FPGA Engineer - Electronic Warfare

Harmattan AI; Paris; On-site; EUR 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Harmattan AI seeks an FPGA Engineer in its Electronic Warfare team to design real-time DSP hardware. You will own RTL development for signal processing chains, from receiver channelization to jamming waveform generation, collaborating with RF, embedded software and algorithm teams to bring designs from concept to silicon and field deployment.

The role emphasizes rigorous timing, high-throughput constraints, and close coordination across hardware and software disciplines.

Qualifications

• Strong RTL design background in VHDL or SystemVerilog for signal-processing datapaths is mandatory.
• Solid digital signal processing fundamentals: sampling, mixing, decimation, filter design, FFT, and fixed-point arithmetic and quantization trade-offs.
• Hands-on experience with SoC FPGAs and their toolchains.
• No prior Electronic Warfare experience required.
• Experience with high-speed data converter interfaces (JESD204B/C) and multi-channel synchronization is a definite plus.
• Experience with algorithm-to-RTL workflows (MATLAB/Simulink, Python modelling, or HLS) is a plus.
• Lab experience with RF instrumentation — spectrum analyzer, vector signal generator, oscilloscope — is a plus.
• MSc in Electrical / Electronics Engineering, Signal Processing or a related field;
• Broad engineering culture with understanding of RF hardware, embedded software and system-level trade-offs.
• Rigorous, structured and mission-driven mindset with strong analytical skills.
• Excellent communication and documentation abilities.

Responsibilities

• RTL Design & Implementation: Design and implement signal-processing datapaths in VHDL or SystemVerilog.
• Real-Time DSP in Fabric: Implement detection, direction-finding, classification and waveform generation with fixed-point hardware.
• RF & Data Converter Interfacing: Own digital interface to the RF front-end, JESD204B/C and multi-channel clocking.
• Hardware/Software Partitioning: Define split between programmable logic and on-chip processors.
• Timing Closure & Resource Budgets: Drive constraints, timing closure and budgets on production hardware.
• Bring-up, Integration & Validation: Lead FPGA bring-up on new boards and lab validation.
• Technical Coordination: Collaborate across RF hardware, embedded, GNC and ML teams on interfaces.
• System Reviews & Documentation: Contribute to design reviews and maintain traceability.

Skills

RTL design in VHDL/SystemVerilog

DSP fundamentals

JESD204B/C interfaces

Fixed-point arithmetic

Algorithm-to-RTL workflows

RF instrumentation lab experience

Education

MSc in Electrical / Electronics Engineering, Signal Processing or related field

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

Python modelling

HLS

JESD204B/C toolchains

SoC FPGA toolchains

Job description

About Us

Harmattan AI is a next-generation defense prime building autonomous and scalable defense systems. Following the close of a $200M Series B, valuing the company at $1.4 billion, we are expanding our teams and capabilities to deliver mission-critical systems to allied forces.

Our work is guided by clear values: building technologies with real-world impact, pursuing excellence in everything we do, setting ambitious goals, and taking on the hardest technical challenges. We operate in a demanding environment where rigor, ownership, and execution are expected.

About the Role

As an FPGA Engineer within our Electronic Warfare team, you will design and implement the real-time digital signal processing that turns raw RF into actionable effect — from receiver channelization and threat detection through to jamming waveform generation. You will own the RTL at the heart of our EW and SIGINT systems, working hand-in-hand with the RF hardware, embedded software and algorithm teams to take a signal chain from concept and simulation to silicon, to the lab, and into the field.

Responsibilities

• RTL Design & Implementation: Design and implement signal-processing datapaths in VHDL or SystemVerilog — digital down-conversion, channelizers, filtering, FFT and detection chains — from specification through to validation.

• Real-Time DSP in Fabric: Implement detection, direction-finding, classification and waveform generation under hard latency and throughput budgets, translating algorithm intent into fixed-point hardware.

• RF & Data Converter Interfacing: Own the digital interface to the RF front-end — high-speed converters (JESD204B/C), multi-channel clocking, synchronization and calibration paths.

• Hardware/Software Partitioning: Define the split between programmable logic and on-chip processors, and the register and streaming interfaces the embedded software team builds against.

• Timing Closure & Resource Budgets: Drive constraints, timing closure, and resource, power and thermal budgets on production hardware.

• Bring-up, Integration & Validation: Lead FPGA bring-up on new boards, bench validation against performance targets with RF instrumentation, and over-the-air testing alongside the systems team.

• Technical Coordination: Collaborate across RF hardware, embedded, GNC and ML teams on system integration and technical interfaces.

• System Reviews & Documentation: Contribute to design and architecture reviews, maintaining consistency between requirements, design and testing.

Candidate Requirements

• Strong RTL design background in VHDL or SystemVerilog for signal-processing datapaths is mandatory.

• Solid digital signal processing fundamentals: sampling, mixing, decimation, filter design, FFT, and fixed-point arithmetic and quantization trade-offs.

• Hands-on experience with SoC FPGAs and their toolchains..

• No prior Electronic Warfare experience required.

• Experience with high-speed data converter interfaces (JESD204B/C) and multi-channel synchronization is a definite plus.

• Experience with algorithm-to-RTL workflows (MATLAB/Simulink, Python modelling, or HLS) is a plus.

• Lab experience with RF instrumentation — spectrum analyzer, vector signal generator, oscilloscope — is a plus.

• MSc in Electrical / Electronics Engineering, Signal Processing or a related field;

• Broad engineering culture with understanding of RF hardware, embedded software and system-level trade-offs.

• Rigorous, structured and mission-driven mindset with strong analytical skills.

• Excellent communication and documentation abilities.

We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.