FPGA Engineer

Job Title

FPGA Engineer

Role Summary

Design, verify, and test RTL for FPGAs used in spacecraft, including software-defined radios, avionics, and ground systems. Work on multiple FPGAs and toolchains and collaborate closely with DSP, firmware, software, and hardware teams to meet performance and reliability requirements for commercial and U.S. government projects.

Experience Level

Entry-level — minimum 2 years of relevant FPGA or digital design experience.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include RTL architecture, implementation, verification, and system integration for FPGA-based designs.

• Architect, design, and implement RTL for high-performance systems (SDR, avionics, ground systems).
• Develop and execute verification and test plans, including synthesis, timing closure, and system-level validation.
• Work with multiple FPGAs and toolchains; integrate FPGAs with high-speed data converters, memories, and MCUs.
• Design, implement, and validate radiation mitigation schemes for space systems.
• Collaborate with DSP/radio algorithm designers and embedded firmware/software engineers to meet interface and performance requirements.
• Debug hardware and system-level issues, including circuit- and board-level interactions.
• Participate in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring to grow the engineering team.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills, legal eligibility, and experience for day-one contributions. Education details are listed under Education Requirements below.

• U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent resident status (required for export-controlled technology).
• Minimum 2 years of hands-on FPGA or digital hardware design experience.
• Strong proficiency in Verilog/SystemVerilog for synthesis and verification.
• Experience designing, implementing, verifying, and testing high-throughput FPGA systems.
• Experience interfacing FPGAs with high-speed data converters (ADCs/DACs), memories, and microcontrollers.
• Practical hardware development experience in a fast-paced, delivery-focused environment and ability to collaborate across disciplines.

Nice-to-have / Bonus:

• MS or PhD in computer engineering or equivalent.
• Experience in DSP, radio design, or modern communications (RF, IF/IQ, modulation, LDPC).
• Experience with Xilinx FPGAs, Vivado IDE, TCL, and JESD204 interfaces.
• Familiarity with UVM, circuit-level debugging, power/thermal/area tradeoffs, and space-based systems.

Education Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science is expected, or equivalent practical experience. Graduate degrees (MS/PhD) in related fields are listed as preferred/bonus. The posting allows "equivalent" practical experience in lieu of a degree.

About the Company

Company: Astranis

Headquarters: San Francisco, CA, USA

Astranis designs, builds, and operates small geostationary satellites and satellite communications networks, providing secure, customizable connectivity to commercial, government, and military customers. The company handles end-to-end satellite development, manufacturing, and operations and has raised substantial venture funding to support launches and commercial deployments.