Salary Range: 218000 to 266000 (Currency: USD) (Pay period: per-year-salary)

Please Note: To conform with the United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., conditional resident, asylee or refugee (protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

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 highly skilled Communication Systems Architect to our team. In this position you will be a senior technical leader responsible for defining complete, differentiated communication system solutions for customer missions and new business pursuits. The Architect serves as the primary technical owner of the solution, translating mission and customer needs into an end-to-end architecture spanning antennas, RF electronics, digital processing, communications algorithms, firmware, software, and system interfaces.

Successful candidates will bring deep expertise in one or more communications disciplines—such as communication theory and signal processing, RF systems, antenna and phased-array systems, digital communications and processing, or communications software—combined with the technical breadth and systems perspective necessary to lead the complete solution.

Working closely with Product, Business Development, Program Management, and Engineering, the Architect leads technical solution development from early customer engagement through capture, proposal, contract definition, and transition to execution. The role requires the ability to move beyond a specific technical specialty, make system-level trades, and establish an architecture that balances mission performance, product strategy, technical risk, cost, schedule, and execution.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Own end-to-end technical solutions. Serve as the primary technical architect for customer pursuits, owning the complete communication system solution from mission needs through architecture, requirements, proposal, and transition to execution.

Define communication system architectures. Develop architectures spanning antennas and apertures, RF front ends, frequency conversion, data conversion, digital processing, beamforming, modems and waveforms, firmware, software, networking, and external system interfaces as applicable to the mission.

Lead from technical depth with system breadth. Apply deep expertise in a core technical discipline while integrating and making informed decisions across the other engineering domains required to deliver the complete system.

Translate mission needs into solutions. Work directly with customers and Business Development to understand mission objectives, CONOPS, performance needs, and constraints and translate them into differentiated technical solutions.

Lead architectural trades. Drive system-level decisions and trade studies across performance, SWaP, cost, schedule, technical maturity, risk, scalability, product reuse, and Make/Buy alternatives.

Shape product strategy. Identify opportunities to leverage existing products and technologies, influence future product capabilities, and determine where new development is required to meet emerging customer and market needs.

Lead technical capture and proposals. Develop the technical solution for pursuits and provide the architecture, requirements, technical approach, trades, risks, development strategy, and technical content required for competitive proposals and customer presentations.

Establish the technical baseline. Define system-level requirements, interfaces, performance allocations, verification approaches, and preliminary designs necessary to establish a credible and executable technical baseline.

Support program formation and contract definition. Partner with Product Development & Assurance and Program Management to develop Statements of Work, requirements, technical deliverables, assumptions, development plans, and Make/Buy strategies that accurately reflect the proposed solution.

Transition solutions into execution. Serve as the technical bridge from pursuit to execution, ensuring engineering teams understand the architecture, requirements, key trades, risks, customer commitments, and technical rationale behind the solution.

Provide technical leadership. Guide multidisciplinary engineering teams across RF, antenna, digital, FPGA, software, mechanical, systems, integration, and test disciplines without needing to be the subject matter expert in every domain.

Represent the technical solution with customers. Communicate complex architectures, technical decisions, performance trades, and risks clearly to customer technical leaders, internal executives, and engineering teams.

JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

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, such as:

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

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.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

Experience with space, airborne, defense, or other high-reliability communication systems is preferred, 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 is highly valued.

The strongest candidates will combine recognized depth in a technical specialty with demonstrated ability to operate above that specialty as an end-to-end system architect and technical leader.

CesiumAstro considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills. Full-time employment offers include company stock options and a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability and retirement plans.

CesiumAstro is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Please note: CesiumAstro does not accept unsolicited resumes from contract agencies or search firms. Any unsolicited resumes submitted to our website or to CesiumAstro team members will be considered property of CesiumAstro, and we will not be obligated to pay any referral fees.

About the company

CesiumAstro develops end-to-end space and airborne communications systems, including active phased array antennas, software-defined radios, and complete payloads. Its technology enables electronically steered beams for inter-satellite links, high-rate downlinks, lunar and deep-space communication, and 5G/NTN networks. It ships plug‑and‑play, commercially manufactured hardware and SDR software as a full-stack solution, reducing development time and cost. The company targets both government programs (NASA, DoD) and commercial space ventures, aiming to make space-based connectivity more accessible and adaptable.

