Principal Electrical Engineer - RPU Unit Lead

Important Note

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 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. We are actively seeking passionate, collaborative, energetic, and forward-thinking individuals to join our team.

We are seeking a highly skilled Principal Electrical Engineer to lead the design, development, integration, test, and flight qualification of advanced spaceborne payloads. The role focuses on the Unit Lead (Responsible Engineer) in our Reconfigurable Processing Unit (RPU) product line.

• Serve as the RPU Unit Lead and primary technical point of contact throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Lead the end-to-end engineering effort for the box, including architecture, design, prototyping, integration, test, environmental qualification, and flight readiness.
• Coordinate and direct teams across RF, digital, power, mechanical, thermal, software, and systems engineering to ensure consistent and timely technical execution.
• Hold schedule accountability for the box development.
• Develop and review payload control schemes, internal data interfaces, command & telemetry architecture, and firmware/software integration as needed.
• Manage all flight qualification activities, including environmental test planning (thermal vacuum, vibration, shock, EMC), margin assessment, and final acceptance testing.
• Own the transition to volume production, including manufacturability, testability, and customer‑facing documentation.
• Generate and maintain box‑level documentation: requirements, ICDs, block diagrams, test plans, verification matrices, risk registers, and design reviews.
• Interface with spacecraft systems engineering, mission assurance, manufacturing, vendors, and test facilities.
• Drive root cause analysis, anomaly resolution, and technical risk mitigation throughout development and test campaigns.
• Communicate status, technical trades, risks, and design decisions to internal leadership and external customers.

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• 9+ years of engineering experience in electronics hardware development.
• Hands‑on experience with related technologies such as software‑defined radios.
• Leadership experience, including mentoring or leading multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Strong knowledge of systems engineering practices, requirements flowdown, verification/validation, and configuration management.
• Excellent communication skills with ability to present complex technical information to diverse audiences.

• Demonstrated understanding of payload control systems, digital interfaces, command & data handling, and embedded hardware/software interactions.
• Proven experience executing or overseeing flight qualification and environmental test campaigns (TVAC, vibration/shock, EMC, radiation considerations).
• Experience managing hardware/software product development projects.
• Experience with radiation‑tolerant design.
• Experience with high‑rate manufacturing, rapid development cycles, and/or New Space ecosystems.
• Prior role as Responsible Engineer, Technical Lead, IPT Lead, or Chief Engineer on flight hardware.
• Background in digital signal processing, beamforming algorithms, or embedded firmware for payload control.
• Experience mentoring less‑experienced project engineers and design engineers in associated disciplines.
• High energy and a “get it done” attitude.

$150,000 - $182,000 a year

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 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:

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