Director, Payload Electronics, Space Communications Systems

Job Description

Job Description

Ready to make connectivity from space universally accessible, secure and actionable? Then you’ve come to the right place!

E-Space is bridging Earth and space to enable hyper-scaled deployments of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and services. We are building a highly-advanced low Earth orbit (LEO) space system that will fundamentally change the design, economics, manufacturing and service delivery associated with traditional satellite and terrestrial IoT systems.

We’re intentional, we’re unapologetically curious and we’re 100% committed to innovate space-based communications and deliver actionable intelligence that will expand global economies, protect space and our planet and enhance our overall quality of life.

Your Mission

 

Deliver payload electronics the program can count on, working for its users in space on a record schedule. Turn a signal-chain architecture with noise, linearity, timing and power budgets, a sequenced plan, accountable owners and hardware that passes test. Velocity of decision making is paramount: you close architecture trades in days, not quarters, and you build that pace into every engineer on the team.

What you will own:

• Signal-chain architecture. Own the payload electronics architecture. Make and document the technology choices at every level and own their consequences for performance, power, cost and schedule. The architecture is done when the noise, linearity, timing and power budgets close with margin and every block has an owner.
• Beamforming and signal processing. Own the beam steering, beamforming and calibration approach and the digital signal processing that implements it, including linearization, and the tradeoffs between algorithm performance and implementation complexity. Done means the algorithms that work in simulation work on flight hardware.
• RF front end, converters and clocking. Own the RF front end, data converters and clock distribution, the power and thermal trades behind them, and the signal quality, noise, gain, timing, synchronization, bandwidth and data rates they deliver across the full operating envelope. Own the strategy for long-lead parts, including beamformer integrated circuits, and remove supply risk before it hits the schedule.
• Flight hardware. Own the board and component development cycle in full, from part selection and derating through layout, bring-up and qualification. Drive the responsible engineers to deliver hardware that performs in vacuum, vibration and radiation environments, with test evidence for each.
• Interfaces and integrated array performance. Own the interfaces with the antenna, spacecraft bus and communications software teams, including beam scheduling, timing, telemetry and control. The antenna team owns the element and aperture design; you own everything that forms, steers and calibrates the beams, and you lead the range campaigns that prove the array meets its goals on the integrated spacecraft.
• Delivery and gap closure. Own the schedule from prototype on the bench to the array operating in space. Break it into milestones with owners, dates and acceptance criteria. Find the gaps in the design plan before they become failures, and close them.
• Building the team. Hire, develop and hold accountable a team of RF, mixed-signal, digital, FPGA, software and algorithm engineers. Set clear expectations, give direct feedback and address missed commitments promptly.
• Production at volume. Design for manufacture and test from the start, then ramp the array electronics into volume production with automated calibration and production test. Production is on track when arrays come off the line calibrated, verified and at target yield.
• Deployment and operation in space. Own commissioning, in-service calibration and performance of the array once it is operating in space. Track how it performs for users, find what limits it, and ship the fixes and upgrades that make it better.

How you lead:

Bias for action. You know which architecture choices can be tested and revised and which ones lock in the program, and you spend your time accordingly. You act with urgency while keeping safety and quality.

Extreme ownership. You own the whole payload electronics chain, including what other teams deliver into it. When a processor slips, a calibration does not converge, yield drops or a supplier misses a date, you engage the people needed to fix it and drive the recovery.

One cohesive plan. You write the interface plan, take it to every team that depends on it, and hold to it until they all build to the same view. When the plan changes, every team knows the same day.

Hands-on technical depth. You can sketch the full chain on a whiteboard, challenge an assumption at any layer and spot what the plan has missed, then go deep on it yourself until you and the team are excellent at it. You lead from the lab at first power-on, the test range, the production line and operations, carrying the same load you ask of your team and protecting their time off.

What you bring:

• A record of leading digital beamforming phased array electronics from architecture through deployment, with the hardware fielded at production scale.
• Deep, hands-on command of digital beamforming signal chains, including the trade between analog, hybrid and digital beamforming. You have personally architected and brought up one: RF or IF sampling data converters, JESD204B/C, clock distribution and deterministic latency, and the DC power and thermal design of dense mixed-signal boards.
• Digital signal processing expertise for beamforming, including adaptive beamforming, calibration algorithms, linearization and FFT-based processing.
• Experience leading development for beamforming systems. Experience developing ASICs or beamformer integrated circuits, and managing the supply risk of those parts, is a strong plus.
• Experience ramping phased array electronics into volume production, including automated calibration, production test and yield improvement, and owning a fielded array in operation: commissioning, in-service calibration and upgrades driven by what you measure.
• Experience building and leading engineering teams, including hiring, development and performance management, and a record of delivering complex hardware on aggressive schedules.
• Experience delivering electronics for space flight (radiation, thermal vacuum, vibration, parts derating) and experience with 5G NR and Non-Terrestrial Networks are both strongly preferred.
• A degree in electrical engineering, physics or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. An advanced degree or equivalent research experience is a plus but not required.

What success looks like:

The program has confidence that the payload electronics are under control. Your team knows the architecture, who owns each block and what must be verified by when, and every team that connects to the array builds to the same interface plan. The first boards and arrays come up close to prediction, and when they do not, the cause is found and fixed fast. Arrays come off the production line calibrated and at target yield.

The array is operating in space on schedule, carrying live traffic for thousands of users, and your team keeps improving its performance in service. You have built a team that takes ownership, moves fast and finishes difficult work.

Additional Requirements:

This is a fast-paced, high-impact environment - flexibility to occasionally work extended hours or weekends during critical periods is expected.

This is a full time, exempt position, based out of our Santa Clara. The target base pay for this position in Santa Clara, California is $200,000 - $290,000 annually.  The total compensation packaged will be determined by various factors such as your relevant job-related knowledge, skills, and experience and location. 

We are redefining how satellites are designed, manufactured and used—so we’re looking for candidates with passion, deep knowledge and direct experience on LEO satellite component development, design and in-orbit activities. If that’s your experience – then we’ll be immediately wow-ed.

E-Space is not currently able to provide employment sponsorship for candidates who do not hold work authorization for the location of this role.  

Why E-Space is right for you:

As a member of our team, you will play a crucial role in driving our success.  Our team members have a strong sense of dedication and responsibility; this includes a strong commitment to our mission to create an entirely new suite of global capabilities to improve lives, business efficiencies and build a smarter planet. This means that there will be times when extra hours, including nights and weekends, may be needed to meet critical deadlines and mission goals.  In return, we offer a dynamic work environment with opportunities for professional growth and development and the chance to make a meaningful impact in a high-growth industry.  

We want you to make the most of your journey at E-Space. That’s why we support and invest in the physical, emotional and financial well-being of our team members and their families. Some of what you can expect when working at E-Space:

• An opportunity to really make a difference

• Sustainability at our core

• Fair and honest workplace

• Innovative thinking is encouraged

• Competitive salaries

• Continuous learning and development

• Health and wellness care options

• Financial solutions for the future

• Optional legal services (US only)

• Paid holidays

• Paid time off

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.