General Support Engineer – Aerospace, Defense & Government (ADG)

Altera; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 71,609 - 103,609; Full time

Job summary

Altera is seeking a General Support Engineer to provide hands-on technical support for FPGA-based platforms in the Aerospace, Defense, and Government sector. You will perform board- and system-level bring-up, validation, and debugging in lab and customer environments, tackling SI/PI issues and high-speed interfaces such as DDR, PCIe, and Ethernet.

You will collaborate with FPGA, hardware design, and software teams to diagnose system-level challenges and develop validation plans, RTL FPGA

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering or related field.
• 3+ years of experience in hardware support, system validation, or board-level engineering.
• Strong experience with hardware bring-up, lab debug, and troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with FPGA-based systems and system-level integration.
• Knowledge of high-speed digital interfaces (DDR, PCIe, Ethernet).
• Hands-on experience with lab equipment (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers).
• Strong experience with RTL design and development using Verilog and/or SystemVerilog.
• Programming and scripting experience using Tcl, Python, Java, or similar languages for automation, debug, and data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Provide board- and system-level support for FPGA-based platforms used in ADG applications
• Perform hardware bring-up, validation, and debug in lab and customer environments
• Troubleshoot complex issues related to signal integrity (SI), power integrity (PI), and system integration
• Support high-speed interfaces (DDR, PCIe, Ethernet) and resolve performance issues
• Collaborate with FPGA, hardware design, and software teams to diagnose and resolve system-level challenges
• Assist customers and internal stakeholders with technical issue resolution and system optimization
• Develop and execute validation plans, debug strategies, and test procedures
• Document findings, solutions, and best practices to improve support and engineering processes
• Support sustaining engineering efforts and continuous improvement of deployed platforms
• Develop, modify, and debug FPGA designs using Verilog/SystemVerilog RTL to support customer applications, reference designs, and internal development efforts
• Collaborate with FPGA architects, design engineers, and software teams to implement and debug RTL FPGA-based solutions

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Logic Analyzers

Protocol Analyzers

Job description

Altera is an independent company delivering programmable solutions that power high-performance and mission‑critical applications. Our FPGA technologies enable innovation across aerospace, defense, and government systems where reliability, security, and performance are paramount.

Altera is seeking a General Support Engineer to support the Aerospace, Defense, and Government (ADG) organization. This role focuses on providing hands‑on technical support for FPGA‑based board and system platforms, including bring‑up, debug, validation, and ongoing system support for mission‑critical applications.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide board‑ and system‑level support for FPGA‑based platforms used in ADG applications
• Perform hardware bring‑up, validation, and debug in lab and customer environments
• Troubleshoot complex issues related to signal integrity (SI), power integrity (PI), and system integration
• Support high‑speed interfaces (DDR, PCIe, Ethernet) and resolve performance issues
• Collaborate with FPGA, hardware design, and software teams to diagnose and resolve system‑level challenges
• Assist customers and internal stakeholders with technical issue resolution and system optimization
• Develop and execute validation plans, debug strategies, and test procedures
• Document findings, solutions, and best practices to improve support and engineering processes
• Support sustaining engineering efforts and continuous improvement of deployed platforms
• Develop, modify, and debug FPGA designs using Verilog/SystemVerilog RTL to support customer applications, reference designs, and internal development efforts
• Collaborate with FPGA architects, design engineers, and software teams to implement and debug RTL FPGA‑based solutions

Pay Range (NH): $96,000 – $138,900 USD

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
• 3+ years of experience in hardware support, system validation, or board‑level engineering
• Strong experience with hardware bring‑up, lab debug, and troubleshooting
• Familiarity with FPGA‑based systems and system‑level integration
• Knowledge of high‑speed digital interfaces (DDR, PCIe, Ethernet)
• Hands‑on experience with lab equipment (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers)
• Strong experience with RTL design and development using Verilog and/or SystemVerilog
• Programming and scripting experience using Tcl, Python, Java, or similar languages for automation, debug, and data analysis

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting aerospace, defense, or government programs
• Familiarity with Altera FPGA platforms and toolchain
• Understanding of signal integrity (SI) and power integrity (PI) principles
• Experience with embedded systems and HW/SW integration
• Background in customer‑facing or field applications engineering roles
• Active or prior U.S. security clearance

Key Competencies

• Strong debugging and root‑cause analysis skills in complex systems
• Ability to work effectively in mission‑critical, high‑reliability environments
• Clear and concise communication with technical and customer stakeholders
• Collaborative mindset across cross‑functional engineering teams
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and respond quickly to technical issues

Security Clearance Requirement

This position may involve work on U.S. Government contracts that require access to controlled or classified information. Accordingly, all applicants must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance as a condition of employment. Failure to obtain or maintain the required security clearance may result in the withdrawal of an employment offer or termination of employment, consistent with applicable law.

Job Type: Regular

Shift: Shift 1 (United States of America)

Primary Location: Portsmouth

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by local law, regulation, or ordinance.