Instrumentation & Data Acquisition Engineer (FPGA/DAQ)

SLAC; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory seeks a Scientific Instrumentation & Data Acquisition Engineer to support the LCLS Data System across firmware, hardware, and software. You will trace issues through the data path from detector firmware to backend software and collaborate with firmware, software, and hardware teams to improve reliability.

The role requires deep expertise in FPGA/firmware, high-speed links, and data acquisition, with a focus on diagnostics, performance, and scalable

Qualifications

• Proven VHDL firmware coding and simulation experience.
• Proficient in Python and C++ programming.
• Experience designing and debugging complex electronics systems.
• Familiarity with high-speed serial and optical links.
• Expertise with AMD/Xilinx-based FPGAs.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision and be self-motivated.
• Strong analytical thinking and communication within a team.
• Knowledge of scientific user facility operations.

Responsibilities

• Support deployed systems including firmware, software, and hardware design and debugging.
• Develop system diagnostics to improve stability and performance.
• Suggest and implement feature upgrades in firmware and software.
• Lead integration and testing of detector system components.
• Mentor software developers and engineers.

Skills

VHDL

Python

C++

Electronics design

High-speed links

FPGAs (AMD/Xilinx)

Debugging

System diagnostics

Communication

Independent work

Education

Bachelor’s degree in physics or electronics or computer science

Master’s degree in physics or related fields

Job description

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory seeks a Scientific Instrumentation & Data Acquisition Engineer to support the LCLS Data System across firmware, hardware, and software. You will trace issues through the data path from detector firmware to backend software and collaborate with firmware, software, and hardware teams to improve reliability.

The role requires deep expertise in FPGA/firmware, high-speed links, and data acquisition, with a focus on diagnostics, performance, and scalable