Technical Lead -Middle East

AST SpaceMobile; Saudi Arabia; On-site; SAR 300,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

AST SpaceMobile is seeking a Partner Technical Lead for the Middle East to drive technical alignment and readiness with MNO partners across satellite RAN, core, gateway and BPMS. The role leads partner-facing operations, coordinates multi-market integrations, and publishes readiness KPIs to support regional launches and expansion initiatives.

The position reports into regional leadership and works with internal engineering, service assurance, and planning teams to ensure seamless integration and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
• Advanced degree or telecom certifications are a plus.
• 5–8 years in telecom integration, partner technical operations, solution engineering, or network deployment.

Responsibilities

• Lead partner technical operations and integration readiness across satellite RAN, core, gateway, and BPMS domains.
• Validate interface behavior, interoperability, configuration flows and KPIs across partner environments.
• Oversee partner onboarding, interoperability testing and pre-launch readiness activities.
• Coordinate with engineering, service assurance, operations, deployment and planning teams to align regional requirements.
• Drive closure of partner action items and manage risk communication.
• Define and publish readiness KPIs; maintain integration documentation and deliverables.
• Act as primary escalation point for partner-related technical issues and support RCAs.
• Support deployment sequencing, readiness reviews and regional launch planning.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical communication

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science

Advanced degree or specialized telecom certifications

Tools

Jira

ServiceNow

Grafana

Kibana

Power BI

Confluence

SharePoint

Python

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 – Middle East to drive technical alignment, integration stability, and deployment readiness with mobile network operator (MNO) partners across Middle East. 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 Middle East.
• 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 Middle East.

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 Middle East and 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.