Principal Hardware Engineer I - job 1 of 2
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 looking to add a Principal Hardware Engineer I to our team. If you are great at what you do, enjoy working in a startup environment, and are passionate about developing leading-edge electronics for satellites, spacecraft, and aerospace systems, we would like to hear from you.
At the Principal level, you will be tasked with full-stack hardware development for complex modules and hardware systems. You will have the opportunity to start at concept development and progress through detailed design, analysis, layout, build, test, and delivery, doing hands-on work at each phase. The Principal level also includes technical leadership opportunities, gaining responsibility for critical designs and teams of engineers developing new products and systems.
At a small company and a startup, your work will make direct contributions to the success of the business. The work is challenging and impactful, requiring both breadth and depth of technical knowledge. Our products are made for high-reliability space and airborne applications, so designs require high levels of technical rigor while maintaining the agility of a startup environment.
The successful candidate will also present engineering design review materials to our customers and executive team. As such, excellent written and verbal communication skills are required.
- Own end-to-end design of complex electronics modules and systems, from concept and architecture through schematic, layout, test, and production. Products may include high-speed digital, power electronics, and/or RF.
- Lead teams of hardware engineers to develop new products with multiple electronics modules.
- Provide subject matter expertise in support of hardware development across the company.
- Develop hardware architecture and write hardware requirements for systems of high complexity.
- Perform detailed and complete schematic design for complex boards, ranging from key components to supporting passives.
- Perform detailed PCB layout in Altium Designer for complex boards, often working with a PCB Drafter.
- Complete analysis such as worst-case circuit analysis, signal integrity analysis, and power integrity analysis. Guide analysis methodology.
- Develop bring-up plans and design verification plans for new hardware and complex systems.
- Perform bring-up and key verification testing of modules and complex integrated systems, often working with a team to complete validation.
- Release modules and assemblies to production, working with the Manufacturing and Test Engineering teams.
- Mentor junior and senior engineers to build technical understanding and professional development.
- Use strong working knowledge of adjacent fields, such as software and mechanical, to streamline development of complex hardware systems.
- Bachelor of Science (BS) degree or higher in Electrical Engineering from an accredited university.
- Minimum of 9 years of industry or university research experience in board-level electronics design, analysis, and test.
- Direct experience designing high-reliability electronics and small systems for space or defense applications, including part derating, worst-case analysis, and thermal constraints.
- Experience owning the design phase of complex board-level electronics and small hardware systems, including architecture design, trade studies, key part selection, and detailed design.
- Multiple experiences delivering hardware products through production and deployment.
- Expertise in PCB layout and manufacturing, including high-density interconnect (HDI) stackup design, IPC standards, and industry best practices.
- Expertise derisking designs with board-level signal integrity and/or power integrity simulation tools such as Ansys SIwave, ADS SIPro, or Mentor Hyperlynx.
- Strong understanding of adjacent fields, such as software and mechanical, that contributes to judicious design of hardware system architectures.
- Expert-level proficiency in electronics design tools such as Altium.
- Extensive lab experience for bring-up and verification of new hardware, based on in-depth understanding of specialized lab equipment.
- Excellent written and spoken communication skills.
- Experience leading teams of hardware engineers to develop multi-module assemblies, including hardware architecture, requirements, and interconnects.
- Design for space radiation environments.
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 featuring health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life 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 not through our approved vendor list or Talent Acquisition will be considered property of CesiumAstro, and we will not be obligated to pay any referral fees.
Average salary estimate
If an employer mentions a salary or salary range on their job, we display it as an "Employer Estimate". If a job has no salary data, Rise displays an estimate if available.
At CesiumAstro, we're on a mission to revolutionize the way we communicate in space and airborne environments, and we're looking for a Principal Hardware Engineer I to join our vibrant team in Austin, TX. If you're passionate about developing cutting-edge electronics for satellites and other aerospace systems, this is your chance to shine! In this exciting role, you will oversee the full-stack hardware development, diving deep into everything from concept to production. You'll lead and inspire a team of talented engineers, driving the design of complex electronics modules that make a real impact in high-reliability environments. You'll also have the unique opportunity to mentor junior engineers and present innovative solutions to our executive team and customers, showcasing your expertise and creative thinking. We encourage an interactive, hands-on approach here at CesiumAstro, allowing you to engage at every stage of product development. You'll be dealing with high-speed digital, power electronics, and RF design, making keen analytical skills and technical knowledge essential as you guide our projects to success. If you thrive in a startup culture that values your contributions and pushes you to grow, we would love to have you on board as we continue to shape the future of aerospace technology together.
Join CesiumAstro as a Principal Environmental Test Engineer I, where you'll enhance environmental testing procedures for innovative aerospace communication systems.
Join CesiumAstro as a Senior Recruiter to help build a team focused on innovative aerospace solutions in a dynamic startup atmosphere.
Kimley-Horn is looking for recent engineering graduates to join their dedicated Roadway team in Gainesville, FL, focusing on innovative civil engineering solutions.
Be at the forefront of space exploration as a Sr. Supply Chain Engineer, supporting SpaceX's Starship Electronics team in delivering quality and innovative solutions.
Corgan invites dynamic architecture students graduating in May 2025 to join their collaborative team as Project Specialists.
Join Cydecor as a Senior Navy Design Engineer to pioneer design solutions in naval vessel and defense system development.
L3Harris is looking for a detail-oriented Configuration Management Specialist to manage documentation and data processes for our defense projects.
As a Staff Battery Engineer at WHOOP, you'll be pivotal in ensuring the quality and reliability of our battery systems.
Join Lockheed Martin as an AI/ML Engineer Staff where you’ll leverage cutting-edge technologies to solve complex signal processing challenges.
Join American Express as a Staff Engineer, where you will drive innovation and provide technical leadership for scalable systems in a collaborative environment.
Subscribe to Rise newsletter
🔮
Hi, I'm Risa! Your AI Career Copilot
you, just ask me below!
Sign up for our weekly
newsletter of fresh jobs
