FPGA Engineer (Starshield) Verified today
About Starshield
Starshield leverages SpaceX's launch capability and Starlink technology to support national security efforts. Designed for government use, with an initial focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads.
The Role
As an FPGA Engineer on the satellite digital design team, you will design, develop, and test FPGAs that support safety-critical logic, sensors, cryptography, and RF/optical communications systems for SpaceX's satellite constellation. You will engage with other SpaceX engineers to discover mission needs and code highly reliable digital designs. You will be responsible for the complete lifecycle of the FPGA designs you create, including development, testing, and support.
Responsibilities
- Deliver highly reliable firmware for SpaceX-designed hardware
- Work with engineers across the department to develop new products, from prototype through production and flight
- Take ownership of your firmware products, including verification testing and writing documentation
- Follow the SpaceX flight software development process and write great firmware for spaceflight
- Work in close collaboration with avionics, software, and platform engineers to design and validate FPGA designs
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, electrical engineering, math or other engineering discipline, OR 2+ years of professional software development experience in lieu of a degree
- Experience using Verilog, SystemVerilog, or VHDL
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Experience working with complex digital designs
- Experience in different stages of FPGA development: RTL design, verification, synthesis, timing analysis, lab bring up/validation
- Experience developing firmware for Xilinx SoC FPGA platforms and designing high-throughput PS/PL interfaces
- Experience with high speed serial links, including GbE, PCI-E or similar
- Experience with networking protocols and packet processing (Ethernet 802.3, IPV4/IPV6, UDP, TCP)
- Experience implementing DSP algorithms on FPGAs, including fixed point analysis and verification
- Experience developing software for embedded systems in C or C++, or significant experience in another software language
- Scripting skills (bash, Perl, Python)
- Familiar with common electronic components and comfortable reading circuit design schematics and contributing to hardware design discussions
- Excellent leadership, communication and teamwork skills
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret or Top Secret SCI clearance
Additional Requirements
- This position requires successfully obtaining and maintaining a Top Secret Security Clearance as a condition of employment. While the clearance may not be immediately necessary upon hire, you should initiate the application process promptly upon accepting this offer.
- Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed
- Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State (ITAR requirements).
Compensation
Level 1: $125,000 - $160,000
Level 2: $145,000 - $195,000
Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.
Base salary is one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards, discretionary bonuses, and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Benefits include comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, 3 weeks of paid vacation, and 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to company policy.