Staff FPGA Engineer

Job Title

Staff FPGA Engineer

Role Summary

Lead the architecture, development, verification, and flight-readiness of avionics FPGA RTL designs for Astrolab planetary rovers. Own the FPGA design lifecycle from requirements and logical architecture through verification, integration, and system bring-up. This role reports to the Director of Avionics Engineering and is based in Hawthorne, CA.

Experience Level

Senior — requires 10+ years of FPGA development and verification experience.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include:

• Own FPGA RTL development from concept through qualification and flight.
• Define FPGA logical architecture and requirements in coordination with hardware and embedded software teams.
• Implement FPGA RTL using SystemVerilog or VHDL for devices such as Microsemi, Xilinx, or similar.
• Perform comprehensive verification: testbenches, simulations, timing closure, resource and stability analysis.
• Lead design reviews, ensure requirements traceability, and produce clear integration and operational documentation.
• Plan and execute test campaigns from unit validation to system-level and flight tests; support hardware validation.
• Support system integration, bring-up, troubleshooting, and flight test activities.
• Consider reliability and radiation effects when designing FPGA systems intended for space environments.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and abilities; listed as concise items. Nice-to-have items follow.

• Must-have: 10+ years of FPGA RTL architecture, development, verification, deployment, and lifecycle support.
• Must-have: Strong proficiency in SystemVerilog or VHDL and hands-on RTL design experience.
• Must-have: Experience implementing designs on FPGA platforms (Microsemi, Xilinx, or similar) and performing timing closure and resource analysis.
• Must-have: Proficiency with verification methodologies, testbench development, simulations, and stability analysis.
• Must-have: Scripting proficiency (TCL, shell, or Python) for automation and build/test workflows.
• Must-have: Familiarity with embedded software integration and defining HW/SW boundaries; experience with AXI protocols (including AXI4) and common bus interfaces (SPI, I2C, UART).
• Must-have: Ability to read and interpret PCB schematics and perform hardware bring-up and lab validation.
• Must-have: Ability to lift up to 50 lbs for hardware bring-up and lab activities.
• Nice-to-have: Experience with radiation mitigation, space-qualified FPGA design, or long-duration reliability considerations.

Education Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent; equivalent practical experience accepted.

About the Company

Company: Astrolab

Headquarters: Hawthorne, CA, United States

Venturi Astrolab (Astrolab) designs, builds, and operates multi-purpose commercial planetary rovers and supporting avionics and ground systems to enable surface exploration and operations on other planetary bodies.