Principal RF Engineer Technician

At Cesium Astro
, 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, Cesium Astro 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 Principal RF Engineer Technician to our team. If you are excited about working in a startup environment, have a strong work ethic, and are passionate about cutting‑edge electronics, we would like to hear from you.

In this position, you will work closely with Cesium engineers to create antenna range test setups, execute test plans, and produce timely, reliable test results. You will have the opportunity to use and maintain state‑of‑the‑art electronics lab instrumentation, such as anechoic chambers, spectrum analyzers, VNAs, automated power supplies, and more. You will be challenged to propose and fabricate intricate test setups to increase productivity and improve test results.

Many of our products include active phased arrays (a.k.a. active electronically scanned arrays, or AESAs). These are antenna products with active RF circuitry integrated with the antenna. This adds complexity to the test architecture, including power, digital control, and thermal effects. As such, direct experience with phased array (or AESA) testing is preferred.

Core day‑to‑day activities will include aligning with engineers to test and troubleshoot complex electronics and RF circuitry from component level to system level. As such, the ability to understand and work from drawings, diagrams, schematics, and test procedures is key.

As a small company, the Cesium team “wears many hats.” Candidates should be comfortable with a varied workflow that may involve multitasking between test setup creation, test execution, lab organization, and other related tasks.

• Execute test plans and provide concise and timely reporting of findings.
• Organize and maintain antenna testing facilities and resources.
• Support rework of sensitive electronics, including QFNs, chip‑scale ICs, RF cables, and 0201 passive components.
• Create thorough documentation with meticulous attention to detail and a high standard of quality.
• Create clean, intricate, and well‑documented test setups consisting of instrumentation, cabling, and the devices under test.

• Minimum of 9 years of directly related experience as an Engineering Technician.
• Experience working with active electronics.
• Hands‑on experience with lab instruments such as spectrum analyzers, RF signal generators, and vector signal analyzers.
• Strong problem‑solving skills and ability to troubleshoot complex RF systems.
• Strong organization skills.
• Comfortable with collaboration tools such as MS Teams, Confluence, and Jira.
• Ability to work well under deadlines.
• Strong digital, written, and verbal communication skills.

• Technical degree in Electronics or similar.
• 3+ years of related work experience with electronics in aerospace or a related industry.
• Hands on experience with active phased array (AESA) testing.
• Automating antenna range measurements.
• Experience with RF electronics at 20 GHz or higher.
• Familiarity with Python and the ability to read and make small changes to simple scripts.
• Experience in soldering and assembling RF components and systems.
• Experience in Fixture Fabrication/Modification.
• Ability to train others, delegate work among junior staff, and mentor/coach.

$44.03 - $52.94 an hour

Cesium Astro 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.

Cesium Astro is an Equal Opportunity…