Principal Electrical Engineer I - FlatSat Lead

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 FlatSat Lead to architect, build, and manage our FlatSat infrastructure. This role owns the planning, execution, and continuous evolution of a system that mirrors the spacecraft and integrates flight hardware, flight software, ground systems, and GSE into a complete mission representation. The FlatSat Lead will be responsible for technical direction, configuration control, infrastructure development, and cross-functional coordination to ensure the FlatSat enables rapid development, risk reduction, and mission success. Your work will have a direct impact on the success of the company. You will work closely with the engineering team, program management to ensure the successful build and launch of our satellite. Element will be the largest, most powerful rideshare satellite in LEO. We’re launching eight of them in the next four years, starting with our first launch this year. Together, our small team will design, build, and iterate to reduce mass and cost while increasing performance, reliability, and manufacturability of a new generation of satellites. Let’s build!

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Define the architecture, configuration, and roadmap for the FlatSat environment
• Develop system-level integration plans covering flight hardware, avionics, software, and ground interfaces
• Ensure the FlatSat accurately represents mission configuration and operational scenarios
• Establish infrastructure to support full mission simulations and end-to-end testing
• Design and sometimes personally build custom Ground Support Equipment (GSE) and test interfaces
• Oversee mechanical, electrical, and network integration of FlatSat hardware
• Define power, communications, data handling, and environmental support architecture
• Ensure maintainability, scalability, and reliability of the FlatSat system
• Plan and execute system integration campaigns
• Coordinate across flight software, hardware, RF, payload, and ground teams
• Enable regression testing, mission rehearsals, anomaly reproduction, and validation testing
• Drive configuration management and documentation discipline
• Establish procedures for safe operations, access control, and hardware handling
• Manage upgrades and configuration changes as flight hardware evolves
• Track risks, integration issues, and system limitations
• Support design reviews, test readiness reviews, and mission readiness reviews

JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field
• 9 years of experience in spacecraft integration, systems engineering, or hardware/software test environments
• Hands-on experience working with satellite subsystems and avionics
• Strong understanding of spacecraft power, communications, command & data handling, and ground interfaces
• Experience designing or supporting hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) or integration testbeds
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics and system diagrams
• Proven ability to operate in fast-paced, evolving technical environments

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Experience leading integration efforts for small satellite or spacecraft programs
• Experience designing custom GSE
• Familiarity with flatsat or spacecraft system test campaigns, including Hardware-in-the-Loop labs (HIL/HWIL)
• Knowledge of RF and payload integration
• Experience supporting environmental test or mission rehearsals
• Background in high-reliability or mission-critical systems

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 including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability 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 will be considered property of CesiumAstro, and we will not be obligated to pay any referral fees.