Senior Staff Electrical Engineer - Payload

CesiumAstro  · Westminster, CO  · Oct 2, 2026

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 seeking a highly skilled Senior Staff ElectricalEngineer to lead the design, development, integration, test, and flight qualification of advanced spaceborne payloads. This post focuses on the role of Payload Lead Engineer (aka Responsible Engineer) in our Phased Array product line, focusing on Ka-band Active Electronically Steered Arrays (AESAs). CesiumAstro AESAs are state-of-the-art electronics assemblies consisting of an antenna element array, RF electronics, digital array control, and power conversion – engineered into a single box using a modular but optimized approach. The Payload Lead is responsible for the technical development of a new payload product consisting of a phased array (AESA) and a processing unit (RPU). This combines deep, multi-disciplinary technical accountability with responsibility for on-time schedule execution. The Payload Lead is the leader...

Responsibilities:
• Serve as the Payload Lead Engineer and primary technical point of contact for the payload throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Lead the end-to-end engineering effort for the payload, including architecture, design, prototyping, integration, test, environmental qualification, and flight readiness.
• Coordinate and direct Unit Leads developing AESA and RPU boxes for the payload, as well as engineers working directly on the combined payload.
• Hold schedule accountability for the payload 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 payload-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.
Requirements:
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• 12+ years of engineering experience in electronics hardware development.
• Hands-on experience with related technologies such as active phased array antennas.
• Expertise in antennas and board-level RF electronics.
• Strong familiarity with power/digital support circuitry and design for manufacturability.
• 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.
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Company
CesiumAstro
Location
Westminster, CO
More jobs in Westminster
Job Type
Full-time
Category
Digital & Mixed-Signal Electronics
Posted
Oct 2, 2026
Source
Original posting ↗