Principal Satellite Electrical Engineer I

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 an experienced Principal Satellite Electrical Engineer I to our satellite design team. If you have significant experience with satellite system design, test, and operation; enjoy working in a startup environment, and are passionate about developing satellite electrical systems we would like to hear from you.

In this position, you will be responsible for satellite electronics and hardware through all stages of the development process for Cesium’s in-house small satellite product. Your responsibilities will be satellite electrical power subsystem design such as solar panels, batteries, and Power Management and Distribution systems. You will guide and engineer EMI mitigation, wiring, and electrical and data interfaces between all spacecraft subsystems and you will design or guide the design of PCBs for subsystems. You will also work on ground station power systems and power controls as well as satellite EGSE and MGSE. The ideal candidate will be an electrical systems generalist motivated to deliver every aspect of space mission electrical design from energy balance budgets to custom maximum power point trackers.

As a satellite design team member, you will work on a small team to develop satellites and put them in orbit. You will be responsible for component concepts, roadmaps, architecture trade studies, block diagrams, electrical hardware design, manufacturing, test, qualification, and in-orbit support for satellites and ground stations. You will provide creative solutions to complex problems to push the boundaries of spacecraft design.

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, as a minimum:

• A Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering from an accredited university.
• 9 years of experience with a bachelor's degree, 7 years of experience with a master’s degree, or 5 years of experience with a Ph.D. in satellite electrical system design, analysis, manufacturing, test, and troubleshooting.
• Full life cycle experience with multiple space flight systems that guides your vision for the next generation of satellite electrical systems.
• Experience with on-orbit success, failure, and recovery.
• Strong understanding of electrical engineering fundamentals.
• Understanding of the subsystems and components required in a spacecraft electrical system.
• Board-level high-reliability hardware design experience for spaceflight thermal, radiation, and vibration environments (i.e. schematic, layout, build, and test).
• Proficiency in electrical system design and analysis, including electrical ICD definition, requirement derivation, digital I/O standards, power interfaces, connectors, and cabling.
• Hands-on experience with lab instruments such as oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, electronic loads, and signal generators to debug, test, and validate high-reliability electronics.
• Experience with satellite electrical system concepts such as power and energy budgets, telemetry, flight software controls, and electronics thermal management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred qualifications:

• An M.S. or PhD in Electrical or Computer Engineering.
• Proficiency in Python, C++, MATLAB, or other programming languages.
• Experience with satellites ranging from LEO to GEO, and beyond.
• Experience across a spectrum of mission classes from CubeSat to NASA Class A.
• Experience utilizing automotive grade parts in mission critical applications.
• Experience evaluating and testing hardware for effects due to TID, SEE, EMI, and relevant phenomena.
• Familiarity with ADS SI/PI or similar Signal Integrity / Power Integrity analysis tools.
• Experience with multiple distinct spacecraft electrical architectures that drives your vision for the next generation of spacecraft.