Staff Electrical Engineer I - CDH

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

Job summary

CesiumAstro seeks a Staff Electrical Engineer to join our Internal Missions team, shaping spacecraft electrical systems from concept to flight, including interfaces, EMI, and hardware integration.

You will own avionics architecture, drive make/buy decisions, and deliver robust, test‑driven designs for next‑gen satellites, collaborating with engineering and program management to ensure mission success.

Qualifications

• BS degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering from an accredited university.
• 8+ years of spacecraft electrical system design, analysis, manufacturing, test, and troubleshooting.
• Hands-on lab experience with oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, electronic loads, and signal generators.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to interface with leadership and teams.

Responsibilities

• Direct technical definition, implementation, and verification of satellite avionics systems
• Interface between the technical team and systems engineering
• Define and maintain subsystem architecture and interfaces
• Make effective decisions given limited input and analysis while driving the team to produce and iterate hardware
• Prepare and deliver technical communications to company leadership and executives
• Deliver reliable, performant space avionics system for spaceflight missions

Skills

Electrical design

Systems engineering interface

Lab instrumentation

Embedded systems

Telemetry/flight software controls

Power interfaces and cabling

Digital I/O and timing signals

Make/buy decisions

Education

BS in Electrical or Computer Engineering

MS in Electrical Engineering

Tools

ADS SI/PI

Oscilloscopes

Spectrum analyzers

Electronic loads

Signal generators

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 Staff Electrical Engineer our Internal Missions team. If you enjoy working in a startup environment and are passionate about developing electrical systems for leading-edge communications satellites, we would like to hear from you.

In this position, you will be responsible for spacecraft electronics and hardware through all stages of the development process for space systems. Your responsibilities will include serial communications and Ethernet networking, EMI mitigation, wiring, and electrical and data interfaces between all spacecraft subsystems. The ideal candidate will be an electrical systems generalist motivated to deliver every aspect of the spacecraft electrical design, including test and production.

As a Satellite team member, you will work on a small team to develop satellites and put them in orbit. You will be responsible for electrical concepts, roadmaps, architecture trade studies, block diagrams, electrical hardware design, manufacturing, test, qualification, and in-orbit support. You will provide creative solutions to complex problems to push the boundaries of spacecraft design.

Your work will have a direct impact on the success of the company. You will work closely with the engineering team, program management to ensure the successful build and launch of our satellite. Element will be the largest, most powerful rideshare satellite in LEO. We’re launching eight of them in the next four years, starting with our first launch this year. Together, our small team will design, build, and iterate to reduce mass and cost while increasing performance, reliability, and manufacturability of a new generation of satellites. Let’s build!

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Direct technical definition, implementation, and verification of satellite avionics systems
• Interface between the technical team and systems engineering
• Define and maintain subsystem architecture and interfaces
• Conduct make/buy trades
• Architect and design in-house solutions
• Make effective decisions given limited input and analysis while driving the team to produce and iterate hardware
• Prepare and deliver technical communications to company leadership and executives
• Deliver reliable, performant space avionics system for spaceflight missions

JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering from an accredited university
• Minimum of 8 years of industry experience in spacecraft electrical system design, analysis, manufacturing, test, and troubleshooting. A Master’s degree may count as two years of experience
• Strong understanding of electronics and electrical engineering fundamentals
• Understanding of the subsystems required in a spacecraft electrical system including processors, digital I/O, timing signals, power rails, and grounding
• Experience with successful rapid prototype, iteration, and flight delivery cycles
• Proficiency in electrical system design and analysis, including electrical ICD definition, requirement derivation, digital I/O standards, power interfaces, connectors, and cabling
• Hands‑on experience with lab instruments such as oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, electronic loads, and signal generators to debug, test, and validate high‑reliability electronics
• Experience with satellite electrical system concepts such as data and memory budgets, telemetry, flight software controls, and electronics thermal management
• Deep understanding of space electronics supply chain, production issues, test processes, and flight operations
• Familiarity with embedded systems and bare‑metal microprocessor programming
• Familiarity with control systems and PMSM/BLDC motor control algorithms
• Experience with multiple distinct spacecraft electrical architectures that drives your vision for the next generation of spacecraft
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Python, C++, MATLAB, or other programming languages
• Experience evaluating and testing hardware for effects due to TID, SEE, EMI, and relevant phenomena
• Familiarity with environmental testing including thermal, shock, vibration, and TVAC
• Familiarity with ADS SI/PI or similar Signal Integrity / Power Integrity analysis tools

$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 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.