Mechanisms Flight Assurance Engineer at AST SpaceMobile Midland, TX

AST SpaceMobile; Midland (TX); Presencial; USD 120.000 - 160.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

AST SpaceMobile is seeking a Flight Assurance Engineer to independently drive mechanisms development and production assurance. You will own design, manufacturing, test, and integration related assurance activities to guarantee safety, functionality, and performance of flight hardware with limited supervision.

This role requires managing witness points, audits, and nonconformance processes, coordinating with vendors, and contributing to anomaly reviews while maintaining comprehensive assurance

Formación

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a relevant engineering field.
• 3+ years in flight/mission assurance, quality or reliability engineering for aerospace hardware.
• Experience with anomaly investigations and qualification test witnessing.

Responsabilidades

• Own and execute flight assurance plans across design, manufacturing, test and integration lifecycles.
• Perform independent inspections at defined hold points.
• Review assembly work instructions and test procedures before campaigns.
• Track qualification and verification through assurance processes and witness points.
• Own nonconformance register and lead root-cause investigations.
• Prepare and maintain assurance documentation and compliance reports.
• Coordinate vendor surveillance and review build records before receiving inspection.

Conocimientos

Flight/mission assurance

Quality engineering

Reliability engineering

Anomaly investigations

Nonconformance disposition

Test witnessing

Documentation

PDR/CDR/TRR/FRR representation

Educación

Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering

Bachelor's Degree in Systems Engineering

Related discipline

Herramientas

Windchill

Autodesk PLM

Jira

CATIA or SolidWorks

Data analysis tools

Descripción del empleo

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

The Flight Assurance Engineer will independently execute mechanisms-specific flight assurance processes and practices to ensure product reliability, compliance, and quality throughout the lifecycle of flight mechanisms and mechanical assemblies. This role owns design, manufacturing, test, and integration related assurance activities to ensure the safety, functionality, and performance of flight hardware with limited supervision.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and execute flight assurance methods, plans, and processes across the full mechanisms development and production lifecycle — encompassing design, manufacturing, assembly, test, and integration — while supporting program schedule and cost objectives and meeting quality, safety, and regulatory requirements.
• Conduct independent inspections at defined hold points across assembly, test, and integration for high-complexity mechanisms.
• Define, maintain, and enforce witness point classifications for all mechanisms through their full product lifecycle.
• Review and approve assembly work instructions and test procedures before execution across functional and environmental test campaigns.
• Track qualification and verification of mechanisms through rigorous assurance processes including test readiness review, TVAC and life test witnessing, and test completion sign-off.
• Execute mechanisms buyoff at assembly, test, and integration stages with objective evidence substantiation.
• Define and maintain audit methods for each buyoff stage.
• Own the nonconformance register from origination through root cause corrective action verification on subsequent hardware.
• Lead root cause investigations for mechanisms anomalies across design, manufacturing, and test phases.
• Prepare and maintain detailed assurance documentation including assurance plans, risk mitigation strategies, nonconformance dispositions, waiver and deviation packages, and compliance reports.
• Conduct or coordinate vendor surveillance activities for flight-critical mechanism suppliers including review of build records and acceptance test data prior to receiving inspection.
• Track in-family data trends across the mechanisms fleet and spacecraft production line.
• Participate in anomaly reviews and own corrective action tracking to verified closure.
• Maintain the mechanisms-specific lessons learned register.
• Verify corrective action implementation on subsequent hardware — closure requires physical verification, not documentation alone.

Required Qualifications

• Education
• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related discipline.
• Experience
• 3+ years in flight/mission assurance, quality engineering, or reliability engineering with direct involvement in aerospace hardware.
• Demonstrated experience with mechanical system anomaly investigation, nonconformance disposition, and qualification test witnessing.

Preferred Qualifications

• Working knowledge of mechanisms-specific standards: AIAA S-114, ECSS-E-ST-33-01C, NASA-HDBK-7005, NASA-STD-5017, NASA-STD-5001, MIL-STD-1540.
• Experience with high-volume production environment at monthly launch cadence.
• Direct experience with flight spacecraft mechanisms.
• Experience with reliability analysis tools or systems engineering tools.
• Hands-on involvement in TVAC, vibration, shock, or life testing of mechanical flight hardware.
• Familiarity with control requirements and limited-life item tracking for mechanical components.

Soft Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to prepare nonconformance dispositions, test anomaly reports, waivers, deviations, and assurance documentation.
• Strong organizational and subsystem-level project management abilities.
• Demonstrated capability to represent Flight Assurance independently in design reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR, FRR) and test environments.
• Detail-oriented, analytical mindset with electromechanical system failure mode intuition and strong problem-solving skills.

Technology Stack

• MS Office Suite
• Risk and reliability analysis tools
• PLM or document control systems (e.g., Windchill, Autodesk PLM, Jira)
• CAD viewing tools (CATIA, SolidWorks, or equivalent) for drawing and model review
• Data analysis or visualization tools (preferred)

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work in a standard office environment.
• Ability to use a computer for extended periods.
• Regular support in cleanroom, lab, and manufacturing environments required; ESD and contamination control protocol compliance mandatory.

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.