Engineer Digital 3

Actalent; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 138,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

401(k) Retirement Plan

Life Insurance

Short and long-term disability

Health Spending Account (HSA)

Transportation benefits

Employee Assistance Program

Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick)

Job summary

Actalent in San Diego, CA is seeking a Digital Engineer to design, develop, integrate and test VHDL-based digital designs for end-user customers, primarily in software defined radio domains. The role is on-site, with FPGA programming, using VHDL firmware and Xilinx devices, and involves collaboration with Systems, Digital, Hardware and Integration & Test teams.

The position requires hands-on VHDL design experience, active secret clearance, and the ability to work in either waterfall or Agile

Qualifications

• BS with 5 years of related STEM experience; MS with 3 years preferred.
• Significant hands-on experience in VHDL design.
• Active Secret Clearance required to start.
• Strong written and verbal communication; able to work independently and in teams.
• Familiarity with formal engineering development process, VHDL design and verification.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, integrate and test VHDL-based digital designs for end-user customers and businesses, focused on SDR VHDL firmware.
• Work with FPGA programming development tools and environments.
• Collaborate with Systems, Digital, Hardware and Integration & Test teams.
• Operate in waterfall or Agile software environments.
• Analyze system concepts, requirements and design documents to resolve performance or timing issues.

Skills

vhdl

fpga

secret clearance

firmware design

i2c

spi

uart

pcie

ethernet

design automation

radio communication

Education

BS in STEM field

MS in related field

Tools

Vivado

Quartus

QuestaSim

Zynq/Kintex/Ultrascale/Versal devices

Job description

Description

We are looking for you to join our team as a Digital Engineer on site in San Diego CA.

• Design develop integrate and test VHDL-based digital designs for our end-user customers and businesses primarily focused on software defined radio VHDL firmware code bases.
• Work using FPGA programming development tools and environments
• Work with multi-disciplinary teams such as with Systems Engineering Digital Engineering Hardware and Integration amp Test
• Work in waterfall or Agile software development environment
• Analyze system concept of operation requirements and design documents to resolve functional performance or timing issues.

Skills

• vhdl
• fpga
• secret clearance
• firmware design
• xilinx fpga
• i2c
• spi
• uart
• pcie
• ethernet
• design automation
• radio communication

Top Skills Details

• vhdl
• fpga
• secret clearance

Additional Skills & Qualifications

Basic Qualifications for Digital Engineer:

• BS 5 years of experience in related STEM field MS 3 years of experience.
• Significant hands-on current experience in the field of VHDL design.
• Candidate must have excellent written and communication skills and be able to work independently and within groups.
• Candidate must have working knowledge of formal engineering development process VHDL design and verification.
• An active Secret Clearance is required to start.

Preferred Qualifications for Digital Engineer:

• 8 or more years of professional technical experience.
• Experience with VHDL design and OSVVM verification for FPGA firmware
• Experience with AMD/Xilinx series including Zynq Kintex Ultrascale Versal family of devices.
• Experience with Communication Protocols I2C SPI UART PCIe Ethernet
• Experience with Electronic Design Automation EDA tools: Vivado Quartus QuestaSim
• Knowledgeable in FPGA physical constraints and achieving timing closure.
• Generation of Test benches and support of formal VHDL Verification.
• Experience with board RO system level debug using test equipment such as oscilloscopes and logic analyzers.
• Experience with translating systems requirements into programmable logic requirements design documents and test specifications.
• Candidate should have hands on experience with DoD communications systems.

Experience Level

Intermediate Level

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of San Diego, CA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $100.00 - $120.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in San Diego,CA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 18, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.