Principal RF Test Engineer I

CesiumAstro; Westminster (MD); On-site; USD 158,000 - 189,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company stock options

Health insurance

Dental

Vision

HSA

FSA

Life insurance

Retirement plans

Job summary

CesiumAstro in Westminster, MD seeks a Principal RF Test Engineer I to design and implement RF test plans for space and aerospace systems. You will build test architectures, run RF measurements, and work with cross‑functional teams.

The role requires 9+ years in RF test environments, strong scripting skills, and excellent communication. Expect ownership of lab setups, test automation, and collaboration on customer proposals.

Qualifications

• BS or higher in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering from an accredited university.
• Minimum of 9 years of industry or university research experience in RF test systems.
• High proficiency with RF measurements (Linearity, NSD, EVM, etc.).

Responsibilities

• Design, analysis, and implementation of RF test plans and procedures.
• Collaborate with design and test engineering teams to develop test requirements and reusable architectures.
• Log and present results to key stakeholders; manage lab and equipment decisions.
• Guide equipment purchases and participate in design-for-test discussions.

Skills

RF test engineering

RF measurements

Scripting (Python, MATLAB)

Communication

Team collaboration

Education

BS in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Multimeters

Electronic loads

Source measurement units

RF signal generators

Spectrum analyzers

Network analyzers

Vector signal analyzers

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 RF Test Engineer I to our team. If you enjoy working in a startup environmentand are passionate about developing critical test systems for leading-edge satellite, spacecraft, and aerospace communication systems, we would like to hear from you.

In this position, you are responsible for the design, analysis, and implementation of engineering test plans and procedures. The ideal candidate possesses a strong combination of hardware and software knowledge with proficiencies in RF measurements, test equipment (VSAs, VSGs, VNAs, etc.), test architectures, and automation. The successful candidate will work closely with multi-disciplinary teams to address company-wide hardware test needs. Experience with phased array testing is preferred.

Core day-to-day responsibilities include collaborating with design and test engineering teams to develop test requirements, mapping requirements to reusable test architectures and procedures, implementing test plans and procedures, and logging and presenting results to key stakeholders. Additional responsibilities include lab and equipment management and guiding key equipment purchase decisions.

Principal-level test engineers are distinguished by an ability to architect RF test systems, to draw insightful conclusions from test results, and to participate in “design for test” planning and review from the early stages of RF product development. Test engineers are core members of the Cesium technical team.

The successful candidate will 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.

JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor of Science (BS) or higher degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering from an accredited university or institution.
• Minimum of 9 years of industry or university research experience in design, analysis, and implementation of RF test systems.
• High proficiency with RF measurements (Linearity, NSD, EVM, etc.).
• Test architecture design and development including scripting, test executives, hardware, and measurement abstraction layers.
• Proficient in performing conducted RF measurements including S-parameters, AM/PM, compression, noise figure, harmonics/spurious emission, phase noise, switching speed, bit error rate, adjacent channel power, and group delay.
• Hands‑on experience with lab instruments such as digital oscilloscopes, multimeters, electronic loads, source measurement units, RF signal generators, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, and vector signal analyzers.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Familiarity or hands‑on experience with phased array over the air range testing, including phase/amplitude calibration, EIRP, G/T, axial ratio, scan loss and pattern cuts.
• Programming or scripting experience (Python, MATLAB, C/C++, etc.)
• Understanding of RF and mixed‑signal hardware (e.g. amplifiers, filters, ADCs/DACs, antennas) and its effects on test design.

$158,000 - $189,000 a year

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 featuring health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life and retirement plans. CesiumAstro is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard torace, 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 not through our approved vendor list or Talent Acquisition will be considered property of CesiumAstro, and we will not be obligated to pay any referral fees.

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 featuring health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life and retirement plans.

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

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 featuring health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life and retirement plans.

CesiumAstro is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard torace, 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 not through our approved vendor list or Talent Acquisition will be considered property of CesiumAstro, and we will not be obligated to pay any referral fees.

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 featuring health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life and retirement plans.

CesiumAstro is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard torace, 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 not through our approved vendor list or Talent Acquisition will be considered property of CesiumAstro, and we will not be obligated to pay any referral fees.