Senior Hardware Engineer II

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 Senior Hardware Engineer II 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 Senior II level, you will be tasked with full-stack hardware development for complex modules and small 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 Senior II level also introduces technical leadership opportunities, gaining responsibility for small teams of hardware 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 small systems, from concept and architecture through schematic, layout, test, and production. Products may include high-speed digital, power electronics, and RF.
• Lead small teams of hardware engineers to develop new products with multiple electronics modules.
• Develop hardware architecture and write hardware requirements for systems of moderate 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, sometimes working with a PCB Drafter.
• Complete analysis such as worst-case circuit analysis, signal integrity analysis, and power integrity analysis, and guide interpretation of results.
• Develop bring-up plans and design verification plans for new hardware and systems
• Perform bring-up and key verification testing of modules and small integrated systems, often working with a technician to complete validation.
• Release modules and small assemblies to production, working with the Manufacturing and Test Engineering teams.
• Mentor junior and senior engineers to build technical understanding and professional development.
• Use working knowledge of adjacent fields, such as software and mechanical, to streamline development of electronics modules and systems.

• Bachelor of Science (BS) degree or higher in Electrical Engineering from an accredited university.
• Minimum of 6 years of relevant experience in board-level electronics design, analysis, and test.
• Direct experience designing high-reliability electronics for space or defense applications, including part derating, worst-case analysis, and thermal constraints.
• Experience owning the design phase of complex board-level electronics, including trade studies, key part selection, and detailed design.
• Experience delivering hardware designs through production and deployment.
• Expertise in PCB layout, including high-density interconnect (HDI) stackup design and high-speed routing.
• Experience running board-level signal integrity and/or power integrity simulation tools such as Ansys SIwave, ADS SIPro, or Mentor Hyperlynx.
• Strong working knowledge of adjacent fields, such as software and mechanical, that guides hardware design and system design.
• Expert-level proficiency in electronics design tools such as Altium.
• Extensive lab experience for bring-up and verification of new hardware.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills.

• Experience leading small teams of hardware engineers to develop multi-module assemblies, including hardware architecture, requirements, make/buy decisions, 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, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex including sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.