Principal RF Engineer I

CesiumAstro; Melbourne (FL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life

Retirement plan

Job summary

CesiumAstro is seeking a Principal RF Engineer I to lead RF hardware design for phased array satellites and space platforms. You will own board-level schematics, PCB layouts, and system-level concepts including link budgets, modulation, and end-to-end development.

The role demands 9+ years in RF electronics, proficiency with CST/ADS and Altium, and hands-on lab instrumentation. Initially remote, with a planned move to our Florida office.

Qualifications

• BS in Electrical Engineering from an accredited university; MS preferred.
• 9+ years of RF electronics and systems design experience.
• Proficiency with CST and ADS; Altium experience.
• Hands-on use of lab instruments (VNA, spectrum analyzer, signal generator, oscilloscope).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop RF circuits, modules, and systems through all development phases.
• Create block diagrams, schematics, PCB layouts, simulations, and test designs.
• Contribute to proposals and present design reviews to customers and leadership.

Skills

RF circuit design

Schematic design

PCB layout

Link budgets

Modulation schemes

Mentorship

Education

BS in Electrical Engineering

MS degree desired

Tools

CST

ADS

Altium

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 actively seeking passionate, collaborative, energetic, and forward-thinking individual to join our team as a Principal RF Engineer I. The ideal candidate has extensive experience in board-level and system-level RF electronics design . If you enjoy working in a startup environment and are passionate about developing leading-edge phased arrays for satellites, spacecraft, and aerospace systems, we would like to hear from you.

In this position, you will be responsible for RF circuits, modules, and systems through all phases of the development process. The ideal candidate will be proficient in board-level schematic design and PCB layout of RF circuits, system-level communications concepts such as link budgets and modulation schemes, and end-to-end RF product development. The work will include many aspects of phased array communication systems, including RF front ends, frequency converters and synthesizers, filters, beamformers, power dividers, and phased array antennas.

As a principal hardware team member, you will be responsible for RF system and hardware designs from initial concept through requirements definition, architecture definition, part selection, detailed design, analysis, manufacturing, testing, qualification, and in-orbit support of Cesium's products. Hardware design tasks will include block diagrams, detailed schematics, PCB layout and routing, simulations, and test design. Principal Engineers also serve as technical and professional mentors in their field and may be given the opportunity to lead company programs.

The successful candidate will also present engineering design review materials to our customers and executive team, as well as participate in proposal-writing efforts. As such, excellent written and verbal communication skills are required.

This role will initially be remote, with a planned transition to in-person work once our Florida office is established.

Successful Candidates Will Require

• Bachelor of Science (BS)) degree in Electrical Engineering (EE) from an accredited university or institution. Master of Science (MS) desired.
• Minimum of 9 years of industry experience in design and analysis of RF electronics and systems.
• Expert-level proficiency in professional simulation tools such as CST and ADS, as well as EDA tools such Altium.
• Extensive hands‑on experience with lab instruments such as vector network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, and oscilloscopes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Experience Includes

• Python or other programming languages.
• Aerospace electronics design, development, and qualification.
• Worst-case circuit analysis, failure method and criticality analyses, and reliability analysis.
• Antenna design
• EMI/EMC design and mitigation techniques.

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 and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. 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.