Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today, Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly-sophisticated customers across the globe— large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military. With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts.
Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization. Astranis has raised over $750 million from some of the world’s best investors, from Andreessen Horowitz to Blackrock and Fidelity, and employs a team of 450 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA.
Senior Radiation Effects Engineer
As a Senior Radiation Effects Engineer, you will support the radiation hardness assurance (RHA) strategy. You will be responsible for defining the environmental requirements, leading circuit-level mitigation designs, and overseeing advanced testing to ensure our electrical systems survive the harshest orbits. This senior position requires technical leadership, hands-on expertise in circuit design, and a proven track record of validating high-reliability electrical components for space environments.
Role
- Architect and design fault-tolerant, radiation-hardened electrical systems and avionics architectures capable of operating reliably in high-radiation environments
- Lead simulation and modeling to evaluate GTO and GEO radiation effects
- Establish methodologies and drive radiation testing campaigns to upscreen and qualify commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) and automotive-grade electrical components
- Collaborate cross-functionally with mechanical and structural teams to run 3D ray-tracing simulations (e.g., FASTRAD) and optimize shielding levels versus mass trade-offs for sensitive electrical assemblies
- Provide technical mentorship to junior engineers and support core electrical engineering activities, including schematic capture, PCB layout reviews, and hardware bring-up
- Support the engineering team in recruiting efforts, technical interviewing, and mentoring additional teammates
Requirements
- Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering (EE) or equivalent technical field (with an emphasis on electronics and semiconductor physics)
- Extensive professional experience in hands-on electrical hardware design, development, and troubleshooting in a fast-paced space or high-reliability environment
- Deep technical understanding of the Geostationary radiation environment and its specific degradation mechanisms on electronic components (**TID, SEE, DDD**)
- Expert-level experience in testing, debugging, and analyzing complex analog, digital, and mixed-signal circuits using standard lab equipment
- Demonstrated experience leading technical projects and managing the risk profile of high-reliability electrical hardware systems
- US Citizenship or Green Card
Bonus
- Experience delivering flight-qualified, mission-critical electrical designs for space radiation environments
- Background in electromagnetic design and its interaction with radiation environments
- Established relationships with radiation test facilities and experience directing heavy-ion or proton testing campaigns
- High proficiency with ECAD tools for schematic capture and PCB layout (e.g., Altium Designer) and familiarity with MCAD workflows (Solidworks)
U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required
(To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States, or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3))
Our mission and our products are meant to connect the world and everyone in it, regardless of gender, race, creed, or any other distinction. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we encourage all people to join our team and bring their unique perspective to help make us stronger.
