Staff RF Engineer

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

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health insurance

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Job summary

CesiumAstro, a leader in space and aerospace RF systems, seeks a Staff RF Engineer to drive board-level and system‑level RF design. You will develop RF front ends, frequency converters, and phased array components from concept through test and qualification.

The role requires extensive experience with CST/ADS and Altium, plus hands-on lab work with VNA, spectrum analyzers, and oscilloscopes. Excellent communication and collaboration skills are essential.

Qualifications

• BS in Electrical Engineering from an accredited university; MS desired.
• Minimum of 8 years of industry experience in RF electronics and systems.
• Expert-level proficiency in CST, ADS, and Altium. Hands-on lab instrumentation experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead RF system, module, and circuit design through all phases from concept to qualification.
• Perform schematic capture, PCB layout, and simulations for RF front ends, mixers, filters, and amplifiers.
• Develop and analyze link budgets, modulation schemes, and system-level RF concepts.
• Present engineering design reviews to customers and executives and contribute to proposals.

Skills

RF electronics

Schematic design

PCB layout

Test & measurement

Python

Education

BS in Electrical Engineering

MS preferred

Tools

CST

ADS

Altium

Vector network analyzers

Spectrum analyzers

Oscilloscopes

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.

The Skylark product line is focused on the rapid design, build, and test of cutting‑edge active phased array antennas (AESA) for terrestrial and airborne applications. Current programs span high‑power, large‑scale ground terminals for missile defense to commercial airline and helicopter connectivity solutions.

We are actively seeking passionate, collaborative, energetic, and forward‑thinking individual to join our team as a Staff RF Engineer. The ideal candidate has extensive experience in board‑level and system‑level RF electronics design . If you enjoy working in a startup environment and are passionate about developing leading‑edge phased arrays for satellites, spacecraft, and aerospace systems, we would like to hear from you.

In this position, you will be responsible for RF circuits, modules, and systems through all phases of the development process. The ideal candidate will be proficient in board‑level schematic design and PCB layout of RF circuits, system‑level communications concepts such as link budgets and modulation schemes, and end‑to‑end RF product development. The work will include many aspects of phased array communication systems, including RF front ends, frequency converters and synthesizers, filters, beamformers, power dividers, and phased array antennas.

As a staff hardware team member, you will be responsible for RF system and hardware designs from initial concept through requirements definition, architecture definition, part selection, detailed design, analysis, manufacturing, testing, qualification, and in‑orbit support of Cesium's products. Hardware design tasks will include block diagrams, detailed schematics, PCB layout and routing, simulations, and test design. Principal Engineers also serve as technical and professional mentors in their field and may be given the opportunity to lead company programs.

The successful candidate will also present engineering design review materials to our customers and executive team, as well as participate in proposal‑writing efforts. As such, excellent written and verbal communication skills are required.

Successful Candidates Will Require

• Bachelor of Science (BS)) degree in Electrical Engineering (EE) from an accredited university or institution. Master of Science (MS) desired.
• Minimum of 8 years of industry experience in design and analysis of RF electronics and systems.
• Expert‑level proficiency in professional simulation tools such as CST and ADS, as well as EDA tools such Altium.
• Extensive hands‑on experience with lab instruments such as vector network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, and oscilloscopes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Experience Includes

• Python or other programming languages.
• Aerospace electronics design, development, and qualification.
• Worst‑case circuit analysis, failure method and criticality analyses, and reliability analysis.
• Antenna design
• EMI/EMC design and mitigation techniques.

$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 to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Please note: CesiumAstro does not accept unsolicited resumes from contract agencies or search firms. Any unsolicited resumes submitted to our website or to CesiumAstro team members will be considered property of CesiumAstro, and we will not be obligated to pay any referral fees.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.