Staff FPGA Design Engineer

Job Title

Staff FPGA Design Engineer

Role Summary

Lead the architecture, design, and verification of FPGA-based hardware and circuit card assemblies (CCAs) for flight-critical avionics systems. Work with cross-functional teams to deliver hardware from concept through qualification and production, ensuring compliance with aerospace performance, reliability, and environmental requirements.

Experience Level

Senior — typically requires 10+ years of direct experience in electronics hardware and ASIC/FPGA development.

Responsibilities

Accountable for end-to-end hardware and FPGA development, verification, and test for avionics applications.

• Develop mixed-signal designs and manage them through requirements definition, design, qualification, and production release.
• Perform architecture trade studies, device selection, schematic generation, and hardware characterization.
• Conduct de-rating analysis, worst-case circuit analysis, FMECA, and reliability assessments.
• Define and implement hardware–software interfaces for control laws and automated test functions.
• Architect and implement ASIC/FPGA RTL; create test cases and run simulations to verify functionality.
• Perform FPGA synthesis, resolve tool errors/warnings, complete place-and-route, and ensure timing closure via STA.
• Execute electrical checkout of circuit cards and FPGA interfaces for requirement verification and design validation.
• Prepare materials for peer and design reviews and support test operations, including engine/ground testing as needed.
• Support design-for-test, manufacturability, cost optimization, and root-cause analysis of test discrepancies.

Requirements

Core technical and operational requirements. Items below marked "Nice-to-have" are preferred but not mandatory.

• 10+ years of direct experience in electronics hardware and ASIC/FPGA development.
• Proven experience delivering flight avionics for aircraft, launch vehicles, or space systems.
• Understanding of analog/digital filtering, mixed-signal circuit design, analysis, and test.
• Knowledge of signal integrity, power distribution, grounding, and PCB layout principles.
• Working knowledge of EMI/EMC practices and relevant standards (MIL-461, DO-160, or FCC).
• Proficient in hardware description languages: VHDL, Verilog, or SystemVerilog.
• Ability to use Python, TCL, or similar scripting languages for FPGA simulation and hardware test automation.
• Experience with ASIC/FPGA timing closure, synthesis, and place-and-route flows; familiarity with STA.
• Experience with Xilinx or Microsemi (Microchip) FPGAs and common FPGA toolchains.
• Experience reading schematics and using electronic test and debugging equipment.
• Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen or permanent resident) and eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with SystemVerilog UVM, Cocotb, or PLI/DPI co-simulation environments.
• Experience designing Class 3 board assemblies and using Altium or similar PCB tools.
• Familiarity with high-reliability, radiation-tolerant/-hardened hardware and DO-254 considerations.
• Experience with sensor/actuator technologies (RTDs, pressure transducers, motors, solenoids, encoders).
• Proficiency in C/C++, MATLAB/Simulink, SPICE, and low-level programming or assembly.

Education Requirements

Required: B.S. in Electrical Engineering. Preferred: graduate degree in a related engineering or technical field (noted as preferred for more senior profiles). The posting ties experience levels (e.g., 10+ years and 15+ years) to these degree levels but does not list alternative-equivalent-experience language.

About the Company

Company: Ursa Major

Headquarters: Berthoud, Colorado, United States

Ursa Major develops high-performance propulsion systems for aerospace and defense, designing and delivering rocket engines and propulsion technologies for hypersonics, satellite maneuvering, launch vehicles, and national-security applications.