FPGA Engineer

Job Title

FPGA Engineer

Role Summary

Design, develop, and test FPGA-based RF capabilities and software-defined radio (SDR) systems for government research and development programs. Collaborate with a team of engineers to deliver integrated FPGA + RF solutions and support system-level integration and verification.

Experience Level

Senior level — minimum 7 years professional experience in FPGA and SDR development.

Responsibilities

Primary duties cover the full FPGA development lifecycle from design through verification and system integration.

• Design and implement FPGA logic (RTL).
• Write and maintain VHDL or Verilog code.
• Perform simulation and verification using tools such as ModelSim or Questa.
• Debug at the module and system level and integrate FPGAs with RF hardware.
• Develop and implement software-defined radio (SDR) solutions and real-time processing pipelines.
• Execute laboratory testing and performance verification for FPGA/RF systems.
• Use version control and collaborate on design artifacts and documentation.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills, security clearance capability, and experience.

• Must be capable of acquiring and maintaining a DOD Top Secret SCI clearance.
• 7+ years of professional experience developing FPGA and SDR solutions.
• Proficiency in VHDL or Verilog.
• Experience with FPGA toolchains (e.g., Xilinx Vivado or Intel/Altera).
• Experience with C or C++ and MATLAB for algorithm development and testing.
• Experience with Git for version control and Linux distributions (e.g., RedHat, Rocky Linux).
• Hands-on experience with embedded hardware and RF signal processing.
• Strong debugging and system integration skills.

Preferred:

• Experience with DSP algorithms and digital RF sampling, modulation, error correction, or compression.
• Experience integrating embedded processors and FPGA fabric on Xilinx SoC or RFSoC devices.
• Experience with C5ISR, EW, SIGINT, or communication systems.

Education Requirements

The posting specifies a Bachelor's degree is required and notes a high school diploma or GED as the minimum educational credential. Preferred fields include Engineering or Computer Science. No explicit statement about degree equivalency was provided.

About the Company

Company: Apex Systems

Headquarters: Glen Allen, Virginia, United States

Apex Systems is a global IT staffing and workforce solutions firm that provides consulting, contract, and permanent placement services, along with training, benefits, and career development resources for technology and business professionals.