Hardware Engineer (Space)

Viasat; Tempe, Northern (AZ, KY); Hybrid; USD 133,000 - 247,000; Full time

Job summary

Viasat is seeking a senior hardware engineer to lead the design of high-speed digital boards for space applications in Tempe, AZ. You will define FPGA architecture, SoC integration, and mixed-signal interfaces, guiding a multidisciplinary team through full hardware development lifecycle.

The role requires hands-on debugging, strong signal integrity analysis, and experience with DDR4, SERDES, UART, and SPI. US citizenship and travel up to 10% are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 6+ years of hardware engineering experience with high-speed digital boards.
• Experience with FPGA architecture and SoC integration.
• Space/flight hardware design experience and qualification processes.
• Experience with Mentor Xpedition or Cadence for schematic capture.

Responsibilities

• Lead schematic capture and board-level design for high-speed digital hardware in space applications.
• Define and drive FPGA architecture and SoC integration across the hardware platform.
• Design high-speed interfaces (DDR4, SERDES, UART, SPI).
• Perform power/signal integrity analysis and implement corrective design changes.
• Lead a multidisciplinary engineering team through hardware development milestones and reviews.
• Collaborate with firmware and software teams for co-design and integration.
• Support board bring-up, integration, and debug in the lab.

Skills

High-speed digital design

FPGA architecture

SoC integration

Troubleshooting

Team leadership

Schematic capture

DDR4 interfaces

Serdes

UART

SPI

Communication skills

US citizenship

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering

MS EE preferred

Tools

Mentor Xpedition

Cadence

HyperLynx

Job description

About us

One team. Global challenges. Infinite opportunities. At Viasat, we’re on a mission to deliver connections with the capacity to change the world. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the globe communicate. We’re looking for people who think big, act fearlessly, and create an inclusive environment that drives positive impact to join our team.

What you'll do

In this role you will lead the hardware design of high-speed digital boards for space applications. You will be responsible for defining FPGA architecture, SoC integration, schematic capture, and mixed-signal circuit design including ADC/DAC interfaces. You will lead a multidisciplinary engineering team through the full hardware development lifecycle from requirements and concept through design, verification, and flight qualification. The role requires hands-on troubleshooting and debug experience with complex, high-speed digital hardware in a space or flight environment

The day-to-day

• Lead schematic capture and board-level design for high-speed digital hardware in space applications
• Define and drive FPGA architecture and SoC integration across the hardware platform
• Design high-speed digital interfaces including DDR4, SERDES, UART, and SPI
• Perform HyperLynx power/signal integrity analysis and implement corrective design changes
• Conduct worst case analysis (WCA) to verify design margins across operating conditions, voltage, and temperature
• Design mixed-signal circuits including ADC and DAC interface architectures
• Lead and coordinate a multidisciplinary engineering team through hardware development milestones and design reviews
• Collaborate with firmware, software, and systems engineers for hardware/firmware co-design and integration
• Support board bring-up, integration, and debug in the laboratory
• Apply flight hardware design practices and work within space-grade component and reliability constraints
• Generate and maintain design documentation including schematics, BOMs, design review packages, and interface control documents
• Responsible for owning and driving technical issues to resolution
• Works autonomously with little instruction to solve well-defined problems

What you'll need

• Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field
• 6+ years of hardware engineering experience with high-speed digital board design
• Hands-on experience with schematic capture tools (e.g., Mentor Xpedition, Cadence)
• Proficiency in high-speed interface design: DDR4, SERDES, UART, and SPI
• Experience with HyperLynx or equivalent signal integrity simulation tools
• Experience performing worst case analysis (WCA) for electronic circuits
• FPGA architecture definition and SoC integration experience
• Mixed-signal design experience including ADC and DAC circuit design
• Experience with space or flight hardware design and qualification processes
• Demonstrated experience leading a multidisciplinary engineering team
• Proven troubleshooting and debug skills for complex high-speed digital hardware
• Good oral and written communications skills
• US citizenship
• Ability to travel up to 10%

What will help you on the job

• MSEE degree preferred
• Experience with space-grade FPGAs (Xilinx Radiation Tolerant, Microchip RTG4, or equivalent)
• Experience with EEE-INST-002, NASA, or ESA parts selection and derating guidelines
• Experience with power integrity analysis tools
• Experience with PCB layout tools and high-speed layout design rules
• Knowledge of thermal and mechanical design constraints for space hardware
• Familiarity with radiation effects on electronics including SEE and TID considerations
• Familiarity with GitHub
• Familiarity with CI/CD practices
• Familiarity with AI Agents

Salary range

$132,500.00 - $209,500.00 / annually.For specific work locations within San Jose, the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, the base pay range for this role is $164,500.00- $246,500.00/ annually

At Viasat, we consider many factors when it comes to compensation, including the scope of the position as well as your background and experience. Base pay may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Additional cash or stock incentives may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position offered. Learn more about Viasat’s comprehensive benefit offerings that are focused on your holistic health and wellness at https://careers.viasat.com/benefits.

EEO Statement

Viasat is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, genetics, age, or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status or characteristic. If you would like to request an accommodation on the basis of disability for completing this on-line application.