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

Debt Financing

Total Funding

$780M

Headquarters

Bee Cave, Texas

Founded

2017

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

EXIM and J.P. Morgan backed $300 million financing funds the Bee Cave factory and Texas hiring.
April 21, 2026 Missile Defense Agency work validates Skylark for national-security modernization.
The $470 million Series C gives CesiumAstro cash to industrialize manufacturing and scale deliveries through 2027.

What critics are saying

Three 2026 acquisitions create integration drag and culture clashes before 2027 product revenue lands.
CesiumAstro still depends on U.S. defense buyers, EXIM financing, and Bee Cave buildout finishing on time.
L3Harris, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Lockheed can crush margins on phased-array programs; CesiumAstro loses share fast.

What makes CesiumAstro unique

CesiumAstro vertically integrates antennas, radios, semiconductors, and mission software under one roof.
Its 2026 Jariet, Vidrovr, and 1Aardvark buys deepen full-stack space-defense autonomy.
Skylark and Element target software-defined, mobile-ready links across missiles, satellites, and airborne platforms.

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Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
401(k) Retirement Plan
Stock Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

1 year growth

-2%

2 year growth

SBIR.gov

Sep 13th, 2026

Awards | SBIR

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Aviation Week

Sep 10th, 2026

CesiumAstro secures $300M EXIM credit to consolidate US manufacturing in new 270,000-ft facility

The Export-Import Bank of the United States has signed a $300 million credit agreement with CesiumAstro, an Austin-based space and defence connectivity specialist. The agreement, announced on 9 September, aims to consolidate the company's design, manufacturing, assembly and test operations into a single 270,000-square-foot US facility currently under construction. The financing includes a $20 million revolving credit facility from JP Morgan, making it EXIM's largest loan approval under its "Make More in America" initiative. CesiumAstro is the only company to receive a second credit agreement under the programme. EXIM previously approved $185 million in financing to CesiumAstro in January 2026, later increased to $280 million. Founded in 2017, CesiumAstro recently secured a $470 million Series C funding round.

GovCon Wire

Aug 26th, 2026

CesiumAstro buys 1Aardvark to add mission software for defense space.

CesiumAstro buys 1Aardvark to add mission software for defense space. * 1Aardvark is a service-disabled veteran-owned and HUBZone-certified business in Manassas, Virginia * Its work covers missile defense and missile tracking programs * The deal follows CesiumAstro's purchases of Vidrovr and Jariet Technologies this year CesiumAstro has acquired 1Aardvark, adding mission software and systems engineering to a portfolio built around satellites and communications payloads. CesiumAstro announced the deal Tuesday. 1Aardvark, based in Manassas, Virginia, builds software, algorithms and systems engineering for national defense programs. It holds service-disabled veteran-owned small business and HUBZone certifications. What does 1Aardvark bring to CesiumAstro? 1Aardvark's software supports missile defense and missile tracking work. The company builds systems that enable distributed platforms to coordinate and execute missions in contested or disconnected environments. CesiumAstro expects the pairing to yield spacecraft that adjust to changing conditions and keep operating when connectivity degrades. Shey Sabripour, founder and CEO of CesiumAstro, said defense space systems increasingly require software that can adapt and make decisions. According to Ryan Kenward, president of 1Aardvark, joining CesiumAstro extends the company's work pushing mission capability to the edge. How does the deal fit CesiumAstro's acquisition strategy? The 1Aardvark deal lands days after CesiumAstro closed its purchase of Jariet Technologies, a semiconductor firm focused on millimeter-wave radio frequency system-on-chip designs. That deal gave the company in-house chip capability to pair with its phased-array antenna and payload work. The company also acquired Vidrovr in March, an AI firm specializing in real-time multimodal signal analysis. Vidrovr co-founder Joe Ellis oversees integration of machine learning tools into the CesiumAstro portfolio. CesiumAstro closed a $470 million Series C round in February and took $200 million in Export-Import Bank financing in January to acquire a 270,000-square-foot West Austin facility.

Noah Business Intelligence

Aug 25th, 2026

CesiumAstro's latest acquisition enhances resilience and integration for government space missions

CesiumAstro’s purchase of Virginia-based 1Aardvark advances its strategy to deliver more resilient, software-defined communications and onboard systems for government missions, strengthening its position in the defence...

BISinfotech

Aug 13th, 2026

CesiumAstro acquires Jariet Technologies for defense capabilities

CesiumAstro acquires Jariet Technologies, expanding semiconductor capabilities across SATCOM, electronic warfare, radar and space systems.

CesiumAstro

RF Communication System Architect

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