FPGA and Embedded Systems Engineer

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.

At Aerospace, we are committed to providing an inclusive and diverse workplace for all employees to share in our common passion and aspiration – to carry out a mission much bigger than ourselves.

The Communication Technologies and Engineering Division (CTED) represents the disciplines of communications, networking, and PNT (Position, Navigation, and Timing) in support of space missions, along with their enabling technologies. In our domain, CTED projects comprise all aspects, from architectures to prototypes to implementation, theoretical to hands-on.  Our engineers work directly with corporate and U.S. Government customers to ensure robust and resilient communications. 

Our Digital Electronics and Electromagnetics Department in Chantilly, VA is engaged in modeling & simulation work and prototyping & testbed development work. The range of work includes cubesat payload development, signal collection prototypes, antenna modeling and measurements in our anechoic chamber, software defined radio (SDR) communications and signal collections systems, and RF system in support of prototyping and customer developments.

Work Model: This Position will be located 100% onsite in Chantilly, VA.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Joining the Digital Electronics and Electromagnetics Department as an early-career engineer who works both independently and as a member of project teams
• Solving technical problems in the areas of communications, signals collection, and data processing
• Developing experiments and prototypes in our laboratory facilities that include extensive SDR hardware, FPGA development systems, and RF signals test and measurement equipment
• Supporting customer programs by performing research, analysis, development, and assessments of signal processing algorithm implementations on operational hardware
• Supporting our DOD and Intelligence customers with primary support to the National Reconnaissance Office
• Using your technical abilities and insights to keep ongoing development programs successful and to influence future missions

What You Need to be Successful – Member of Technical Staff

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited program in Electrical Engineering or related technical discipline
• Minimum of two years of relevant experience in progressively more responsible roles.
• Work in a laboratory environment working with FPGAs and/or SDRs, and associated test equipment
• Experience in developing and implementing DSP algorithms with real-world performance requirements on CPU, GPU, and/or FPGA-based platforms
• Capacity to learn FPGA development or collaborate closely with in-house FPGA developers
• Willing to travel domestically up to 10% of time. 
• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SSBI security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government.  U.S. citizenship is required to obtain this level of security clearance.

In addition to the above, the minimum requirements for Senior Member of Technical Staff:

• Minimum of five years of relevant experience in progressively more responsible roles.
• Track record working independently and managing individual tasking
• Proficiency providing deliverables and briefing management and or customers on project progress

How You Can Stand Out

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:

• Advanced degree in Electrical Engineering or related technical discipline from an accredited university.
• Proficiency with a variety of popular FPGA tools such as Vivado/Vitis, Quartus, ModelSim, Questasim, and/or Synplify
• Experience implementing machine learning architectures on FPGA and/or GPU based hardware
• Proficiency with popular SDR tools such as GNURadio
• Experience working with experts in the fields of antenna systems, RF systems, SIG