Senior Spacecraft Communication Systems Engineer II Verified today

About the role

CesiumAstro develops communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles and other space platforms. We are designing, building and launching 8 new satellites in the next four years - big, super capable RF payload rideshare SmallSats with secured launches and in-house test facilities.

As Senior Spacecraft Communication Systems Engineer, you will own the design, configuration and operation of the satellite's space-to-ground communication links. You will define how the satellite communicates with ground in both nominal and off-nominal conditions, ensuring reliable command, telemetry and fault recovery.

What you will do

• Model, analyze and maintain the satellite's link budget, modulation and coding, ensuring reliable communications from space to ground for all RF links.
• Architect hardware-based crypto solutions for flight hardware, manage pass-throughs and end points for users and operations.
• Understand ground station and network operations with the ability to troubleshoot issues with commercial providers and on-site terminals.
• Define how the radios are used in different mission phases, including contingency operations and emergency recovery.
• Contribute to the RF link test campaign and work with flight software and ground teams to validate end-to-end communication link performance from antenna to command center.
• Optimize low-SWaP communications, mitigate interference and ensure robust, fail-safe links.

What we're looking for

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a related field.
• Minimum 6 years of experience with emphasis on satellite communications, RF system engineering or related fields.
• Experience in design, verification and operation of satellite communication links.
• Strong understanding of link budget analysis, modulation schemes and ground station interfaces.
• Hands-on experience configuring and testing ground station equipment and space-qualified radios and antennas.
• Practical understanding of how space links fail, why, and how to fix them before they break.
• Ability to define and implement communication system CONOPS for nominal and emergency operations.
• Experience with satellite communication link licensing and regulatory compliance (ITU/FCC).
• Extensive practical experience with crypto, from COMSEC plan development and key management to system troubleshooting.
• Ability to balance power, bandwidth, protocols and noise to ensure reliable space-to-ground connectivity.
• Comfortable identifying problems and using expertise to find solutions; ability to prototype, test and iterate quickly.

Employment details

Full-time employment. Location: Westminster, CO. Full-time offers include company stock options and benefits package including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability and retirement plans.

To conform with United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, conditional resident, asylee or refugee (as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.