Staff Electrical Engineer I - Phased Array Unit Lead Verified today

About the role

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

This position is the Unit Lead (Responsible Engineer) for our Ka-band Active Electronically Steered Array (AESA) product line. You will own both technical definition and execution of a new AESA product, combining deep multi-disciplinary technical accountability with responsibility for on-time schedule delivery. CesiumAstro AESAs are state-of-the-art electronics assemblies consisting of antenna element arrays, RF electronics, digital array control, and power conversion engineered into a single integrated box.

You will lead a multidisciplinary technical team, serve as the primary point of contact for the program manager and customers, and drive success in a fast-paced startup environment.

Responsibilities

• Serve as AESA Unit Lead and primary technical point of contact throughout the product development lifecycle
• Lead end-to-end engineering for architecture, design, prototyping, integration, test, environmental qualification, and flight readiness
• Coordinate and direct RF, digital, power, mechanical, thermal, software, and systems engineers to ensure consistent and timely execution
• Hold schedule accountability for box 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 acceptance testing
• Own transition to volume production including manufacturability, testability, and customer documentation
• Generate and maintain box-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
• Communicate status, technical trades, risks, and design decisions to internal leadership and external customers

Minimum qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical Engineering or related field
• 8 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
• Experience testing active antennas, including measuring EIRP and G/T
• 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, vibration/shock, EMC, radiation considerations)
• 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 in associated disciplines

Work environment and compensation

Full-time position based in Austin, TX. Full-time employment offers include company stock options and a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability, and retirement plans.

Eligibility

To conform with United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, conditional resident, asylee, or refugee, or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.