Principal RF Engineer Technician

CesiumAstro•Westminster, CO 80030, US• Contract

Posted 3 weeks ago• Electrical

Compensation

$44.03–$52.94/hour

Job Description

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 looking to add a Principal RF Engineer Technician to our team. If you are excited about working in a startup environment, have a strong work ethic, and are passionate about cutting-edge electronics, we would like to hear from you.

In this position, you will work closely with Cesium engineers to create antenna range test setups, execute test plans, and produce timely, reliable test results. You will have the opportunity to use and maintain state-of-the-art electronics lab instrumentation, such as anechoic chambers, spectrum analyzers, VNAs, automated power supplies, and more. You will be challenged to propose and fabricate intricate test setups to increase productivity and improve test results.

Many of our products include active phased arrays (a.k.a. active electronically scanned arrays, or AESAs). These are antenna products with active RF circuitry integrated with the antenna. This adds complexity to the test architecture, including power, digital control, and thermal effects. As such, direct experience with phased array (or AESA) testing is preferred.

Core day-to-day activities will include aligning with engineers to test and troubleshoot complex electronics and RF circuitry from component level to system level. As such, the ability to understand and work from drawings, diagrams, schematics, and test procedures is key.

As a small company, the Cesium team “wears many hats.” Candidates should be comfortable with a varied workflow that may involve multitasking between test setup creation, test execution, lab organization, and other related tasks.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Execute test plans and provide concise and timely reporting of findings

Organize and maintain antenna testing facilities and resources.

Support rework of sensitive electronics, including QFNs, chip-scale ICs, RF cables, and 0201 passive components

Create thorough documentation with meticulous attention to detail and a high standard of quality

Create clean, intricate, and well-documented test setups consisting of instrumentation, cabling, and the devices under test

JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum of 9 years of directly related experience as an Engineering Technician

Experience working with active electronics

Hands-on experience with lab instruments such as spectrum analyzers, RF signal generators, and vector signal analyzers.

Strong problem-solving skills and ability to troubleshoot complex RF systems

Strong organization skills

Comfortable with collaboration tools such as MS Teams, Confluence, and Jira

Ability to work well under deadlines

Strong digital, written, and verbal communication skills

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

Technical degree in Electronics or similar

3+ years of related work experience with electronics in aerospace or a related industry

Hands on experience with active phased array (AESA) testing

Automating antenna range measurements

Experience with RF electronics at 20 GHz or higher

Familiarity with Python and the ability to read and make small changes to simple scripts

Experience in soldering and assembling RF components and systems

Experience in Fixture Fabrication/Modification

Ability to Train others, delegate work among junior staff and mentor/coach

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.