Principal / Sr. Principal FPGA Design Engineer

Job Title

Principal / Sr. Principal FPGA Design Engineer

Role Summary

Design and deliver FPGA-based digital signal processing subsystems for space and defense programs. Work includes requirements analysis, system and RTL architecture, coding, verification, synthesis, place & route, timing closure and hardware bring-up for high-speed, RF/EO and embedded interfaces.

Position is on the Rolling Meadows, IL team supporting multiple programs; occasional travel (~10%).

Experience Level

Senior — Level 3 (Principal) or Level 4 (Sr. Principal). Experience guidance: Principal (Level 3) typically 5+ years FPGA/ASIC design (MS +3 years or PhD acceptable); Sr. Principal (Level 4) typically 8+ years FPGA/ASIC design (MS +6 years or PhD +3 years acceptable).

Responsibilities

Deliver FPGA designs from requirements through hardware verification and production handoff.

• Perform requirements analysis and define digital/system architectures for FPGA-based DSP products.
• Implement RTL in VHDL and/or Verilog; develop and maintain high-quality, reviewed code.
• Create and run test benches and verification plans to validate functionality and performance.
• Use HLS tools where appropriate to implement algorithms and accelerate development.
• Perform synthesis, place & route, static timing analysis and power analysis; achieve timing closure on dense designs.
• Integrate FPGA designs with processors, high-speed interfaces, and embedded software components.
• Debug and validate designs at the hardware level using instruments (logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, signal generators).
• Document designs, attend design reviews, and collaborate across multidisciplinary teams.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and security eligibility.

• In-depth knowledge of VHDL and/or Verilog.
• Proficiency in high-level synthesis (e.g., Xilinx Vivado HLS and/or Mentor Catapult) and C++.
• Expertise achieving timing closure on dense FPGA designs and familiarity with FPGA design flows (RTL/gate simulation, synthesis, P&R, STA, power analysis).
• Working knowledge of digital signal processing structures and techniques.
• Proficient in Python, C, or other scripting languages for automation and test.
• Experience with FPGA simulation tools and vendor toolchains (Xilinx, Intel/Altera).
• Demonstrated ability to generate and run comprehensive test benches.
• Strong problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills; able to work independently and across teams.
• Must be a U.S. citizen with ability to obtain and maintain Top Secret security clearance with SCI.

Nice-to-have / preferred:

• Active Top Secret with SCI/SAP clearance.
• Extensive experience implementing DSP or image-processing algorithms on FPGAs and with high-speed interfaces (AXI, PCIe, Aurora, JESD, 10G Ethernet).
• Experience with SDR platforms, SoC-based FPGA architectures, FPGA/SW interfaces, and MATLAB/Simulink prototyping.
• Familiarity with EDA tools such as ModelSim/QuestaSim, Synplify, Xilinx ISE/Vivado, Intel Quartus, DSP Builder, and with revision control and requirements tools (GIT/SVN/ClearCase, DOORS, Jira/Rally).
• Experience developing test benches using SystemVerilog and UVM.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science or a similar engineering discipline is expected. Alternatives cited: Master’s degree with reduced years of required experience or a PhD with further reduced experience. The posting explicitly maps degree levels to experience requirements (e.g., B.S. + 5 years for Principal; B.S. + 8 years for Sr. Principal; M.S. or PhD combinations with adjusted experience).

About the Company

Company: Northrop Grumman

Headquarters: Falls Church, Virginia, United States

Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company that provides innovative solutions in mission systems, electronics, and software. With a legacy of significant advancements in technology, we empower employees to tackle complex challenges and create revolutionary systems that enhance global security. Our diverse teams focus on engineering innovation and product development, delivering solutions that support military and civilian customers worldwide.