Staff Electrical Engineer I - Phased Array Unit Lead Verified today
About the Role
CesiumAstro is seeking a Staff Electrical Engineer to serve as Unit Lead for our Ka-band Active Electronically Steered Array (AESA) product line. AESAs are state-of-the-art electronics assemblies combining antenna element arrays, RF electronics, digital array control, and power conversion into optimized modular systems.
As Unit Lead, you own both technical definition and execution of new AESA products. You combine deep multi-disciplinary technical accountability with responsibility for schedule delivery. Projects may include development of active antenna modules, RF and power/digital backplanes, array control, power conversion, and software features.
Key Responsibilities
- Serve as primary technical point of contact and AESA Unit Lead throughout product development lifecycle
- Lead end-to-end engineering including architecture, design, prototyping, integration, test, environmental qualification and flight readiness
- Coordinate and direct RF, digital, power, mechanical, thermal, software and systems engineering teams
- Hold schedule accountability for box development
- Develop payload control schemes, internal data interfaces, command and telemetry architecture, firmware and software integration
- Manage 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
- Communicate status, technical trades, risks and design decisions to leadership and 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 and 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 managing hardware and software product development projects
- Experience with radiation-tolerant design
- Experience with high-rate manufacturing, rapid development cycles and NewSpace ecosystems
- Prior role as Responsible Engineer, Technical Lead, IPT Lead or Chief Engineer on flight hardware
- Experience in high-frequency antenna design (Ka band)
- Experience mentoring less-experienced project and design engineers
Employment Details
Full-time position. Compensation includes company stock options and benefits package: health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability and retirement plans.
US Person Requirement
To conform with United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, applicant 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.