OnPrem DevOps Engineer

AST SpaceMobile 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.

Position Overview

We are seeking a skilled OnPrem DevOps Engineer to design, deploy, and operate Linux and Windows systems and applications within virtualized environments such as VMware vSphere and Proxmox. This role sits at the intersection of infrastructure engineering, operating system administration, and application operations, with a strong focus on automation, reliability, and lifecycle management. The ideal candidate has deep hands‑on expertise with virtualization platforms, Linux and Windows administration, and DevOps‑driven tooling to support scalable, secure, and standardized environments.

Key Responsibilities

Virtualization & Infrastructure

• Deploy, manage, and maintain virtual machines on VMware vSphere/ESXi and/or Proxmox platforms.

• Design, maintain, and standardize VM templates and golden images for Linux and Windows OS environments.

• Monitor, tune, and optimize VM performance, capacity, and resource utilization across compute, memory, storage, and networking.

• Support lifecycle management of virtual infrastructure, including patching, major upgrades, and decommissioning of legacy systems.

Operating Systems & Platform Operations

• Administer and harden Linux distributions (e.g., Ubuntu, CentOS) and Windows Server environments.

• Perform OS‑level patching, configuration management, and security hardening following best practices.

• Troubleshoot OS, application, and infrastructure issues across virtualized environments.

• Implement and maintain backup, restore, and disaster recovery processes for virtual machines and hosted applications.

DevOps & Automation

• Automate provisioning, configuration, and operational tasks using Bash, PowerShell, Python, or Ansible.

• Build and manage CI/CD workflows that integrate with virtualized infrastructure.

• Introduce Infrastructure‑as‑Code and automation‑first practices to reduce manual operational work.

• Collaborate with application teams to ensure consistent, reproducible, and deployment‑ready environments.

Monitoring, Reliability & Operations

• Implement and maintain monitoring, logging, and alerting for hosts, VMs, and applications.

• Participate in incident response, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement efforts.

• Develop and maintain operational standards, documentation, and runbooks for virtualized infrastructures.

• Support on‑call or escalation rotations to ensure platform availability and reliability.

Qualifications

Education

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience

• A minimum of 5+ years managing Linux and Windows systems in virtualized environments.

• Hands-on experience working with VMware vSphere/ESXi and/or Proxmox.

• Strong Linux administration and solid Windows Server administration experience.

• Proficiency in scripting and automation (Bash, PowerShell, Python).

• Strong understanding of networking, storage, and security principles within virtualized systems.

• Experience with IaC or configuration management tools (Ansible, Terraform, Puppet).

• Familiarity with Docker containers running on virtualized hosts.

• Experience integrating virtualization platforms with CI/CD tooling.

• Exposure to hybrid on‑premise and cloud environments.

• Knowledge of monitoring and observability tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, or OpenObserve.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with large-scale virtualization deployments or multi‑site infrastructure.

• Familiarity with server hardware, SAN/NAS storage systems, and network virtualization technologies.

• Experience supporting enterprise backup and DR tools.

• Experience with Windows and Linux security compliance standards.

• Understanding of application deployment patterns (microservices, multi‑tier, distributed systems).

Soft Skills

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate effectively across cross‑functional teams.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Meticulous attention to detail to ensure accuracy of documentation, configurations, and operational procedures.

• Strong analytical and troubleshooting abilities.

• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and drive initiatives to completion.

• Commitment to continuous improvement and automation‑driven operations.

Technology Stack

• Virtualization platforms: VMware vSphere/ESXi, Proxmox.

• Operating systems: Linux (Ubuntu, CentOS), Windows Server.

• Automation & IaC: Bash, PowerShell, Python, Ansible, Terraform, Puppet.

• Containers: Docker.

• Monitoring & Observability: Prometheus, Grafana, OpenObserve.

• Networking & storage: VLANs, firewalls, iSCSI/NFS/SAN/NAS concepts.

• CI/CD tools: Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, or similar.

• Version control: Git.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work in a standard office environment.

• Ability to use a computer for extended periods to support systems administration and operational tasks.

• Ability to support on‑call rotations or after‑hours tasks during maintenance windows when required.

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.