FPGA Engineer
Las Cruces, NM
Full Time
6105 - Engineering R&D
Mid Level
Position Overview
We are seeking a highly skilled FPGA Engineer to design, implement, and verify digital logic solutions for advanced aerospace and defense electronics. This role spans the full development lifecycle—from architecture definition and RTL coding to simulation, synthesis, and lab validation. The ideal candidate excels at the intersection of hardware and firmware, bringing innovation, technical rigor, and collaborative problem-solving to a fast-paced R&D environment.
Scope of Responsibility
Core Objectives
Key Responsibilities
Essential Skills
Experience and Education
Personal Traits and Characteristics:
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, see, and hear. The employee is frequently required to walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.
Minimal travel (<10%) may be required for program support and cross-site collaboration.
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.
Office environment with temperature control, may be exposed to chemicals related to the manufacturing process. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Spectra provides Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status.
We are seeking a highly skilled FPGA Engineer to design, implement, and verify digital logic solutions for advanced aerospace and defense electronics. This role spans the full development lifecycle—from architecture definition and RTL coding to simulation, synthesis, and lab validation. The ideal candidate excels at the intersection of hardware and firmware, bringing innovation, technical rigor, and collaborative problem-solving to a fast-paced R&D environment.
Scope of Responsibility
Core Objectives
- Deliver reliable, efficient, and scalable FPGA-based solutions that meet real-time system requirements.
- Collaborate across engineering teams to integrate FPGAs into embedded computing platforms.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop HDL code (VHDL/Verilog/SystemVerilog) for digital signal processing, memory control, data acquisition, and high-speed interfaces.
- Perform simulation, synthesis, timing analysis, and place-and-route using industry tools (e.g., Vivado, Quartus, ModelSim).
- Interface with system architects and software teams to define FPGA functionality, constraints, and register maps.
- Validate FPGA performance through bench testing, logic analysis, and hardware debugging.
- Support documentation, version control, configuration management, and product release readiness.
- Participate in design reviews, risk assessments, and system-level integration activities.
Essential Skills
- Proficiency in VHDL or Verilog for RTL design, simulation, and timing closure.
- Experience with high-speed interfaces (PCIe, DDR, Ethernet, JESD204, etc.).
- Familiarity with Xilinx or Intel/Altera FPGAs and toolchains.
- Knowledge of clock domain crossing, reset synchronization, and power-up sequencing best practices.
- Comfortable using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and scripting tools (TCL, Python, MATLAB).
Experience and Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field; Master’s preferred.
- 5+ years of experience in FPGA design and development in aerospace, defense, or embedded systems environments.
- Experience with DO-254, MIL-STD, or other regulated development practices is a plus.
Personal Traits and Characteristics:
- Analytical and exacting: Thrives on precision and getting the timing just right.
- Collaborative and communicative: Works well across hardware/software/system domains.
- Proactive and dependable: Manages workload independently and anticipates design needs.
- Growth-minded and innovative: Always seeking better ways to build robust, reusable IP blocks.
- Mission-oriented: Understands the impact of reliable electronics in high-stakes systems.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, see, and hear. The employee is frequently required to walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.
Minimal travel (<10%) may be required for program support and cross-site collaboration.
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.
Office environment with temperature control, may be exposed to chemicals related to the manufacturing process. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Spectra provides Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status.
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