FPGA Engineer (Space)

Job Title

FPGA Engineer (Space)

Role Summary

Design, implement, and deliver high-speed signal-processing, cryptography, and network-protocol logic on FPGAs for satellite communications systems. Work covers the full lifecycle from requirements and architecture through RTL, simulation, place-and-route, lab bring-up, and integration with hardware and software teams.

Collaborate with electrical, systems, and software engineers to produce reliable FPGA-based subsystems for space infrastructure. Viasat is an equal opportunity employer.

Experience Level

Entry-level / Early-career — typically requires about 2+ years of FPGA design experience.

Responsibilities

Typical responsibilities include:

• Develop RTL in Verilog, SystemVerilog, or VHDL for control, data processing, and communications functions.
• Integrate and deploy designs on FPGA and FPGA SoC platforms; perform place-and-route and timing closure tasks.
• Collaborate on high-speed DSP and waveform processing algorithms for satellite communications applications.
• Support lab bring-up, integration, and hardware debugging using logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and other instrumentation.
• Participate in system-level trade studies, utilization analysis, and design/code reviews.
• Maintain code revision history, create documentation, and support test, validation, and production efforts.
• Work autonomously on well-defined problems and coordinate with cross-functional teams.

Requirements

Must-have skills and conditions:

• 2+ years of practical FPGA design experience, including experience with Xilinx Vivado.
• Strong knowledge of SystemVerilog and/or VHDL and RTL design for signal-processing blocks.
• Experience designing and coding for reuse, maintainability, and scalability.
• Ability to read schematics and work closely with hardware design teams.
• Good oral and written communication skills.
• US citizenship (required for this role).
• Ability to travel up to 10%.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with lab equipment (logic analyzers, DMM, spectrum analyzers) and hardware debug.
• Experience with high-speed interfaces (SERDES, DDR2/3/4, LVDS) and programmable-logic EDA tools (Vivado, Quartus, Synplify).
• Familiarity with TCL, Perl, Python or other scripting languages; Linux-based development environments; GitHub; CI/CD practices.
• Experience with FPGA simulation and testbench development, MATLAB, and strong troubleshooting skills.
• Understanding of satellite communication waveforms and standards and familiarity with AI coding assistants is a plus.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field required. Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) preferred. Equivalent practical experience may be considered.

About the Company

Company: Viasat

Headquarters: Carlsbad, CA, United States

Viasat develops satellite and wireless communication technologies and services, delivering high-capacity connectivity for consumers, businesses, and government/military customers worldwide. The company designs satellites, ground systems, networking equipment, and managed network solutions for broadband internet, secure communications, and connectivity in challenging environments.