Senior Electrical Engineering - Satellite Systems

Astro Digital; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading satellite systems company in San Jose is looking for a Senior Electrical Engineer to lead their hardware team for next-generation satellites. In this role, you will mentor engineers, provide technical guidance, and oversee the integration of reliable hardware for space applications. Successful candidates will have 8–12+ years of experience in hardware development and strong skills in debugging electronics, especially digital and power systems. The position offers opportunities for growth into management while remaining involved in technical projects.

Qualifications

• 8–12+ years of hardware development experience, with some team/project leadership exposure.
• Strong, hands‑on background in debugging electronics, especially digital systems and power systems.
• Desire to grow into broader management while staying connected to technical work.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop the electrical engineering team across design, debug, and integration.
• Provide technical guidance to junior engineers through coaching and problem solving.
• Stay hands‑on when necessary — reviewing schematics and supporting board bring‑up.
• Debug digital systems and power systems focusing on reliability and integration.
• Define engineering standards and oversee design reviews and validation.
• Shape team structure and represent EE in program reviews and discussions.

Skills

Debugging electronics

Digital systems

Power systems

Communication protocols

PCB design tools

Education

B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Altium

Job description

SeniorElectrical Engineering - Satellite Systems

San Jose , United States

Position is at our San Jose, California facility

Astro Digital designs, builds, and operates a diverse range of small satellite systems supporting space-based turnkey missions for several business applications, including earth observation, communications, in-orbit demonstrations, risk reduction, science, and exploration. Astro Digital is headquartered in Littleton, Colorado with offices in San Jose, California, Sydney, Australia with roughly 85 employees and infrastructure around the globe.

About the Role

We’re looking for an exceptional electrical engineer who is ready to take the next step into leadership as our SeniorElectrical Engineering. This role is ideal for someone who has mastered hardware design, digital system debugging, and power electronics, with the additional role to mentor engineers, shape a team, and eventually move into broader management responsibilities—while still staying connected to the technical details.

You’ll lead and grow our hardware team building next-generation satellites, blending hands-on engineering with team leadership. You’ll guide engineers of all experience levels, help troubleshoot tough problems, and set the technical direction that ensures our spacecraft hardware is reliable, testable, and space-ready.

What You’ll Do

• Lead, mentor, and develop the electrical engineering team across design, debug, and system integration.
• Provide close technical guidance to junior engineers, helping them build confidence and capability through reviews, coaching, and hands‑on problem solving.
• Stay hands‑on when needed — reviewing schematics, debugging in the lab with scopes and analyzers, and supporting board bring‑up.
• Debug digital systems (logic‑level circuits, microcontrollers, interfaces) and power systems (DC/DC converters, power distribution, system‑level power integrity).
• Troubleshoot and validate serial protocols (I²C, SPI, UART, CAN, Ethernet).
• Define engineering standards and oversee design reviews, test processes, and validation.
• Collaborate with software, systems, and mechanical teams to deliver integrated, flight‑ready hardware.
• Transition into higher‑level management responsibilities by shaping team structure, scaling processes, and representing EE in program reviews and leadership discussions.

What We’re Looking For

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering (or related).
• 8–12+ years of hardware development experience, with some exposure to team or project leadership.
• Strong, hands‑on background in debugging electronics — especially digital systems and power systems.
• Proficiency with PCB design tools (Altium or similar).
• Solid knowledge of serial communication protocols (I²C, SPI, UART, CAN, Ethernet).
• Desire to grow into broader management while staying connected to technical work.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to mentor junior engineers and collaborate across teams.

Bonus:

• Spacecraft or aerospace hardware experience.
• Familiarity with environmental testing (thermal, vibration, EMI/EMC).
• Knowledge of design-for-test, fault tolerance, or rad‑hard electronics.