Environmental Test Engineer Associate (Winter 2027)

Socket.dev; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 74,000 - 101,000; Full time

Job summary

Astranis is seeking an Associate Engineer to join an interdisciplinary team designing, building, and testing satellite hardware and software. You will operate environmental test equipment and contribute to tests that verify performance under space-like conditions.

You must hold a four-year degree in EE or Mechanical Eng and be onsite five days a week. The role offers hands-on experience on space-rated projects and paths to full-time positions.

Qualifications

• Four-year degree in EE, Mechanical Eng, or equivalent
• Passion for hands-on hardware development and fast-paced environments
• Strong communication and multitasking abilities

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and test satellite hardware and software as part of an interdisciplinary team
• Operate environmental test equipment (ambient thermal chambers, TVAC, vibration shakers, EMI/EMC)
• Set up and conduct environmental testing including vibration, acoustics, thermal, RF
• Learn to use test equipment and instruments to execute test plans

Skills

Electrical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Hands-on hardware development

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering

Tools

CAD

Test equipment (DAQs, oscilloscopes)

Job description

Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today, Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly‑sophisticated customers across the globe‑ large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military. With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts. Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization. Astranis has raised over $750 million from some of the world’s best investors, from Andreessen Horowitz to Blackrock and Fidelity, and employs a team of 450 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA.

Associate Engineer positions typically last for twelve weeks, and are salaried roles designed for students who have already received a bachelor's degree (or who will have done so before working at Astranis). As an Associate Engineer, you will have an amazing opportunity to work on hard problems – we pride ourselves on giving everyone at Astranis a chance to do meaningful work on challenging projects, and our Associate Engineers work on projects that are of equal importance and difficulty to the projects we give our full‑time employees. Many past Associate Engineers have designed and tested hardware/software that is currently in space or heading to space shortly on one of our satellites, and many of them are now full‑time employees at Astranis.

Role

• Work on an interdisciplinary team to design, build, and test satellite hardware and software.
• Operate and setup environmental test equipment including:
• Ambient thermal chambers
• Thermal Vacuum Chambers (TVAC)
• Vibration shaker tables
• EMI/EMC test equipment
• Learn to use various pieces of test equipment and instruments (thermal chambers, vibration tables, DAQs, oscilloscopes, etc.) to successfully execute test plans.
• Set up, operate, and conduct environmental testing including vibration, acoustics, thermal, thermal vacuum, RF

Requirements

• Have a four-year degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent technical degree)
• A passion for hardware development, including working in a fast‑paced environment and hands‑on design and development
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and prioritize time effectively
• Strong communication skills
• Familiarity with spacecraft systems and operation
• Must be onsite 5 days a week

Bonus

• Hands‑on experience in designing, building, and testing
• Experience writing Python code to: Interface with test equipment, process large datasets, visualize data
• Experience in CAD
• Direct electrical or mechanical design experience
• Demonstrated ability to debug hardware and software problems under time pressure

The base salary for this position is $1,925 per week.

Base Salary

$1,925 — $1,925 USD

U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required

To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States, or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)

Our mission and products are built for everyone, regardless of gender, race, creed, or background.

We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we invite all people to join our team and bring their unique perspectives to make us stronger.