{"id":253830,"url":"https://alion.io/job/cesiumastro-senior-communication-systems-engineer-spacecraft","title":"Senior Communication Systems Engineer - Spacecraft","company":{"id":5315,"name":"CesiumAstro","domain":"cesiumastro.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/cesiumastro","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Lever","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":85,"open_postings":40,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.6,"repost_share":0.025,"time_to_fill_p50_days":48,"computed_at":"2026-11-11T05:49:22Z"}},"role":"Aerospace","role_family":"Aerospace","seniority":"senior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Westminster, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":133000,"max":161000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":161000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"closed","first_seen_at":"2026-08-30T22:53:56Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-08-30","last_verified_at":"2026-11-09T23:49:25Z","board_verified":false,"closed_at":"2026-11-09T23:49:25Z","days_open":71,"trust":{"level":"not_scored","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":71},"description":"We are designing, building, and launching 8 new satellites in the next four years. They are BIG and super capable RF payload rideshare SmallSats. Our launches are already secured. Our in-house test facilities are built. Ifyou want to own critical communications for these LEO communications satellites and then have the chance to iterate and improve your design at a rapidly growing tech company, this is your chance.\nWe’re looking for builders, problem-solvers, and system thinkers. As a Senior 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 the ground in both nominal and off-nominal conditions, ensuring reliable command, telemetry, and fault recovery.\nThe ideal candidate will have a strong background in systems engineering, expertise with both space-based communication payloads and ground terminals, and proven ability to coordinate activities across multidisciplinary engineering teams.\nJOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES\nModel, analyze and maintain the satellite’s link budget, modulation and coding, ensuring reliable communications from space to ground for all RF links. \nArchitect hardware-based crypto solutions for flight hardware, manage pass-throughs and end points for users and operations.\nStrong understanding of ground station and network operations with the ability to troubleshoot issues with commercial providers and on-site terminals.\nDefine how the radios are used in different mission phases, including contingency operations and emergency recovery.\nContribute 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. \nOptimize low-SWaP communications, mitigate interference, and ensure robust, fail-safe links. \nWHAT A SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE LOOKS LIKE\nYou understand how to design, analyze, and operate spaceborne communication links.\nYou can balance power, bandwidth, protocols and noise to ensure reliable space-to-ground connectivity. You can answer “what’s the link budget” with thorough analysis, EbN0, EsN0, or effective data rate given a variety of conditions.\nExtensive and practical experience with crypto-From COMSEC plan development, key management to system trouble shooting you have applied, on the ground experience.\nYou know how comms fit into the broader mission, from flight software integration to ground operations\nYou are comfortable identifying problems and using your expertise to find solutions.\nYou can prototype, test, and iterate quickly, focusing on what’s needed to get a mission off the ground.\nJOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS\n Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a related field \nA minimum of 5 years of experience with emphasis on satellite communications, RF system engineering, or related fields \nExperience in design, verification, and operation of satellite communication links \nStrong understanding of link budget analysis, modulation schemes, and ground station interfaces \nHands-on experience configuring and testing ground station equipment and space-qualified radios and antennas \nPractical understanding of how space links fail, why, and how to fix them before they break \nAbility to define and implement communication system CONOPS for nominal and emergency operations \nExperience with satellite communication link licensing and regulatory compliance (ITU/FCC)","description_format":"text","description_chars":3501,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Embedded & Electronics Design","Satellite Communications","RF & Wireless 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