Satellite maker CesiumAstro will spend $25 million on a Melbourne engineering and manufacturing site and add 100 jobs within 12 months. 24 openings are posted now.
Space and defense company CesiumAstro will open an engineering and manufacturing facility in Melbourne. It plans to invest $25 million and create 100 jobs over the next 12 months.
The Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast announced the project Thursday, Oct. 15. CesiumAstro published the same release on its own site the next day. Both describe the 100 positions as “high-paying jobs.” Neither gives a salary figure.
What the company does
CesiumAstro builds satellites, communications payloads, terminals and computing systems for commercial, government and national security customers. It is headquartered near Austin, Texas. The company said it now has more than 850 employees across the United States, Europe and Asia.
It said the Melbourne team “will develop, integrate and test new space and defense technologies.”
“Melbourne gives us direct access to the Space Coast’s aerospace talent and infrastructure,” said Brett Paulson, the company’s chief operating officer.
Earlier this month, the company launched Element-1, its first operational satellite, according to the release.
What the city and county said
“The addition of 100 high-wage jobs creates meaningful opportunities for our residents and contributes to our local economy,” Mayor Paul Alfrey said in the release.
Lynda Weatherman, president and CEO of the EDC, said the investment “further strengthens our local space ecosystem.”
What the release does not say
The announcement leaves several questions open:
- the facility’s address or which part of Melbourne it is in
- when it will open
- whether the company is receiving any city, county or state incentives
- the pay range for the new positions
We will update this story when the company or the EDC releases those details.
The company is already hiring here
CesiumAstro’s job board listed 24 openings in Melbourne on Monday, Oct. 19. The oldest was posted in May, so the company was recruiting in the city before the announcement. Its own description of itself now lists Florida among its facilities, alongside Colorado, California, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan.
Most of the openings are engineering, quality and program management roles:
- six in program management, including three senior program managers
- four in digital and mixed-signal electronics
- three in quality assurance, including two quality control inspectors
- three in specialty engineering
- two mechanical engineers
- one each in business systems, IT, software, RF, manufacturing and systems engineering
How it fits the local job market
Brevard County’s unemployment rate was 4.8% in August, up from 4.5% a year earlier, according to preliminary Bureau of Labor Statistics figures. The county figure covers Melbourne, Palm Bay, Titusville and the beaches.
What it means for you
- Job seekers: the current Melbourne openings are on the CesiumAstro job board. Most ask for engineering, quality or project experience.
- Students and recent graduates: the release does not mention internships or entry-level roles. The posted jobs are mostly senior and staff level.
- Neighbors of the site: a new manufacturing building, or a change of use for an existing one, would need city permits. We will report any application that comes before the Melbourne City Council or its planning board.
More on what is happening around town is on our things to do page, and city budget pressures are covered in our story on Amendment 3 and Melbourne’s budget gap.
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