FPGA Engineer

Job Title

FPGA Engineer

Role Summary

Design, develop, and test FPGA-based RF capabilities within a multidisciplinary engineering team supporting government R&D programs. Work focuses on hands-on implementation of FPGA RTL, simulation, verification, and integration with RF hardware and software-defined radio (SDR) systems.

The role requires applied engineering work in embedded and real-time processing, debugging at system level, and collaboration to deliver validated solutions for operational systems.

Experience Level

Senior-level — 7+ years of professional experience.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities cover the full FPGA lifecycle from design through test and integration, with emphasis on RF and SDR applications.

• Design, implement, and maintain FPGA RTL (VHDL/Verilog) for RF and SDR systems.
• Create and run simulations and verification using ModelSim, Questa, or equivalent tools.
• Perform hardware-in-the-loop testing, system integration, and debugging with RF hardware.
• Develop real-time embedded processing and interface FPGA fabrics with processors and peripherals.
• Implement and tune DSP algorithms for RF signal processing as needed.
• Maintain version control, documentation, and reproducible build/test flows (Git).

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and qualifications for successful performance in this role.

Must-have:

• Eligible to acquire and maintain a DOD Top Secret/SCI clearance.
• 7+ years of relevant professional experience developing FPGA/SDR solutions.
• Proficiency in VHDL or Verilog for RTL design.
• Experience with FPGA toolchains (Xilinx Vivado or Intel/Altera).
• Experience with simulation/verification tools such as ModelSim or Questa.
• Proficiency in C and C++; experience with MATLAB.
• Familiarity with Linux distributions (e.g., RedHat, Rocky Linux).
• Experience with embedded hardware systems, real-time processing, and system integration.
• Hands-on RF signal processing experience and interfacing FPGAs to RF systems.
• Version control experience (Git) and practical debugging skills.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with DSP signal processing algorithms and digital RF sampling.
• Experience with Xilinx SoC and RFSoC devices (integrating embedded CPUs and FPGA fabric).
• Knowledge of modulations, error-correction, compression techniques.
• Experience with C5ISR, EW, SIGINT, or related communications systems.

Education Requirements

Posting references a Bachelor's degree as required and specifically mentions fields such as Engineering or Computer Science. The posting also notes an HS diploma or GED as a minimum educational statement. (Bachelor's degree in a technical field is the primary expectation.)

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.