Sr. FPGA Engineer I
Rocket LabJob Title
Sr. FPGA Engineer I
Role Summary
Join the Space Systems FPGA team in Long Beach to develop and verify FPGA firmware used in spacecraft avionics. The role covers requirements definition, design, implementation, verification, testing, and support of on-orbit operations.
Experience Level
Senior — requires significant prior experience; posting specifies 5+ years of FPGA firmware development experience.
Responsibilities
The role focuses on FPGA firmware design and verification across the development lifecycle and supporting integration and test activities.
- Collaborate with hardware, software, and systems engineers to define firmware architecture and requirements.
- Design and verify FPGA firmware for Xilinx and Microchip FPGA and SoC devices.
- Create and maintain documentation for FPGA operation and interfaces to other software and hardware systems.
- Plan and participate in test campaigns from module-level tests to automated unit and system-level testing.
- Support system integration, lab testing, and on-orbit operation and troubleshooting.
Requirements
Must-have technical skills, program constraints, and experience.
- 5+ years of FPGA firmware development experience.
- Proficiency in VHDL and strong understanding of FPGA design fundamentals.
- Experience developing and verifying firmware for complex systems and participating in test campaigns.
- U.S. citizenship or other status meeting U.S. government export control requirements (ITAR) for work in U.S. offices.
Nice-to-have:
- Experience with Xilinx and Microchip devices and toolchains.
- Familiarity with verification frameworks (UVM, VUnit) and DSP / software-defined radio algorithms.
- Experience with radiation effects on FPGAs (SEU/SEL) and mitigation in spacecraft avionics.
- Experience with signal integrity, digital timing analysis (DWCCA), high-speed interfaces (GigE, PCIe), and common protocols (SPI, UART, I2C, CAN).
- Proficiency with embedded software, GIT, JIRA, lab hardware, and continuous integration environments.
Education Requirements
Required: Bachelor’s degree in electrical, computer, or software engineering or another engineering degree. Preferred: Master’s or PhD in electrical, computer, or software engineering or related fields.
About the Company
Company: Rocket Lab
Headquarters: Long Beach, California, United States
Rocket Lab is a global leader in launch and space systems, known for its Electron rocket which has been providing reliable access to orbit since 2018. The company supports various space missions such as scientific exploration and Earth observation, and is developing the Neutron rocket for future payloads. With a focus on innovation, Rocket Lab has been instrumental in over 1,700 missions including high-profile projects like the James Webb Space Telescope and NASA's Psyche Mission.
