Field Tester

AST Space Mobile 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.

We are seeking a Contract Field Tester specializing in Service Acceptance for satellite broadband and direct-to-device (NTN) services across LEO/MEO constellation deployments. This role ensures that every feature, workflow, and service meets defined entry/exit criteria through rigorous field testing, evidence collection, and structured reporting. The contractor will work closely with Engineering, RF/NTN, Firmware, and Service Delivery teams to deliver complete acceptance validation packages.

The Contract Field Tester will execute structured drive tests and static performance validation across varied terrains and blockage conditions, validate NTN behaviors including timing/RTT, beam/satellite transitions, and mobility scenarios, while maintaining complete traceability from acceptance criteria to test evidence and final sign-off deliverables.

This contract role operates in demanding field environments supporting critical validation of satellite-cellular network performance for commercial service launch. Success requires deep technical expertise, meticulous attention to detail, and the ability to work independently while maintaining the highest standards for data quality, safety compliance, and professional deliverable quality in challenging field conditions.

• Convert business/service requirements into testable acceptance criteria with clear pass/fail thresholds for throughput, latency, jitter, coverage, attach sequences, mobility, QoS, and application performance validation
• Prepare Acceptance Test Plans (ATP) and Acceptance Test Procedures (ATPr) mapped to specific KPIs and technical requirements for satellite-cellular integration scenarios
• Identify and plan necessary routes, locations, conditions, and environments for comprehensive acceptance testing including rural, urban, maritime, and high-mobility scenarios
• Establish test matrices and coverage requirements for LEO/MEO satellite constellation validation across multiple beam coverage areas and handover scenarios

• Deploy, configure, and align terminals/antennas for fixed, portable, and vehicular test scenarios ensuring optimal satellite acquisition and tracking performance
• Execute structured drive tests and static performance tests across varied terrains, weather conditions, and RF environments to validate service acceptance criteria
• Validate NTN-specific behaviours including timing/RTT characteristics, beam/satellite transitions, paging optimisation, RRC stability, and mobility handover performance
• Perform comprehensive coverage testing with emphasis on edge-of-beam scenarios, satellite elevation angle variations, and Doppler compensation validation

• Capture complete evidence sets including RF metrics (SINR/RSRP/RSRQ/MER/CNIR/RSL), IP KPIs (throughput, latency, jitter, packet loss), PCAPs, RRC/PHY/MAC logs, spectrum captures, and synchronized GNSS/KML data
• Ensure full traceability of each acceptance criterion to corresponding test case execution and supporting evidence with time-synchronised data collection
• Raise high-fidelity defects with complete reproducibility steps, precise timestamps, geo-tagging, RF conditions, and suspected contributing factors for effective resolution
• Maintain evidence integrity through secure data handling, proper chain of custody, and comprehensive documentation of test setup configurations

• Prepare Service Acceptance Reports (SAR) with comprehensive pass/fail matrices, deviation analysis, performance trending, and technical recommendations for service readiness
• Conduct stakeholder review sessions…