Senior FPGA Engineer

Job Title

Senior FPGA Engineer

Role Summary

Senior engineer responsible for designing, implementing, and validating high-speed FPGA logic and FPGA-based signal processing for satellite and RF communication systems. Work within a multidisciplinary hardware, RF and software engineering team to deliver production-grade physical-layer implementations.

Position is based in Herndon, VA with an option for a remote work schedule. The role emphasizes FPGA architecture, RTL implementation, simulation, integration, and test support for next-generation satellite waveform features.

Experience Level

Senior — typically 8+ years of related experience as indicated in the posting.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include RTL design, verification, system integration, and documentation for FPGA-based communication subsystems.

• Design and test complex, high-speed FPGA systems and signal-processing pipelines.
• Create and run top-level simulations to validate functional and timing behavior.
• Translate system requirements into FPGA architectures and RTL implementations (SystemVerilog, VHDL).
• Support system integration and test engineering to ensure functional readiness.
• Contribute to architecture and implementation of satellite communications features (e.g., DVB-S2X, LPI/LPD, 5G-NR).
• Design adaptive TDMA/SCPC return-channel implementations and real-time embedded algorithms, including anti-jam measures.
• Integrate FDMA and TDMA waveforms and develop associated test plans to verify integrated performance.
• Produce simulations and analyses to evaluate channel improvement measures such as pre-distortion/pre-coding.
• Author internal and external technical documentation describing FPGA physical-layer designs.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills, tools, and clearances required for the role.

• 8+ years of related FPGA and digital design experience.
• Proven FPGA RTL development using Verilog/SystemVerilog or VHDL targeting Xilinx and Altera/Intel FPGAs.
• Experience with synthesis, static timing analysis, timing closure, CDC handling, formal verification, power analysis and DRC-focused tools.
• Experience with simulation tools such as ModelSim/QuestaSim and vendor toolflows for Altera/Xilinx.
• Experience verifying designs using SystemVerilog testbenches and verification methodologies.
• Practical understanding of Software Defined Radio concepts and FPGA-based SDR waveform implementation.
• Experience using hardware PCB tools and RF test equipment to debug physical interfaces; RF measurement experience with spectrum/network analyzers and signal generators.
• Experience writing low-level test software (C/C++, LabVIEW, Python) and developing RF/ADC/DAC/JTAG test flows.
• Experience with DSP on FPGAs, SoC/MPSoC designs (e.g., Xilinx Zynq MPSoC, Versal, Altera SoC) and high-speed interfaces (JESD-204C, 10/40G Ethernet, Aurora).
• Active DoD security clearance or ability to obtain a Secret-level DoD clearance.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with control loops, DMA IP (e.g., Xilinx DMA Engine), IEEE 1588/PTP, and implementing DSP algorithms in RTL.
• Experience with modulators/demodulators, FEC, adaptive channels, anti-jam algorithms, Matlab/Simulink, System Generator, or high-level synthesis tools.
• Familiarity with networking protocols (TCP/IP, UDP, DHCP) and Linux driver development.
• Prior satellite communications project experience.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree (BA/BS) in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related field is required (from an accredited institution). A Master of Science in EE/CE (MSEE/MSCE) is preferred.

About the Company

Company: iDirect Government

Headquarters: Herndon, VA, USA

Provider of satellite-based IP communications and network solutions for government and military customers, offering hubs, satellite routers, network management software, transmission security (TRANSEC), anti-jam CSIR technology, and Open Antenna Modem Interface Protocol for secure, bandwidth-efficient, mission-critical applications.