Senior Radiation Effects Engineer
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.
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.
- 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
- 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)
Base pay is just one component of Astranis’s total rewards package. Your compensation also includes a significant equity package via incentive stock options, high-quality company-subsidized healthcare, disability and life insurance, 401(k) retirement planning, flexible PTO, and free on-site catered meals.
Description
- 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)