Associate FPGA Engineer (Comms/TVI)

Job Title

Associate FPGA Engineer (Comms/TVI)

Role Summary

Develop and integrate FPGA designs for communication and signal-processing systems within Thales Defense & Security's Clarksburg, MD team. Work on RTL architecture, verification, board-level integration, and system testing for modem and communications functions.

Experience Level

Entry-level / Associate. No explicit years specified; suitable for early-career engineers or recent graduates with relevant FPGA experience.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include FPGA development, integration, verification, and system-level performance validation.

• Participate in FPGA architecture design and define module behavior and system-level integration requirements.
• Develop RTL in Verilog and/or VHDL, including simulation and test bench development.
• Collaborate with software and hardware engineers to integrate FPGA designs into embedded systems.
• Perform system integration and testing on target platforms; resolve digital logic and embedded software issues.
• Debug timing problems and perform timing closure and advanced timing analysis.
• Validate signal processing algorithms and evaluate system performance.
• Follow Agile/SCRUM processes and maintain compliance with company procedures.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills, security/citizenship, and personal attributes.

• U.S. Citizenship required; eligibility for access to classified information.
• Proficiency in FPGA programming using Verilog and/or VHDL.
• Experience with FPGA development and simulation tools (e.g., ModelSim, Synplify Pro) and vendor toolchains from Intel/Altera, Xilinx, or Lattice.
• Understanding of metastability, timing closure, and advanced timing analysis.
• System-level knowledge of digital signal processing and communications theory; wireless/MODEM experience is a plus.
• Experience with embedded systems integration and hardware/software collaboration.
• Strong problem-solving skills, effective communication, and ability to work independently in multidisciplinary teams.

Education Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) or Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) required.

About the Company

Company: Thales

Headquarters: La Défense (Courbevoie), Hauts-de-Seine, France

Provider of aerospace, defense, transportation and security solutions offering systems, software and services to governments and commercial customers worldwide, including defense electronics and secure communications.