Digital Electronics Hardware Engineer - Rotterdam

Spherical Systems; Rotterdam; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Opportunity to innovate in space electronics

Collaboration with skilled engineers

Significant scope for personal growth

Job summary

A leading space technology startup in the Netherlands is searching for an experienced engineer to blend digital hardware development with traditional PCB engineering. This pivotal role involves designing high-reliability PCB systems, FPGA development, and ensuring compliance with aerospace standards. The ideal candidate will contribute to innovative satellite electronics and possess strong skills in FPGA and embedded systems development, with the flexibility of a hybrid working model.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in PCB schematic design, layout, manufacturing, and board bring-up.
• Competence in FPGA development (Verilog/VHDL, simulation, synthesis, timing closure).
• Experience with embedded systems including microcontrollers and embedded C development.

Responsibilities

• Own the complete design and verification flow of hardware.
• Collaborate closely with semiconductor and software architects.
• Develop low-level embedded firmware for microcontrollers.

Skills

PCB schematic design

FPGA development (Verilog/VHDL)

Embedded C development

Digital electronics and logic design

Communication interfaces (SPI, I²C, etc.)

Education

Bachelor degree in electrical or electronics engineering

Tools

CocoTB

Job description

About SPHERICAL

SPHERICAL is transforming semiconductor chip design using agile techniques and model-based engineering approaches. We leverage advances in software to empower engineers while increasing productivity by 10x. Our mission is to design high-quality electronics for the space industry - initially power products, and soon advanced computation.

About the Role

This role blends digital hardware development with traditional PCB engineering, making it ideal for an engineer who understands high-reliability PCB systems but is equally fluent in FPGAs, HDL design (Verilog), digital interfaces, microcontrollers, firmware, and system bring-up.

You will own the complete design and verification flow of the hardware you produce, ensuring it meets demanding space-industry reliability and performance requirements. You will collaborate closely with semiconductor, software, and system architects to define specifications and deliver robust, production-ready designs.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Digital & Mixed-Signal Electronics Architecture

• Analyse system requirements and derive internal specifications for digital hardware subsystems

• Architect digital functions spanning FPGA logic, microcontroller interfacing, digital power control, timing, and high-speed communications

• Collaborate with microchip/IC designers on interface definitions and system partitioning

• Ensure radiation tolerance, reliability, and robustness in design decisions

1. FPGA Design, Implementation & Verification

• Implement FPGA logic in Verilog, including RTL development, simulation, and timing closure

• Develop FPGA architectures for control, monitoring, digital signal processing, and interface bridging

• Perform FPGA synthesis, P&R, constraints definition, timing analysis, and resource optimisation

• Conduct verification using simulation, CocoTB, self-checking tests, and CI-driven verification flows

• Integrate and verify FPGA logic with microcontrollers, RISC-V soft cores, embedded software, and PCB hardware

• Support hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) verification

• Participate in radiation testing and reliability assessments for FPGA-based systems

1. PCB Design, Verification & Manufacturing Ownership

• Design multi-layer digital PCBs incorporating FPGAs, microcontrollers, high-speed interfaces, digital power domains, and mixed-signal components

• Perform schematic capture, component selection, constraint definition, layout review, DFM checks, and signal-integrity analysis

• Lead board bring-up, debugging, and hardware validation

• Serve as the primary technical contact for PCB fabrication and assembly partners

• Drive the test, verification, and qualification of space-grade PCB systems

1. Embedded Integration (Microcontrollers & Firmware)

• Develop low-level embedded C/Rust firmware for microcontrollers interfacing to FPGA and digital hardware

• Implement and debug protocols (SPI, I²C, UART, CAN, SpaceWire, AXI4, etc.)

• Support driver development, boot-time configuration, and hardware control flows

• Conduct system bring-up and validate digital/firmware interactions

1. Verification, Testing & Qualification

• Create comprehensive test plans for electronics, FPGA logic, and embedded interfaces

• Perform digital verification, functional testing, environmental testing, and qualification for high-reliability aerospace conditions

• Support automated regression testing, CI pipelines, and coverage-driven verification methodologies

1. Collaboration, Leadership & Best Practices

• Set a high standard for principled, high-quality design within SPHERICAL

• Guide and mentor junior engineers across hardware, FPGA, and embedded engineering tracks

• Work cross-functionally with system architects, software engineers, and semiconductor specialists

• Contribute to internal methodologies for hardware reuse, digital design guidelines, and verification frameworks

Required Skills

• Strong experience in PCB schematic design, layout, manufacturing, and board bring-up

• Demonstrated competence in FPGA development (Verilog/VHDL, simulation, synthesis, timing closure)

• Experience with embedded systems including microcontrollers and embedded C development

• Strong understanding of digital electronics, digital timing, logic design, and communication interfaces (SPI, I²C, UART, CAN, AXI, etc.)

• Clear understanding of the full electronics lifecycle: requirements → design → manufacture → test → qualification

• Ability to work in fast-paced, highly iterative engineering environments

• Excellent communication and technical documentation skills

Preferred Skills

• Experience with space-industry standards (e.g., ECSS) and high-reliability design practices

• Knowledge of high-speed interfaces, signal integrity, grounding, and EMC considerations

• Experience with HDL simulation frameworks such as CocoTB, UVM testbenches, or SystemVerilog verification

• Experience integrating FPGAs with embedded processors (ARM, RISC-V)

• Experience with reliability analysis, radiation mitigation techniques, and fault-tolerant design

• Familiarity with mechanical and thermal considerations for PCB-level design

• Project management or technical leadership experience

• Experience with Python scripting for automation, data analysis, or verification flows

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in electrical or electronics engineering, or equivalent 4 years degree.

What We Offer

• A unique opportunity to transform how satellite electronics are conceived and built, bringing an Apple-style system-driven IC design philosophy into the space industry

• Work in a rapidly scaling startup supported by world-class investors including ESA and the European Innovation Council

• Collaborate with ambitious, highly skilled engineers across semiconductors, satellites, embedded software, and systems engineering

• A culture that empowers engineers to lead, innovate, and challenge industry norms

• Significant scope for ownership, impact, and personal growth

Practicalities

• Full-time role

• Based in the Randstad area, Netherlands

• Hybrid working, minimum one day per week onsite

• Reporting to Marcos Compadre, Head of Systems

We Believe In You

An empowered work environment where you are encouraged to take a leading role in the team's work reshaping industry paradigms.

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