Principal Hardware Engineer I

CesiumAstro; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

CesiumAstro in Milton Keynes, England, is looking for a Principal Hardware Engineer I to lead complex hardware projects from conception through production. You will design and verify high-reliability systems for space applications while mentoring junior engineers. Candidates should have at least 9 years of experience in electronics design, excellent communication skills, and expertise in tools like Altium. This role offers a dynamic environment and technical leadership opportunities.

Qualifications

• 9+ years of experience in board-level electronics design and test.
• Experience with high-reliability electronics for space or defense.
• Expert proficiency in electronics design tools like Altium.

Responsibilities

• Own design of complex electronics modules and systems.
• Lead teams of hardware engineers in product development.
• Develop hardware architecture and write requirements.

Skills

PCB layout

High-reliability electronics design

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

Ansys SIwave

ADS SIPro

Mentor Hyperlynx

Job description

At CesiumAstro, we are developers and pioneers of out-of-the-box communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles, and other space and airborne platforms.

We take pride in our dynamic and cross-functional work environment, which allows us to learn, develop, and engage across our organization. If you are looking for hands‑on, interactive, and autonomous work, CesiumAstro is the place for you. We are actively seeking passionate, collaborative, energetic, and forward-thinking individuals to join our team.

Principal Hardware Engineer I

At the Principal level, you will be tasked with full‑stack hardware development for complex modules and hardware systems. You will have the opportunity to start at concept development and progress through detailed design, analysis, layout, build, test, and delivery, doing hands‑on work at each phase. The Principal level also includes technical leadership opportunities, gaining responsibility for critical designs and teams of engineers developing new products and systems.

The successful candidate will also present engineering design review materials to our customers and executive team. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required.

Job Duties And Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end design of complex electronics modules and systems, from concept and architecture through schematic, layout, test, and production. Products may include high-speed digital, power electronics, and/or RF.
• Lead teams of hardware engineers to develop new products with multiple electronics modules.
• Provide subject matter expertise in support of hardware development across the company.
• Develop hardware architecture and write hardware requirements for systems of high complexity.
• Perform detailed and complete schematic design for complex boards, ranging from key components to supporting passives.
• Perform detailed PCB layout in Altium Designer for complex boards, often working with a PCB Drafter.
• Complete analysis such as worst‑case circuit analysis, signal integrity analysis, and power integrity analysis. Guide analysis methodology.
• Develop bring‑up plans and design verification plans for new hardware and complex systems.
• Perform bring‑up and key verification testing of modules and complex integrated systems, often working with a team to complete validation.
• Release modules and assemblies to production, working with the Manufacturing and Test Engineering teams.
• Mentor junior and senior engineers to build technical understanding and professional development.
• Use strong working knowledge of adjacent fields, such as software and mechanical, to streamline development of complex hardware systems.

Job Requirements And Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science (BS) degree or higher in Electrical Engineering from an accredited university.
• Minimum of 9 years of industry or university research experience in board‑level electronics design, analysis, and test.
• Direct experience designing high‑reliability electronics and small systems for space or defense applications, including part derating, worst‑case analysis, and thermal constraints.
• Experience owning the design phase of complex board‑level electronics and small hardware systems, including architecture design, trade studies, key part selection, and detailed design.
• Multiple experiences delivering hardware products through production and deployment.
• Expertise in PCB layout and manufacturing, including high‑density interconnect (HDI) stack‑up design, IPC standards, and industry best practices.
• Expertise derisking designs with board‑level signal integrity and/or power integrity simulation tools such as Ansys SIwave, ADS SIPro, or Mentor Hyperlynx.
• Strong understanding of adjacent fields, such as software and mechanical, that contributes to judicious design of hardware system architectures.
• Expert‑level proficiency in electronics design tools such as Altium.
• Extensive lab experience for bring‑up and verification of new hardware, based on in-depth understanding of specialized lab equipment.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills.

Preferred Experience

• Experience leading teams of hardware engineers to develop multi-module assemblies, including hardware architecture, requirements, and interconnects.
• Design for space radiation environments.