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CesiumAstro is seeking a highly skilled RF Communication System Architect to serve as a senior technical leader responsible for defining complete, differentiated communication system solutions for customer missions and new business pursuits. You will be the primary technical owner of solutions, translating mission and customer needs into end-to-end architectures spanning antennas, RF electronics, digital processing, communications algorithms, firmware, software, and system interfaces.
You will work closely with Product, Business Development, Program Management, and Engineering teams to lead technical solution development from early customer engagement through capture, proposal, contract definition, and transition to execution. The role requires moving beyond a specific technical specialty to make system-level trades and establish architectures that balance mission performance, product strategy, technical risk, cost, schedule, and execution.
Key responsibilities include:
- Owning end-to-end technical solutions as the primary architect for customer pursuits
- Defining communication system architectures spanning antennas, RF front ends, frequency conversion, data conversion, digital processing, beamforming, modems, firmware, software, networking, and external interfaces
- Applying deep expertise in a core technical discipline while integrating decisions across other engineering domains
- Translating mission needs into differentiated technical solutions through direct customer and business development collaboration
- Leading architectural trade studies across performance, SWaP, cost, schedule, technical maturity, risk, scalability, and product reuse
- Identifying opportunities to leverage existing products and influence future product capabilities
- Developing technical solutions for pursuits, including architecture, requirements, technical approach, trades, risks, and development strategy
- Defining system-level requirements, interfaces, performance allocations, verification approaches, and preliminary designs
- Partnering with Product Development and Program Management on Statements of Work, requirements, and development plans
- Serving as the technical bridge from pursuit to execution, ensuring engineering teams understand the architecture and technical rationale
- Providing technical leadership to multidisciplinary engineering teams across RF, antenna, digital, FPGA, software, mechanical, systems, integration, and test disciplines
- Communicating complex architectures and technical decisions clearly to customer technical leaders, executives, and engineering teams
CesiumAstro develops and pioneers out-of-the-box communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles, and other space and airborne platforms. The company values a dynamic, cross-functional work environment that encourages learning and development across the organization.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a related technical discipline
- 15+ years of experience developing complex communication systems, products, or payloads, with demonstrated progression into system architecture or technical leadership roles
- Demonstrated deep technical expertise in at least one communications domain: communication theory, signal processing, waveforms, or modem design; RF and microwave systems and electronics; antennas, phased arrays, and beamforming; high-speed digital, FPGA, DSP, or digital communications architectures; or embedded, networking, or communications software
- Demonstrated experience architecting or technically leading multidisciplinary systems beyond the candidate's primary area of expertise
- Experience translating customer or mission objectives into system architectures, technical requirements, and executable engineering solutions
- Demonstrated experience leading customer-facing technical discussions, design reviews, proposals, or new-business pursuits
- Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, conditional resident, asylee, or refugee, or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:
- Experience with space, airborne, defense, or other high-reliability communication systems, particularly involving satellite communications, phased arrays, software-defined radios, digital beamforming, advanced waveforms, or integrated communication payloads
- Experience taking architectures beyond concept development into detailed design, integration, verification, qualification, and deployment
- Combination of recognized depth in a technical specialty with demonstrated ability to operate as an end-to-end system architect and technical leader
