AST SpaceMobile and our global partners are building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network to be accessible by standard smartphones. Called SpaceMobile, this ultra-powerful network is being designed to provide connectivity at 4G/5G speeds everywhere on the planet – on land, at sea and in flight.
About the role
You will own the electrical power system for the next generation of BlueBird satellites — the largest commercial phased-array spacecraft in low Earth orbit.
You will join an Electrical Power Systems team that owns the subsystem end to end requirements and architecture, unit design and analysis, qualification test, launch, and on-orbit performance. The same engineers who design the hardware review its telemetry after launch. You will see your work fly, and you will see how it behaves when it gets there.
The team is based in Lanham, Maryland, in the heart of the DC-area space corridor, minutes from NASA Goddard. In Q2 2027 the office moves to Arlington, Virginia — a short Metro ride from downtown DC.
Location: Lanham, Maryland (Washington, DC metro), relocating to Arlington, Virginia in Q2 2027 · On-site, with the opportunity for hybrid work after the first six months
Compensation: Competitive base salary + annual bonus eligibility + equity (RSUs and/or PSUs) · Benefits effective on your date of hire · Relocation assistance available
Level: Mid to Senior — we will level the offer to your experience. At the senior level you own subsystem-scale efforts and lead trade studies, qualification campaigns, and failure investigations. At the mid level you own units and analyses and grow into that scope with the team's support.
What you'll do
- Own unit- and subsystem-level requirements for the electrical power system (solar arrays, batteries, power control and distribution, harness) and keep them current through the program.
- Lead trade studies, architecture development, and interface definition for the EPS and its interfaces to the bus, payload, and ground support equipment.
- Guide detailed design: review schematics, layouts, drawings, and BOMs, and make the calls on parts, derating, and margins.
- Perform and review the analyses that close the design: worst-case circuit analysis, derating, voltage drop, grounding and bonding, transient and load-step behavior, and power integrity (IR drop, impedance targets, resonances).
- Plan and lead unit- and subsystem-level acceptance and qualification testing: test plans, EGSE definition, execution oversight, and test reports.
- Lead failure investigations and root-cause analysis during test and on orbit, and drive corrective actions to closure.
- Review on-orbit power system telemetry and support anomaly resolution with the operations team.
- Mentor junior engineers and raise the technical bar for the group.
What we're looking for
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related field.
- 3+ years (5+ for the senior level) designing, analyzing, or testing electrical power systems or power electronics — spacecraft, aircraft, defense, EV, or similar high-reliability hardware.
- Hands-on experience taking hardware through qualification: writing test plans, defining or using EGSE, running tests, and writing the reports.
- Comfortable with the standard power analyses (worst-case circuit, derating, voltage drop, grounding, transient) and able to explain the results to a review board.
- For the senior level, a track record of leading a technical effort — a unit, a subsystem, a test campaign, or a failure investigation — not necessarily people. For the mid level, ownership of a unit or analysis from design through test.
- Clear written and verbal communication; you write requirements and reports that other engineers can act on.
- Must be a U.S. person (U.S. citizen or permanent resident) due to ITAR/EAR requirements.
Nice to have
- Direct experience with LEO spacecraft power systems: solar arrays, lithium-ion batteries, PCDUs, or high-power bus architectures.
- Familiarity with NASA, MIL, or ECSS derating and design standards (e.g., EEE-INST-002, MIL-STD-461, ECSS-E-ST-20).
- Experience supporting on-orbit operations or anomaly investigations.
- Power integrity and PCB-level analysis experience (SI/PI tools, impedance targets, decoupling design).
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering with a power electronics emphasis.
- Prior experience at a fast-moving hardware company where you owned a subsystem end to end.
What we offer
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage that starts on your date of hire — no waiting period. Three medical plan options, including a high-deductible plan with a company-funded HSA contribution.
- Company-paid life and AD&D insurance, plus company-paid short-term and long-term disability.
- 401(k) through Fidelity with automatic enrollment.
- Healthcare and dependent-care flexible spending accounts.
- Fertility and family-building benefits through Kindbody.
- On-demand healthcare concierge, telemedicine, an employee discount program, and complimentary financial and retirement planning.
- Equity compensation in a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: ASTS), in the form of restricted stock units (RSUs) and/or performance stock units (PSUs).
- Relocation assistance for candidates moving to the DC area.
- Hardware that flies. The satellites you work on launch on a regular cadence, and you will see your design decisions in the telemetry.
About AST SpaceMobile
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.
This job description may not include every duty and responsibility of the position. Additional tasks may be assigned, or the scope of the job may change, as business needs require.
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.
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.