FPGA Engineer

Job Title

FPGA Engineer

Role Summary

Design, develop, verify, and maintain safety-critical FPGA/firmware for surveillance avionics (TCAS, transponder, ADS‑B) within a DO-254 development environment. Work on product lifecycle activities from requirements and design through certification, production support, and in-service sustainment.

Member of a multidisciplinary surveillance hardware team collaborating with systems, hardware, RF, software, and certification stakeholders to deliver certifiable avionics products.

Experience Level

Mid-level (early- to mid-career). The posting describes candidate experience expectations spanning from at least 3 years of engineering and FPGA/firmware work up to 5–6 years depending on degree level (see Education Requirements for details).

Responsibilities

The role focuses on RTL/firmware development, verification, and certification support for surveillance avionics.

• Design, implement, and verify FPGA firmware using VHDL and/or Verilog for avionics systems.
• Use vendor toolchains for Xilinx and Microchip FPGAs (ISE, Vivado, Libero) and simulation tools (Active HDL/QuestaSim).
• Perform requirements-based verification and produce verification artifacts to support DO-254 compliance.
• Generate design and certification documentation (e.g., HRDs, HDDs, HCIAs, PHACs) and participate in design reviews.
• Integrate firmware with hardware, RF, and software components; support system integration and test.
• Coordinate with certification authorities, customers, and cross-functional teams to resolve technical issues.
• Provide production support and documentation for fielded products; travel up to 10% as required.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience; preferred items listed separately.

• Proven RTL coding in VHDL and/or Verilog.
• Experience with Xilinx and Microchip FPGAs and associated toolchains (ISE, Vivado, Libero).
• Experience with simulation and verification tools (Active HDL, QuestaSim or equivalent).
• Knowledge of DO-254 airborne electronic hardware lifecycle and requirements-based verification practices.
• Experience producing engineering and certification documentation.
• Minimum 3 years of prior relevant engineering experience; minimum 3 years of FPGA and firmware design experience.
• Effective technical communication and collaboration skills across multidisciplinary teams and with customers.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with aerospace systems development, integrated hardware/software products, or RF/sensor systems.
• Familiarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE).
• RTOS integration experience and awareness of its hardware implications.
• Practical RF design understanding, particularly L-band and RF-to-FPGA considerations.
• Knowledge of DO-160 and DO-178, design-to-cost, and design-for-manufacturability practices.
• Experience supporting production and testing across geographically distributed sites.
• Ability to work with minimal oversight and manage multiple programs simultaneously.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering is stated with a minimum of 6 years of prior relevant experience. A graduate degree reduces the stated minimum to 5 years. A Pilot License or Part 107 certificate is mentioned as an optional/preferred certification. (No alternative "equivalent experience" language was specified beyond the degree+years combinations.)

About the Company

Company: Acron Aviation

Acron Aviation designs, engineers, and manufactures certified avionics systems for commercial and military aircraft. Their product portfolio includes surveillance systems, recorders, displays, and related avionics developed for regulated, safety‑critical environments, with end‑to‑end services from development and certification through production and aftermarket support.