Senior Communications Systems Engineer II

CesiumAstro•Austin, TX

About The Position

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 Senior Communications Systems Engineer to our team. If you enjoy working in a startup environment and are passionate about developing Python-based simulations, modeling tools, and software-enabled analysis for leading-edge phased arrays, satellites, spacecraft, and aerospace systems, we would like to hear from you. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in systems engineering, experience with space-based communication systems, and hands-on Python development skills for modeling and simulation. In this position, you will help develop and maintain Python simulations and other analysis tools used to model how our communications hardware functions, evaluate SATCOM constellation performance, support link budgets and system trade studies, and inform requirements development, concept of operations (CONOPS), verification planning, and risk assessment. You will work across multidiscipline engineering teams, contribute to technical decision-making, and support program execution with clear analysis, modeling results, and practical engineering judgment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, computer science, or a related field.
A minimum of 6 years of experience with emphasis on communications systems, SATCOM, RF systems, aerospace systems, or related modeling and simulation work.
Strong Python development experience, including writing maintainable analysis, modeling, simulation, or automation code.
Practical experience with communication systems analysis such as link budgets, RF propagation, antenna or phased array performance, payload modeling, or constellation-level trade studies.
Experience working with hardware, RF, software, or product/component developers to understand interfaces, assumptions, and system-level impacts.
Familiarity with common scientific Python libraries and workflows such as NumPy, SciPy, pandas, plotting/visualization tools, testing, version control, and code review.
Ability to support cloud-based Python development, simulation infrastructure, data pipelines, APIs, or backend services when needed.
Excellent written and verbal technical communication skills, including the ability to document models, assumptions, results, and recommendations.
Proficiency with, or willingness to work in, requirements management tools such as DOORS or Jama.
Strong problem-solving skills and analytical abilities, with the capability to identify, assess, and resolve technical challenges in collaboration with multifunctional teams.

Responsibilities

Develop, maintain, and validate Python-based simulations and modeling tools to characterize communications hardware, RF payloads, phased arrays, and SATCOM constellation behavior.
Model end-to-end system performance, including link budgets, coverage and capacity, pointing and geometry, operational scenarios, and hardware/software trade studies.
Evaluate customer and operational needs and help translate them into system requirements, technical assumptions, interfaces, and verification approaches.
Collaborate with RF, antenna, hardware, software, cloud/platform, manufacturing, and program management teams to support system design and technical execution.
Contribute to cloud-hosted Python tooling, data processing workflows, APIs, or simulation infrastructure as needed to support modeling and analysis activities.
Participate in the development of systems engineering processes for requirements management, flow down, traceability, and model-based analysis.
Support risk analysis, trade studies, and mitigation planning with quantitative analysis and simulation results.
Identify and help resolve technical issues that may impede engineering progress; communicate analysis methods, assumptions, results, and recommendations clearly to internal stakeholders and, as needed, external customers.