Senior Staff Electrical Engineer - Payload Verified today

CesiumAstro develops communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles, and space/airborne platforms. We seek a Senior Staff Electrical Engineer to lead design, development, integration, test, and flight qualification of advanced spaceborne payloads.

This role focuses on Payload Lead Engineer for our Ka-band Active Electronically Steered Array (AESA) product line. CesiumAstro AESAs are state-of-the-art electronics assemblies combining antenna element arrays, RF electronics, digital array control, and power conversion into optimized integrated systems.

As Payload Lead, you will own the technical development of a new payload product consisting of a phased array (AESA) and processing unit (RPU). This combines deep multidisciplinary technical accountability with responsibility for on-time schedule execution. You will lead the multidisciplinary technical team, serve as primary point of contact for the program manager, and often interface directly with customers. Success requires deep technical expertise alongside project management, leadership, and communication in a fast-paced startup environment.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Payload Lead Engineer and primary technical point of contact throughout the product development lifecycle
• Lead end-to-end engineering effort including architecture, design, prototyping, integration, test, environmental qualification, and flight readiness
• Coordinate and direct Unit Leads developing AESA and RPU boxes, plus engineers working on the combined payload
• Hold schedule accountability for payload development
• Develop and review payload control schemes, internal data interfaces, command and telemetry architecture, and firmware/software integration
• Manage all flight qualification activities including environmental test planning (thermal vacuum, vibration, shock, EMC), margin assessment, and final acceptance testing
• Own transition to volume production including manufacturability, testability, and customer-facing documentation
• Generate and maintain payload-level documentation: requirements, ICDs, block diagrams, test plans, verification matrices, risk registers, and design reviews
• Interface with spacecraft systems engineering, mission assurance, manufacturing, vendors, and test facilities
• Drive root cause analysis, anomaly resolution, and technical risk mitigation throughout development and test campaigns
• Communicate status, technical trades, risks, and design decisions to internal leadership and external customers

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical Engineering or related field
• 12+ years of engineering experience in electronics hardware development
• Hands-on experience with active phased array antennas
• Expertise in antennas and board-level RF electronics
• Strong familiarity with power/digital support circuitry and design for manufacturability
• Leadership experience including mentoring or leading multidisciplinary engineering teams
• Strong knowledge of systems engineering practices, requirements flowdown, verification/validation, and configuration management
• Excellent communication skills with ability to present complex technical information to diverse audiences

Preferred Experience

• Proven experience executing or overseeing flight qualification and environmental test campaigns (TVAC, vib/shock, EMC, radiation considerations)
• Experience testing active antennas including measuring EIRP and G/T
• Experience managing hardware/software product development projects
• Experience with radiation-tolerant design
• Experience with high-rate manufacturing, rapid development cycles, and/or NewSpace ecosystems
• Prior role as Responsible Engineer, Technical Lead, IPT Lead, or Chief Engineer on flight hardware
• Experience in high-frequency antenna design such as Ka band
• Experience mentoring less-experienced project engineers and design engineers

Full-time employment offers company stock options and benefits including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability, and retirement plans.

CesiumAstro is an Equal Opportunity employer. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, conditional resident, asylee, refugee, or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State to conform with U.S. Government Space Technology Export Regulations.