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.

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)

What we offer:

All our positions offer a compensation package that includes equity and robust benefits.

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.

Astranis pay ranges are informed and defined through professional-grade salary surveys and compensation data sources. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, and the level and scope of the position.

Base Salary
$160,000 — $215,000 USD

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.