Radiation Effects Associate Engineer (Winter 2027) New San Francisco

Astranis; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 74,000 - 101,000; Full time

Job summary

Astranis is seeking a Radiation Effects Associate Engineer for Winter 2027 to support modeling, analysis, and rigorous electrical testing of spacecraft hardware within the space radiation environment.

You will help characterize electrical component degradation, design test fixtures, and execute hardware testing across U.S. laboratories, directly impacting space vehicles and informing cross-disciplinary decisions.

Qualifications

• Four-year B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related engineering field by start date.
• Hands-on hardware development and electrical testing in fast-paced environments.
• Experience with essential electronics lab equipment (oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, source meter units).

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and electrically test fault-tolerant electrical systems in a radiation environment.
• Assist in creating electrical test plans and documenting test activities and results.
• Support radiation testing campaigns to up-screen components for TID and SEE; characterize electrical parameters before, during, and after exposure.
• Collaborate across teams to inform radiation considerations in design and testing decisions.
• Assist with breadboarding, automated test setup verification, and basic cable harness fabrication.

Skills

Hardware development

Electrical testing

Soldering

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Tools

Altium Designer

Schematic capture

PCB layout

Job description

Radiation Effects Associate Engineer (Winter 2027)

Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly-sophisticated customers across the globe – large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military.

With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts. Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization.

Astranis has raised over $1.2 billion from some of the world’s best investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Baillie Gifford, Blackrock, Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, and Snowpoint, and employs a team of 500 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA.

Radiation Effects Associate Engineer (Winter 2027)

Associate Engineer positions typically last for twelve weeks, and are salaried roles designed for students who have already received a bachelor’s degree (or who will have done so before working at Astranis). As our Radiation Effects Associate Engineer, you will be supporting the modeling, analysis, and rigorous electrical testing of actual spacecraft hardware within the space radiation environment. You will have a direct impact on our space vehicles by characterizing electrical component degradation and executing hardware testing at various laboratories across the U.S.

Role

• Evaluate and electrically test fault-tolerant electrical systems operating in a radiation environment
• Assist in creating electrical test plans, developing test fixtures, and documenting test activities and results. Practice efficient issue diagnosis and draft clear documentation for review by the team
• Support radiation testing campaigns to up-screen components for TID and SEE, focusing on electrical parametric characterization before, during, and after exposure
• Work in a cross-discipline manner across teams to inform their decisions with regards to radiation considerations
• Support test development and early-stage activities, which include breadboarding electrical circuits, automated test setup verification, and basic cable harness fabrication

Requirements

• Have a four-year B.S degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related engineering field by the time of start date
• A passion for hardware development, including working in a fast-paced environment and hands-on electrical testing and troubleshooting
• Strong proficiency with essential electronics lab equipment, including the standard use of oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, and source meter units
• Experience with Altium Designer (or other PCB design software) for schematic capture and board layout
• Demonstrated ability to personally design, build, and rigorously test electrical hardware from scratch
• US Citizenship or Green Card

Bonus

• Familiarity with the space radiation environment and effects on semiconductor devices
• Experience with SPICE-based simulators (LTSpice, PSPICE, ADS, etc.) to simulate circuit behavior and faults
• Comfortable with soldering, rework, and building specialized test harnesses
• Familiarity with fundamental electronics concepts and components (integrated circuits, PCBAs, sensors) and how to benchmark their performance
• Experience with radiation transport software (FastRAD, Novice, MCNPX, etc.)

The base salary for this position is $1,925 per week.

$1,925 - $1,925 USD

U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required

(To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States, or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3))

Our mission and products are built for everyone, regardless of gender, race, creed, or background. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we invite all people to join our team and bring their unique perspectives to make us stronger.

As set forth in Astranis's Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.