FPGA Software Engineer

We're looking for an experienced FPGA/RTL engineer to help build the digital backbone of our compute payload - the hard-real-time logic that connects high-speed image sensors to embedded compute. You'll design and own HDL for flight critical sensor interface, high speed data processing for in-orbit and ground communications, and embedded Linux running on ARM SoC's.

This is active development on a live flight program with near-term launch milestones: you'll join a small team, take full ownership of workstreams from day one, and see your designs fly.

- Design, implement, and verify HDL/RTL in SystemVerilog/Verilog for the compute payload's FPGA subsystems, from architecture through on-orbit operation

- Develop high-speed camera sensor interfaces, including sensor clocking, configuration, register read/write control, and deterministic pixel capture pipelines

- Develop high-throughput communication pipelines for moving compute data from orbit to the ground

- Build memory-mapped register interfaces (AXI) between FPGA logic and embedded Linux running on ARM cores, and define the hardware/software contact with flight software engineers

- Own timing closure, synthesis, and implementation across Zynq UltraScale+ and Versal targets using Vivado and related toolchains

- Develop testbenches and simulation environments to verify designs before hardware, and validate on the bench with logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and protocol analyzers

- Support Petalinux platform bring-up, device tree configuration, and driver-level integration of FPGA peripherals with the embedded Linux stack

- Lead board bring-up and hardware integration for new payload avionics, working closely with electrical and embedded software engineers

- Investigate anomalies spanning the sensor-to-software chain, perform root cause analysis, and drive fixes across hardware/firmware/software boundaries

- Document designs and interfaces, and pair with teammates to spread ownership of the FPGA function across the team

- Contribute to build automation, regression testing, and CI for FPGA development workflows

- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field

- 5+ years of experience in FPGA/HDL design, including architecture, verification, synthesis, and timing closure

- Proficiency in SystemVerilog or Verilog for production FPGA development

- Hands-on experience with FPGA + ARM SoC platforms (e.g., Xilinx/AMD Zynq or Zynq UltraScale+) and AMD/Xilinx toolchains (Vivado, Vitis, Petalinux)

- Experience designing high-speed digital interfaces and DDR/DMA-based datapaths

- Experience integrating FPGA logic with embedded software, including memory-mapped register interfaces and driver-level debugging

- Experience developing FPGA platforms for multi-gigabit data pipelines, including integrating error correction techniques to ensure stability.

- Hands-on hardware bring-up and lab debugging experience with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and embedded debug tools

- Demonstrated ability to own open-ended design problems independently and carry them from hardware

- Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline

- Experience in aerospace, defense, semiconductor, or other high-reliability development

- Experience with image sensor interfaces (e.g., MIPI CSI-2, LVDS/SLVS, SubLVDS) or other high-bandwidth sensor front-ends

- Familiarity with Versal ACAP architecture and Quartus toolflows

- Experience with simulation and verification tools such as Questa/ModelSim, Xcelium, or Verilator, and with UVM or other structured verification methodologies

- Proficiency with C/C++, Python, and TCL for bring-up, test automation, and tooling

- Experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing and automated regression of FPGA designs

- Familiarity with fault-tolerant design and radiation effects mitigation (SEU scrubbing, TMR, configuration memory integrity) for space applications

- Experience thriving in fast-paced, high-ownership environments with rapid iteration cycles

The salary range for this position is $150,000 - $200,000 annually. The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.