Sr. FPGA Engineer II

Job Title

Sr. FPGA Engineer II

Role Summary

Senior FPGA engineer on Rocket Lab Optical Systems in Chantilly, VA, responsible for end-to-end FPGA design for electro-optical space payloads supporting government and national security customers. The role focuses on RTL development, simulation, verification, and lab bring-up for flight and payload electronics.

Work is cross-functional with hardware and software teams to deliver flight-ready FPGA subsystems for space applications.

Experience Level

Senior-level. The posting specifies 8+ years of relevant FPGA firmware experience.

Responsibilities

Core responsibilities include full lifecycle FPGA development and test in support of spaceborne optical payloads.

• Translate requirements into FPGA architecture and RTL designs.
• Write, simulate, and verify FPGA firmware (VHDL) and associated testbenches.
• Perform synthesis, implementation, timing analysis, and design closure.
• Debug designs in the lab and support hardware bring-up and system integration.
• Collaborate with hardware and software teams on interfaces, device bring-up, and production testing.
• Provide subject-matter expertise for design reviews and automated test development.
• Analyze datasheets and specifications to determine design feasibility and approach.

Requirements

Must-have skills, clearance/eligibility, and physical/operational requirements.

• 8+ years of experience writing FPGA firmware from scratch in VHDL.
• Proven experience with FPGA design flow: coding, simulation, synthesis, implementation, and timing analysis.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.
• Eligibility consistent with U.S. export regulations (ITAR) for work in U.S. offices (e.g., U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee/asylee, or otherwise eligible for required authorizations).
• Experience supporting lab bring-up, hardware debug, and cross-disciplinary integration with software and PCB teams.
• Physically able to commute to the Chantilly, VA location and perform standard lab/desk work; specific vision and dexterity requirements apply.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with Xilinx/AMD Versal architecture.
• Experience with radiation effects (SEU/SEL) and mitigation for space environments.
• Background in FPGA- or ASIC-based image processing algorithms and IP development/integration.
• Familiarity with C, Python, or MATLAB and translating algorithms to HDL.
• Experience with interrupts, DMA, DDR4, Aurora, high-speed transceivers, AXI Stream/Memory Mapped interfaces.
• PCB design and schematic capture experience (e.g., Altium Designer).

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in computer engineering, electrical engineering, or a closely related discipline, or equivalent discipline/academic background.

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.