Senior Communication Systems Engineer - Spacecraft

CesiumAstro; Westminster (CO); On-site; USD 133,000 - 161,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health, dental, vision insurance

Retirement plan

Job summary

CesiumAstro in Westminster, CO is seeking a Senior Communication Systems Engineer to own the design and operation of space-to-ground links, ensuring reliable command, telemetry, and fault recovery. You will coordinate across multidisciplinary teams to deliver robust RF performance for upcoming satellite missions.

Ideal candidates have strong systems engineering background, hands-on experience with ground stations, crypto, and space-qualified radios, and a track record of solving complex link

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of satellite communications / RF systems experience.
• Design, verification, and operation of satellite links.
• Strong link budget analysis, modulation schemes, and ground station interfaces.
• Hands-on experience with ground station equipment and space-qualified radios/antennas.
• Understanding of why space links fail and how to fix them.
• Ability to define CONOPS for nominal and emergency operations.
• Experience with satellite licensing and regulatory compliance (ITU/FCC).

Responsibilities

• Model, analyze and maintain the satellite’s link budget and RF performance.
• Architect crypto solutions for flight hardware and ground endpoints.
• Troubleshoot ground station and network operations with providers and on-site terminals.
• Define radio usage across mission phases including contingency operations.
• Contribute to RF link test campaigns and end-to-end validation.
• Optimize low-SWaP communications and mitigate interference.

Skills

Satellite comms

RF design

Link budget analysis

Crypto expertise

Systems engineering

Ground stations

ConOps development

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering

Tools

Ground station hardware

Space-qualified radios

Crypto implementation

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 designing, building, and launching 8 new satellites in the next four years. They are BIG and super capable RF payload rideshare SmallSats. Our launches are already secured. Our in-house test facilities are built. If you want to own critical communications forthese LEO communications satellitesand then have the chance to iterate and improveyour design at a rapidly growing tech company, this is your chance.

We’relooking for builders, problem-solvers, and system thinkers.As a Senior Communication Systems Engineer, you will own the design, configuration, and operation of the satellite’s space-to-groundcommunication links. You will define how the satellite communicates with the ground in both nominal and off-nominal conditions, ensuring reliable command, telemetry, and fault recovery.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in systemsengineering,expertisewith both space-based communication payloads and ground terminals, andprovenability tocoordinate activities across multidisciplinary engineering teams.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Model, analyze and maintain the satellite’s link budget, modulation and coding, ensuring reliable communications from space to ground for all RF links.
• Architect hardware-based crypto solutions for flight hardware, manage pass-throughs and end points for users and operations.
• Strong understanding of ground station and network operations with the ability to troubleshoot issues with commercial providers and on-site terminals.
• Define how the radios are used in different mission phases, including contingency operations and emergency recovery.
• Contribute to the RF link test campaign and work with flight software and ground teams to validate end-to-end communication link performance, from antenna to command center.
• Optimize low-SWaP communications, mitigate interference, and ensure robust, fail-safe links.

WHAT A SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE LOOKS LIKE

• You understand how to design, analyze, and operate spaceborne communication links.
• You can balance power, bandwidth, protocols and noise to ensure reliable space-to-ground connectivity. You can answer “what’s the link budget” with thorough analysis, EbN0, EsN0, or effective data rate given a variety of conditions.
• Extensive and practical experience with crypto—From COMSEC plan development, key management to system trouble shooting you have applied, on the ground experience.
• You know how comms fit into the broader mission, from flight software integration to ground operations
• You are comfortable identifying problems and using your expertise to find solutions.
• You can prototype, test, and iterate quickly, focusing on what’s needed to get a mission off the ground.

JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a related field
• A minimum of 5 years of experience with emphasis on satellite communications, RF system engineering, or related fields
• Experience in design, verification, and operation of satellite communication links
• Strong understanding of link budget analysis, modulation schemes, and ground station interfaces
• Hands-on experience configuring and testingground station equipment andspace-qualified radiosandantennas
• Practical understanding of how space links fail, why, and how to fix thembefore they break
• Ability to define and implementcommunication systemCONOPS for nominal and emergency operations
• Experience withsatellite communication linklicensingand regulatory compliance (ITU/FCC)

$133,000 - $161,000 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 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 torace, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.