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 Summary AST SpaceMobile is seeking a
Junior Tulip Platform Engineer to join an existing team of manufacturing systems professionals. This is an early-career, hands-on engineering role focused on learning, building, and maintaining Tulip applications across AST's manufacturing sites under the mentorship of senior team members.
The successful candidate will contribute directly to app development, work alongside internal peers and a pool of onshore and offshore external resources, and grow steadily in technical depth by absorbing the team's established standards, patterns, and governance practices. This role is well-suited to a curious, detail-oriented engineer at the start of their career who wants to develop deep expertise in manufacturing systems and enterprise applications in a fast-paced aerospace environment.
Key Responsibilities - Build and maintain production Tulip applications for manufacturing execution, work instruction delivery, quality inspection, and operational data collection, with guidance from senior engineers.
- Assist in developing and maintaining connector integrations (HTTP, MQTT, OPC-UA via Kepware, database) for real-time data exchange with shop-floor equipment and enterprise systems (NetSuite, Windchill, Boomi/Celigo, BarTender).
- Follow and help uphold established platform standards - naming conventions, connector patterns, table schemas, and app versioning - as directed by senior team members.
- Participate in peer reviews as both reviewer and reviewee; actively incorporate feedback to accelerate learning and improve code quality.
- Support Tulip Tables schema work for manufacturing workflows under senior guidance, including record lifecycle basics, data integrity, and integration touchpoints.
- Collaborate with Quality, Operations, and IT stakeholders to gather requirements and ensure Tulip solutions meet traceability and documentation expectations.
- Work effectively with onshore and offshore external resources on assigned development tasks, testing, and adherence to platform standards, escalating blockers appropriately.
- Assist with platform administration tasks including workspace configuration, connector health monitoring, and environment promotion (Dev / QA / Prod).
- Continuously develop technical skills through structured mentorship, documentation, Tulip University coursework, and hands-on delivery.
Required Qualifications - 0-2 years of professional software development, systems, or manufacturing IT experience; internships, co-ops, or relevant academic projects will be considered.
- Working knowledge of at least one scripting language (Python or JavaScript) and foundational SQL skills.
- Familiarity with REST APIs, JSON, and general integration concepts.
- Strong interest in manufacturing systems, MES platforms, and shop-floor digitalization; eagerness to develop deep expertise in Tulip.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to ask good questions, document work clearly, and give and receive constructive feedback.
- Collaborative working style with a demonstrated ability to work well in team environments and across cultural and time-zone boundaries.
Preferred Qualifications - Hands-on exposure to Tulip (coursework, personal projects, Tulip University certifications, or prior internship/co-op experience).
- Familiarity with ISA-95 manufacturing data hierarchy or OT connectivity concepts (Kepware, OPC-UA, MQTT).
- Exposure to ERP, PLM, or MES systems in an academic or professional setting.
- Background or interest in aerospace, defense, or other regulated manufacturing environments.
- Awareness of CMMC 2.0 / NIST 800-171 concepts as they apply to operational technology.
- Familiarity with Power BI or equivalent analytics tools.
Technology Stack - MES Platform: Tulip (Apps, Tables, Connectors, Analytics, Machine Monitoring; environment promotion across Dev / QA / Prod).
- Integrations: NetSuite ERP, Windchill PLM, Boomi/Celigo middleware, BarTender, and custom APIs.
- OT & Device Connectivity: Kepware, OPC-UA, MQTT, HTTP, and database connectors for shop-floor equipment.
- Standards & Governance: naming conventions, connector patterns, table schemas, app versioning, connector health monitoring.
- Compliance: CMMC 2.0 / NIST 800-171 as applied to operational technology.
Growth & Development This role includes a structured onboarding path with senior-engineer mentorship, dedicated time for Tulip University coursework and platform certifications, and progressively expanding responsibility as the candidate demonstrates proficiency. Clear career progression exists into mid-level and senior Tulip Platform Engineer roles as skills mature.
Work Location & Schedule On-site / Hybrid. Schedule may be evaluated based on role needs and manufacturing support windows.
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.
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.
