Principal Electrical Engineer — Avionics and Command & Data Handling Lead

Openkrill; United States; Remote; USD 195,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

AscendArc is seeking an experienced Electrical Engineer to lead avionics and Command & Data Handling (C&DH) for a groundbreaking satellite communications system. You will architect avionics, manage requirements, and drive buy-vs-build decisions across hardware and interfaces.

The role emphasizes hands-on board design, parts selection for long-term reliability, and close collaboration with Flight Software and Systems Engineering teams, with remote flexibility within the United States.

Qualifications

• Experience in high-reliability avionics for space or similar.
• Hands-on board design from schematics to test.
• Knowledge of on-board computing, telemetry and data handling.
• Proficiency with ECSS or space standards is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead avionics and C&DH within the Electrical Engineering team.
• Architect avionics and C&DH subsystem, including buy-vs-build decisions.
• Own avionics and C&DH requirements, I/O and interface control documents.
• Design in-house electronics: topology, components, schematics, circuit analysis.
• Perform worst-case and derating analysis; select space-grade parts.
• Support PCB layout, bring-up, debugging, testing.
• Own hardware procurement: specs, SOWs, supplier reviews.
• Partner with Flight Software, Systems Engineering, and other leads.
• Own hardware interfaces across power, grounding, bonding, harness, and integration.
• Align with Systems Engineering baseline for requirements and budgets.

Skills

Spacecraft avionics

Board design

EEE parts selection

FPGA/firmware

Requirements flow-down

Cross-functional

Education

BS or MS in Electrical Engineering

Job description

Come join us in shaping the future! Get in on the ground floor as an early member of our Electrical Engineering team, working on a revolutionary satellite communications system. Architect the avionics and data handling, design the boards, buy the boxes, then make it all work together.

AscendArc is a venture-backed startup founded to revolutionize the satellite communications industry. We are looking for doers who want to work in a ground-breaking and fast-paced environment. Our success will depend on your energy, skill, and creativity.

Responsibilities

• Lead avionics and Command & Data Handling (C&DH) within the Electrical Engineering team
• Architect the avionics and C&DH subsystem, including buy-vs-build decisions
• Own avionics and C&DH requirements, I/O and channel allocation, and interface control documents
• Design in-house electronics, including topology, component selection, schematics, and circuit analysis
• Perform worst-case and derating analysis and select EEE parts for a 15-year GEO mission
• Support PCB layout, board bring-up, debugging, and testing
• Own technical procurement of externally sourced units, including specifications, SOWs, technical evaluations, supplier design reviews, and acceptance data
• Partner closely with Flight Software, Systems Engineering, Power, Battery, and other Electrical Engineering leads
• Own hardware interfaces across power, grounding, bonding, protection, harness, and spacecraft-level integration
• Work within the Systems Engineering baseline for requirements, interfaces, and technical budgets while owning avionics architecture decisions

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline; 8+ years, including spacecraft or other high-reliability avionics. Hands‑on board design — circuits taken from requirements through schematic, analysis, bring‑up and test, and you can show what you designed
• Subsystem‑level engineering: architecture definition, requirements flow‑down, interface control and resource budgets
• Command and data handling: on‑board computing, telemetry and command architecture, data bus topology, and discrete, analog and serial signal accommodation
• EEE parts selection and derating for space or another high-reliability domain
• Specifying and technically managing procured electronics units, including supplier design reviews
• Comfortable across electrical, software and systems boundaries, and able to reach agreement with subsystem leads
• Strong plus: GEO communications satellites; FPGA or firmware familiarity; ECSS or equivalent space standards

Location

Fully remote within the United StatesOccasional travel to our Beaverton, OR office may be required for team meetings, integration, and other in-person work

Base Salary

The base salary range for this position is $195,000 to $250,000. When determining an individual’s compensation, we consider several factors including skillset, experience, job scope, and current market data, so pay for this role may vary from the amounts listed.

Legal Eligibility to Work

Due to U.S. export control regulations, this position is only open to “U.S. persons.” That means you must be a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or have refugee/asylee status. Unfortunately, we cannot consider applicants on temporary work visas (such as H-1B, TN, O-1, etc.) for this role.

Equal Employment Opportunity

AscendArc is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non‑merit factor or legally protected status.