Embedded FPGA Engineer

Job Title

Embedded FPGA Engineer

Role Summary

Design, implement, and validate FPGA-based digital signal processing (DSP) functions on embedded SOSA/VPX hardware using modern FPGA toolchains. Work as part of a cross-functional engineering team to integrate FPGA designs with software, firmware, and system-level architectures for real-time RF signal processing applications.

Experience Level

Mid-level — 3+ years of FPGA or SDR development experience.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include developing FPGA implementations of DSP algorithms, integrating with system software/firmware, and verifying performance under real-time constraints.

• Design and implement FPGA-based DSP systems using HDL, Vitis HLS, and vendor toolchains.
• Translate and optimize DSP algorithms (filtering, detection, synchronization, modulation, transforms) into resource-efficient hardware blocks.
• Integrate FPGA designs with software, firmware, and system-level components.
• Test, verify, and validate designs for functional correctness, timing, stability, and throughput.
• Optimize designs for timing, area, power, and throughput using HLS directives and traditional flows.
• Develop reusable hardware IP blocks and scalable DSP pipelines.
• Maintain design documentation: block diagrams, interfaces, user guides, and design notes.
• Identify and evaluate new techniques and tools to improve FPGA development and DSP performance.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and clearance eligibility are listed below. Education requirements are summarized in the Education Requirements section.

• Must-have: 3+ years developing FPGA or SDR solutions.
• Experience with modeling and scripting languages such as Python, C++, Embedded C, or MATLAB for DSP development.
• Hands-on FPGA development using Verilog, VHDL, SystemVerilog, or HLS and associated simulation, synthesis, timing analysis, and debug flows.
• Experience with Xilinx toolchains (Vitis, Vivado) and scripting (tcl) or equivalent vendor ecosystems.
• Familiarity with Linux/UNIX development environments and scripting.
• Solid understanding of digital design fundamentals: streaming architectures, pipelining, buffering, and datapath timing.
• Ability to read hardware schematics and use lab equipment (logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers).
• Experience working in Agile processes and tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence).
• Ability to obtain a TS/SCI clearance; selected applicants will undergo a security investigation.
• Nice-to-have: experience with SOSA/VPX systems, HLS-friendly algorithm development, porting vendor RF transceiver reference designs, RF testing, high-speed interfaces (AXI-Stream, AXI-Lite, DMA), GPU/parallel processing, and AI-driven FPGA automation.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering required. Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field is preferred. (No explicit equivalency language provided.)

About the Company

Company: Booz Allen & Hamilton

Headquarters: McLean, Virginia, United States

Management and technology consulting firm providing analytics, engineering, cyber, digital, and mission services to U.S. government agencies (especially defense and intelligence) and commercial clients.