Product Manager – Spacecraft Systems (LEO Satellites)

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Aerospace Engineering

Experience

• 3–8 years of experience in hardware development, supply chain, or technical program/product management
• Experience working with complex electrical and/or mechanical systems (aerospace, automotive, robotics, energy, etc.)

Soft Skills

• Relentless execution mindset with strong follow-through
• High sense of urgency and ability to operate on aggressive timelines
• Technically fluent with the ability to challenge engineers and suppliers
• Low ego with high ownership; willing to step in wherever needed
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and rapid change
• Strong communicator—clear, direct, and persistent

Physical Requirements

• Ability to travel to supplier sites as needed
• Ability to work in office, lab, and manufacturing environments
• Capability to support extended hours in a fast-paced, high-demand setting

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.

• Experience in LEO satellite or aerospace hardware development
• Familiarity with power systems, harnessing, PCBs, structures, or propulsion
• Experience in a startup or high-growth environment
• Hands-on engineering experience (building, testing, or debugging hardware)

• Own delivery of critical spacecraft subsystems (structures, power electronics, harnessing, propulsion, etc.)
• Translate high-level program goals into aggressive daily and weekly execution plans
• Drive sprint planning, stand-ups, and execution tracking across engineering and supply chain
• Identify risks early and aggressively push for resolution

• Generate, track, and manage Purchase Orders (POs) end-to-end
• Identify, qualify, and onboard suppliers for electrical and mechanical components
• Maintain frequent communication with vendors to monitor build progress
• Hold suppliers accountable to schedule, cost, and quality targets
• Travel to supplier sites as needed to resolve issues

• Serve as the connective layer between electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, and test teams
• Ensure designs translate into manufacturable, deliverable hardware
• Align engineering timelines with procurement and supply chain realities
• Support integration and test readiness, including system-level builds

• Track progress of complex assemblies across vendors and internal teams
• Maintain real-time visibility into part shortages, delays, and risks
• Drive fast decision-making in constrained or ambiguous situations

• Engineering drawings and BOM management tools
• Hardware development lifecycle tools and systems
• Supply chain and procurement systems (PO management)
• Cross-functional planning and execution tracking tools

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.

Position Overview