Hardware Design Associate, Software Defined Radio Team (Fall 2026)

Astranis; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 77,952 - 97,222; Full time

Job summary

Astranis is looking for a Hardware Design Associate to join their Software Defined Radio Team. The role involves designing, implementing, and testing software-defined radio hardware, primarily for satellite communications. Candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and experience in hardware development.

This position offers a salary of $1,925 per week, contributing to projects that expand humanity's reach into space. Join Astranis, where diversity and innovation are at the forefront of their mission.

Qualifications

• Passion for hardware development in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience designing and testing PCBA hardware from scratch.
• Solid foundation in mixed-signal and RF design.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and test software-defined radio hardware.
• Debug hardware using advanced lab instruments.
• Write code for performance evaluation and testing automation.
• Integrate systems into spacecraft collaborating with the team.

Skills

Hardware development

Mixed-signal design

RF design

Software programming (Python)

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent

Tools

Altium Designer

ADS

ANSYS

Matlab

Job description

Hardware Design Associate, Software Defined Radio Team (Fall 2026)

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 investors such as Andreessen Horowitz, Blackrock, and Fidelity, and employs a team of 450 engineers and entrepreneurs. The company designs, builds, and operates its satellites from its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA.

Associate Engineer positions typically last twelve weeks and are salaried roles designed for students who have already received a bachelor’s degree (or will have done so before working at Astranis).

As an Associate Engineer, you will have the opportunity to work on hard problems—giving everyone at Astranis a chance to do meaningful work on challenging projects. Past Associate Engineers have designed and tested hardware/software that is heading to space on our first satellite, and many now work at Astranis full-time.

Role

• Design, simulate, implement, and test our internally developed software‑defined radio hardware
• Bring up and debug hardware in the lab with top‑of‑the‑line instruments and equipment
• Write code to help evaluate performance and automate testing of satellite hardware
• Integrate these systems into the spacecraft by working closely with the rest of the team

Requirements

• A passion for hardware development, including working in a fast‑paced environment and hands‑on design and development
• Hold a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent
• Demonstrated ability to personally design, build, and test PCBA hardware from scratch (student design team projects, design competitions, personal projects)
• Solid EE foundation in one or more of the following areas:
  • Mixed‑signal design (ADCs, DACs, power integrity)
  • RF design (Line‑ups, s‑parameters, impedance matching)

Bonus

• Experience building or using software‑defined radios
• Experience with Altium Designer (or other PCB design software)
• Experience with analysis software (ADS, ANSYS, Matlab)
• Experience with Python or similar programming languages
• Experience with soldering and rework
• Experience with EE lab bench equipment (power supply, oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer, signal generator, network analyzer, etc.)

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

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

To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, the 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 our products are meant to connect the world and everyone in it, regardless of gender, race, creed, or any other distinction. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we encourage all people to join our team and bring their unique perspective to help make us stronger.

As set forth in Astranis’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.