Senior Spacecraft Communications Engineer, Space-to-Ground Lead

CesiumAstro; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 134,000 - 161,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health, dental, vision

Retirement plans

Job summary

CesiumAstro, based in Denver, seeks an experienced Senior Spacecraft Communication Systems Engineer to own the design, configuration, and operation of the satellite’s space‑to‑ground links. The role focuses on reliable command, telemetry, and fault recovery across nominal and off‑nominal conditions.

You will lead cross‑disciplinary efforts, coordinate tests, and drive performance improvements for RF links from antenna to command center, enabling robust space communications for next‑gen payloads.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or related field.
• 6+ years in satellite communications/RF systems.
• Experience designing, verifying, operating satellite links.
• Strong link-budget, modulation, and ground station knowledge.
• Hands-on with ground station testing and radios/antennas.
• Ability to define CONOPS for nominal and emergency ops.
• Experience with ITU/FCC licensing and regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Model, analyze and maintain satellite link budget and RF performance from space to ground.
• Architect crypto solutions for flight hardware and manage pass-throughs.
• Troubleshoot ground station and network operations with external providers.
• Define radio usage across mission phases including contingencies.
• Contribute to RF link test campaigns with flight software and ground teams.
• Optimize low‑Swap communications and robust fail-safe links.

Skills

Link budget

RF system

Crypto experience

Ground stations

Education

Bachelors in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Ground station equipment

Job description

CesiumAstro, based in Denver, seeks an experienced Senior Spacecraft Communication Systems Engineer to own the design, configuration, and operation of the satellite’s space‑to‑ground links. The role focuses on reliable command, telemetry, and fault recovery across nominal and off‑nominal conditions.

You will lead cross‑disciplinary efforts, coordinate tests, and drive performance improvements for RF links from antenna to command center, enabling robust space communications for next‑gen payloads.