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

We are seeking a Senior Network and Infrastructure Engineer to build, maintain, and optimize the physical network and compute layer of our on‑premises environments. This role ensures the reliability, performance, and scalability of networks, firewalls, server hardware, racks, power, cabling, and related physical systems that support global production, lab, and test workloads. The ideal candidate brings deep hands‑on experience with datacenter operations, Cisco networking, physical compute hardware, and infrastructure best practices.

This is an in-person role. The ideal candidate must be located in an area central to Lanham, MD and Tysons, VA.

Key Responsibilities

Physical Compute & Hardware Management

Deploy, install, rack, cable, and power physical servers, storage systems, and supporting hardware.
Perform hardware diagnostics, break/fix tasks, component replacement, and lifecycle upgrades.
Manage firmware, BIOS, and device‑level updates to ensure reliability and security.
Maintain accurate inventory of physical compute assets, spares, and components.

Datacenter Operations

Design, deploy, and manage enterprise network infrastructure using Cisco technologies (routers, switches, firewalls, VPNs).
Architect and implement AWS networking solutions (VPCs, Transit Gateway, Direct Connect, Route 53, security groups).
Ensure proper airflow, rack layout, cable management, power distribution, and space planning.
Coordinate with facilities for cooling, power budgeting, and physical security requirements.
Perform routine datacenter health checks, environmental monitoring, and audits.
Provide remote‑hands support for global sites as required.

Systems & Infrastructure Support

Provision bare‑metal hosts and integrate hardware into virtualization or orchestration platforms.
Collaborate with SRE, cloud, networking, and platform teams to support high‑availability workloads.
Troubleshoot hardware and OS-level issues (Linux/Windows) during physical interventions.

Documentation & Process

Maintain rack elevation diagrams, cabling maps, and hardware configuration records.
Develop and maintain SOPs for installation, decommissioning, maintenance, and emergency recovery.
Drive improvements in reliability, performance, physical infrastructure efficiency, and operational standards.

Qualifications

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field (or higher).

Experience

A minimum of 7+ years in datacenter operations, physical compute engineering, or server hardware roles.
Expert‑level experience with Cisco networking technologies (CCNP or higher preferred).
Proven experience with AWS networking and cloud‑native networking architectures.
Strong hands‑on experience with racking/stacking servers, cabling, hardware diagnostics, and physical maintenance.
Knowledge of enterprise server platforms (Cisco, Dell, HPE, Supermicro).
Familiarity with Linux or Windows for basic troubleshooting.
Strong understanding of networking fundamentals (VLANs, LACP, routing, switching).
Ability to lift \~50 lbs and work in hot/cold aisle environments.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with virtualization platforms (VMware, Proxmox, KVM) or bare‑metal orchestration tools (MAAS, Tinkerbell).
Experience with hardware monitoring, observability, or datacenter telemetry systems.
Knowledge of datacenter best practices including power planning, cooling optimization, and structured cable management.

Soft Skills

Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate effectively within cross‑functional teams.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Meticulous attention to detail in documentation, configuration, and operational processes.
Strong problem‑solving and root‑cause analysis skills.