Principal Hardware Engineer I

CesiumAstro; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company stock options

Generous health benefits

Life and disability insurance

Retirement plans

Job summary

CesiumAstro, based in Austin, Texas, is looking for a Principal Hardware Engineer I. The ideal candidate will own the design of complex electronics for aerospace systems and lead hardware engineering teams. Responsibilities include detailed PCB layout, conducting signal integrity analysis, and mentoring engineering staff. A Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and a minimum of 9 years of experience in electronics design is required. The position offers a dynamic work environment and a comprehensive benefits package including stock options.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 9 years in board-level electronics design.
• Experience with high-reliability electronics for space or defense.
• Strong proficiency in electronics design tools.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end design of complex electronics modules.
• Lead hardware engineering teams to develop new products.
• Guide analysis methodology for circuit integrity.

Skills

Electronics design

Leadership

Signal integrity analysis

PCB layout

Effective communication

Education

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

Ansys SIwave

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.

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.

We are looking to add a Principal Hardware Engineer I to our team. If you are great at what you do, enjoy working in a startup environment, and are passionate about developing leading‑edge electronics for satellites, spacecraft, and aerospace systems, we would like to hear from you.

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) stackup 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.

CesiumAstro considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills. Full‑time employment offers include company stock options and a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability and retirement plans.

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.

Please note: CesiumAstro does not accept unsolicited resumes from contract agencies or search firms. Any unsolicited resumes submitted to our website or to CesiumAstro team members will be considered property of CesiumAstro, and we will not be obligated to pay any referral fees.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.