Principal Electrical Engineer (RPU Unit Lead)

Join CesiumAstro, a fast-paced startup focused on advanced spaceborne payloads. As a Principal Electrical Engineer, you will lead the design, development, integration, test, and flight qualification of our Reconfigurable Processing Unit (RPU) product line. You will be responsible for both technical definition and execution of a new RPU product, coordinating a multidisciplinary technical team and holding schedule accountability for the box development. This role requires strong technical knowledge, project management skills, and effective communication in a dynamic environment.

• Lead the design, development, integration, test, and flight qualification of advanced spaceborne payloads, focusing on the Reconfigurable Processing Unit (RPU) product line.
• Coordinate and direct a multidisciplinary team of engineers to ensure consistent and timely technical execution, holding schedule accountability for the box development.
• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for the RPU throughout the product development lifecycle, communicating status, technical trades, risks, and design decisions to internal leadership and external customers.
• Strong knowledge of systems engineering practices, requirements flowdown, verification/validation, and configuration management
• Hands-on experience with related technologies such as software-defined radios
• Leadership experience, including mentoring or leading multidisciplinary engineering teams
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical Engineering or a related field
• 9+ years of engineering experience in electronics hardware development
• Excellent communication skills with ability to present complex technical information to diverse audiences
• Demonstrated understanding of payload control systems, digital interfaces, command & data handling, and embedded hardware/software interactions
• Proven experience executing or overseeing flight qualification and environmental test campaigns (TVAC, vib/shock, EMC, radiation considerations)
• Experience managing hardware/software product development projects
• Experience with high-rate manufacturing, rapid development cycles, and/or NewSpace ecosystems
• Experience with radiation-tolerant design
• Prior role as a Responsible Engineer, Technical Lead, IPT Lead, or Chief Engineer on flight hardware
• Background in digital signal processing, beamforming algorithms, or embedded firmware for payload control
• High energy and a “get it done” attitude
• Experience mentoring less-experienced project engineers and design engineers in associated discipline