Principal Electrical Engineer I - Phased Array Unit Lead

CesiumAstro; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

CesiumAstro in Austin, TX seeks a Principal Electrical Engineer to lead design, development, integration, test and flight qualification of advanced spaceborne payloads in Ka-band AESA products.

You will guide architecture, prototyping, environmental tests, and transition to volume production while coordinating RF, digital, power, mechanical, thermal, software, and systems teams. The role demands leadership, deep RF knowledge, and strong communication with customers and leadership.

Qualifications

• 9+ years in electronics hardware development.
• Hands-on experience with phased array antennas.
• Expertise in antennas and board-level RF electronics.
• Strong power/digital support circuitry knowledge and DFM.
• Experience testing active antennas (EIRP, G/T).
• Proven leadership of multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Knowledge of requirements flowdown, verification/validation, config mgmt.
• Excellent communication for diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Serve as AESA Unit Lead and primary technical contact across product lifecycle.
• Lead end-to-end engineering: architecture, design, prototyping, integration, test, flight readiness.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary team: RF, digital, power, mechanical, thermal, software, systems.
• Hold schedule accountability for box development.
• Develop payload control schemes, internal data interfaces, CMD/telemetry, firmware/software integration.
• Manage flight qualification activities: environmental testing planning, margins, final acceptance testing.
• Own transition to volume production: manufacturability, testability, customer-facing docs.
• Generate and maintain requirements, ICDs, block diagrams, test plans, verification matrices, risk regs, design reviews.
• Interface with spacecraft systems eng, mission assurance, manufacturing, vendors, test facilities.
• Drive root cause analysis, anomaly resolution, and risk mitigation.
• Communicate status and design decisions to leadership and external customers.

Skills

AESA

RF electronics

Leadership

Systems engineering

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Phased array antennas

Environmental testing

EMC testing

Job description

Please Note: To conform with the United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., conditional resident, asylee or refugee (protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

CesiumAstro is a developer and pioneer of advanced communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles, and other space and airborne platforms. We are seeking a highly skilled Principal Electrical Engineer to lead the design, development, integration, test, and flight qualification of advanced spaceborne payloads.

Job Overview

Principal Electrical Engineer to lead the design, development, integration, test, and flight qualification of advanced spaceborne payloads in the Ka‑band Active Electronically Steered Array (AESA) product line.

Responsibilities

• Serve as AESA Unit Lead and primary technical point of contact throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Lead end‑to‑end engineering effort: architecture, design, prototyping, integration, test, environmental qualification, and flight readiness.
• Coordinate and direct a multidisciplinary engineering team (RF, digital, power, mechanical, thermal, software, systems).
• Hold schedule accountability for box development.
• Develop and review payload control schemes, internal data interfaces, command & telemetry architecture, and firmware/software integration as needed.
• Manage all flight qualification activities: environmental test planning, margin assessment, and final acceptance testing.
• Own transition to volume production: manufacturability, testability, and customer‑facing documentation.
• Generate and maintain 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 throughout development and test campaigns.
• Communicate status, technical trades, risks, and design decisions to internal leadership and external customers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• 9+ years of engineering experience in electronics hardware development.
• Hands‑on experience with phased array antennas and related technologies.
• Expertise in antennas and board‑level RF electronics.
• Strong familiarity with power/digital support circuitry and design for manufacturability.
• Experience testing active antennas, including measuring EIRP and G/T.
• Leadership experience, including mentoring or leading multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Strong knowledge of systems engineering practices: requirements flowdown, verification/validation, configuration management.
• Excellent communication skills with ability to present complex technical information to diverse audiences.

Preferred Experience

• Proven experience executing or overseeing flight qualification and environmental test campaigns (TVAC, vib/shock, EMC, radiation considerations).
• Experience managing hardware/software product development projects.
• Experience with radiation‑tolerant design.
• Experience with high‑rate manufacturing, rapid development cycles, and/or NewSpace ecosystems.
• Prior role as a Responsible Engineer, Technical Lead, IPT Lead, or Chief Engineer on flight hardware.
• Experience in high‑frequency antenna design e.g. Ka band.
• Experience mentoring less‑experienced project engineers and design engineers in associated discipline.
• High energy and a “get it done” attitude.

Benefits

Full‑time employment includes company stock options and a generous benefits package: health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability, and retirement plans.

Equal Opportunity

CesiumAstro is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.