Staff Electrical Engineer - RPU Unit Lead Verified today
About the role
CesiumAstro is seeking a Staff Electrical Engineer to serve as Unit Lead (Responsible Engineer) for the Reconfigurable Processing Unit (RPU) product line. RPUs are complex, VPX-based electronics boxes integrating software-defined radios, single-board computers, power supply modules, and RF front ends.
As Unit Lead, you will own both technical definition and execution of new RPU products. This combines deep multidisciplinary technical accountability with schedule responsibility. Projects may include development of new VPX modules, backplanes, interface options, and software features, delivered as qualified, customer-ready products.
You will lead the multidisciplinary technical team, serve as primary point of contact for the program manager, and interface directly with customers in a fast-paced startup environment.
Responsibilities
- Serve as RPU Unit Lead 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 RF, digital, power, mechanical, thermal, software, and systems engineers
- Hold schedule accountability for box development
- Develop and review payload control schemes, internal data interfaces, command and telemetry architecture, and firmware/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
Required 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 software-defined radios or related technologies
- 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
- Understanding of payload control systems, digital interfaces, command and data handling, and embedded hardware/software interactions
- Experience executing or overseeing flight qualification and environmental test campaigns (TVAC, vibration/shock, EMC, radiation)
- Managing hardware/software product development projects
- Radiation-tolerant design
- High-rate manufacturing, rapid development cycles, or NewSpace ecosystems
- Prior role as Responsible Engineer, Technical Lead, IPT Lead, or Chief Engineer on flight hardware
- Background in digital signal processing, beamforming algorithms, or embedded firmware for payload control
- Experience mentoring less-experienced project and design engineers
Employment details
Full-time position in Austin, TX. Full-time employment offers include company stock options and benefits including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability and retirement plans.
US person requirement
To conform with United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, applicants must be US citizens, lawful permanent residents, conditional residents, asylees, refugees, or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the US Department of State.