Senior Lab Manager

AST SpaceMobile•Lanham, MD

About The Position

AST SpaceMobile is seeking a Senior Lab Manager to lead mobile network operator (MNO) lab coordination across operators and geographic regions. The role ensures that schedules, configurations, templates, acceptance test plans (ATPs), network integrity checks, and UE probe/device validation meet commercial-ready standards. It coordinates end-to-end lab activities and ensures that validation processes, acceptance criteria, and deployment-readiness standards are consistently executed to commercial-grade specifications. The Senior Lab Manager oversees vendor and operator test plans, governs requests to internal RAN elements and interfaces, manages feature regression testing, enforces integrity checks to reduce rework, and drives timely acceptance sign-offs for multi-market deployments. The position ensures persistence targets, KPI expectations, and commercial-readiness criteria are met while maintaining rigorous network validation standards and coordinating stakeholders across MNOs, vendors, and internal engineering teams. The role is based in the United States and involves regular travel of approximately 40% for MNO lab coordination, vendor meetings, and multisite validation. It may require occasional off-hours support for critical validation activities and deployment windows across global time zones. Additional duties or changes in scope may be assigned according to business needs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, Computer Engineering, or a closely related technical field.
8–12 years of experience in telecommunications or satellite-communications environments, with hands-on involvement in lab operations, system integration, or validation activities.
Demonstrated experience coordinating or managing MNO or carrier-grade lab environments, including RAN, core network, and end-to-end service-validation workflows.
Proven track record working with multi-vendor test plans and acceptance processes for network features, software releases, or new-service deployments.
5+ years of experience in laboratory management or technical validation leadership roles within telecom or satellite-communications settings.
Experience supporting large-scale lab environments, multi-market validation programs, and cross-functional system-integration initiatives.
Strong understanding of mobile network architecture (RAN, transport, core) and lab/testing workflows used for network validation and acceptance.
Proficiency in RAN and device testing, including feature-level validation, performance verification, and probe-driven testing methods.
Comprehensive knowledge of change management, configuration management, and test lifecycle management processes in telecommunications environments.
Ability to lead cross-functional lab coordination with MNOs, internal teams, and vendors, aligning schedules, configurations, and acceptance criteria.
Strong organizational skills to manage concurrent lab activities, markets, and partner demands while serving as a central communication point.
Structured approach to identifying, reproducing, and documenting issues discovered during lab validation.
Focus on rework reduction through proactive integrity checks and preventive validation measures.
Clear, concise communication skills for technical and nontechnical audiences across organizational levels.
Ability to influence stakeholders to follow agreed templates, processes, and sign-off criteria while maintaining collaborative relationships.
Ability to travel regularly for MNO lab coordination, vendor meetings, and multisite validation activities (approximately 40%).
Ability to support lab escalations across global time zones, including occasional off-hours support for critical validation activities and deployment windows.

Nice To Haves

Experience in satellite communications, Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), or hybrid satellite-terrestrial integration projects with MNOs.
Prior responsibility for lab management or technical leadership in an operator, satellite provider, network vendor, or systems integrator environment.
Familiarity with ATP processes and acceptance frameworks used by Tier 1 MNOs and global satellite operators.
Familiarity with 3GPP-based mobile network standards and operator acceptance practices relevant to LTE/5G and satellite-terrestrial integration environments.

Responsibilities

Lead MNO lab coordination across operators and regions, aligning schedules, configurations, and test templates.
Oversee vendor and operator test plans, ensuring test scenarios, system configurations, success criteria, traceability, and alignment with production specifications.
Govern validation of internal and external interfaces, standardized call flows, prioritization, structured workflows, and change control.
Synchronize lab activities with production activations to minimize operational risk and deployment conflicts.
Implement standardized lab processes, documentation practices, and change-control mechanisms for repeatability, auditability, and compliance.
Ensure ATP plans, network integrity checks, and UE validation meet commercial-ready criteria across operators and regions.
Reduce rework through integrity checks and pre-validation routines, including configuration-consistency verification, regression testing, and critical KPI validation.
Drive timely acceptance sign-offs by ensuring test evidence, defect resolutions, and change documentation are complete and approved.
Achieve persistence targets through proactive risk management, systematic issue resolution, and continuous process improvement.
Maintain defect-tracking and follow-up processes, coordinating issue resolution with vendors, internal engineering teams, and MNO technical groups.
Coordinate lab readiness and test execution for simultaneous or staggered multi-region deployments, validating market-specific configurations, frequency plans, and feature sets before launch.
Align lab test coverage with deployment roadmaps, validating high-risk scenarios, new features, and satellite-terrestrial integration changes before field activation.
Support post-deployment validation by applying lab learnings, standardized templates, and validated test assets.
Serve as the central contact for lab activities with MNO technical teams, internal engineering, NOC, and vendor partners.
Provide status updates on lab activities, ATP progress, risks, and acceptance timelines to leadership and external partners.
Facilitate cross-functional reviews of ATPs, network integrity criteria, and acceptance outcomes.
Coordinate with the NOC on activation timing, production readiness checks, and rollback strategies.
Align lab timelines with deployment and commercial launch schedules in coordination with Schedulers/PMO.
Coordinate with MNO technical teams on ATP content, lab access, configurations, and final acceptance sign-offs.
Coordinate vendor test plans, software deliveries, and resolution of lab-identified issues.
Work with internal engineering and integration teams on network integrity checks, lab configuration baselines, and defect triage.
Coordinate with Quality/Process Management on BPMS requests, documentation standards, and standardized validation processes.
Use test management and issue-tracking platforms to manage ATPs, test execution, and acceptance evidence.
Apply UE probe-based testing, KPI monitoring, regression testing, BPMS or equivalent workflow tools, and relevant standards and operator acceptance practices.