C
Senior RF Engineer
Contract type
Ongoing
Work mode
Remote
Experience
Senior · 6+ years
Job description
Design and develop RF, mixed-signal, and digital hardware for electronically steered antenna (AESA) communication systems at CesiumAstro. The Senior II role covers full-stack hardware development from concept through design, analysis, layout, build, test, and delivery, with technical leadership of small teams.
At a glance
- Work mode
- Remote
What you'll do
- Design and develop RF, mixed-signal, and digital hardware for electronically steered antenna (AESA) communication systems.
- Support the adaptation of existing hardware designs for new customer platforms, operational environments, and regional requirements.
- Develop RF front-end, power distribution, control, and interface circuitry for phased-array communication terminals.
- Own the development of hardware modules and subsystems from requirements through schematic capture, layout, integration, verification, and production release.
- Develop hardware requirements, perform trade studies, and support subsystem architecture development.
- Perform detailed schematic design for complex RF, mixed-signal, and high-speed digital circuit boards.
- Support PCB layout activities in Altium Designer, including stack-up definition, component placement, routing reviews, and design-for-manufacturing considerations.
- Perform engineering analyses including worst-case circuit analysis, signal integrity, power integrity, thermal, and reliability assessments.
- Develop and execute hardware bring-up, integration, debugging, and design verification activities.
- Support RF characterization, system integration, troubleshooting, and root-cause investigations using laboratory test equipment.
- Define and execute environmental, qualification, and compliance testing activities, including EMI/EMC verification.
- Collaborate closely with all the relevant engineering teams throughout the product lifecycle.
- Support technical design reviews, engineering documentation, requirements traceability, and customer-facing technical activities.
- Contribute to product qualification, certification, manufacturing transfer, and production support activities.
- Provide technical support for field trials, demonstrations, customer evaluations, and deployment activities.
- Mentor junior engineers and technicians while promoting engineering best practices and technical rigor.
- Apply knowledge of adjacent disciplines, including software, systems, RF, and mechanical engineering, to support efficient product development and integration.
What we're looking for
- 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.
Nice to have
- 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.
Apply
About CesiumAstro
Developers and pioneers of out-of-the-box communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles, and other space and airborne platforms
CesiumAstro develops out-of-the-box communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles, and other space and airborne platforms. The company describes a dynamic and cross-functional work environment with hands-on, interactive, and autonomous work.
Key facts
- Aerospace and defense electronics
- Products are made for high-reliability space and airborne applications
- Many roles are subject to security and export control restrictions
- Does not accept unsolicited resumes from contract agencies or search firms
What they value
- Passionate
- Collaborative
- Energetic
- Forward-thinking
- Technical rigor
