Lead Embedded Firmware & FPGA Engineer

Eaton Group; Youngsville (NC); On-site; USD 105,000 - 154,000; Full time

Job summary

Eaton in Youngsville, NC is seeking a Lead Embedded Firmware & FPGA Engineer to drive architecture, design, verification and release of FPGA-based power management solutions. You will collaborate with global teams on SiC-based three-phase systems for mission-critical loads such as data centers.

Responsibilities include RTL development in Verilog/SystemVerilog/VHDL, FPGA integration with microcontrollers and DSPs, testbenches, timing analysis, and design reviews to ensure robust, scalable

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Electronics/Computer Engineering with 5 years embedded firmware or software experience.
• Master’s degree with 4 years experience, or PhD with required lab work.
• Experience with synthesizable RTL using VHDL, Verilog, and/or SystemVerilog.
• Experience with FPGA design workflows including RTL development, simulation, synthesis, and timing analysis.

Responsibilities

• Architect, develop, verify, test, and release FPGA-based designs for new products.
• Translate system requirements into FPGA architecture and detailed design specs.
• Design, develop, review, and maintain RTL using Verilog, SystemVerilog, and/or VHDL.
• Develop testbenches, perform RTL simulation, and ensure timing closure.

Skills

FPGA design

Verilog/SystemVerilog

RTL development

Embedded firmware

SiC power electronics

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

Intel Quartus

ModelSim/Questa

Vivado

Job description

Eaton's Electrical Critical Power Solutions Division is seeking a Lead Embedded Firmware & FPGA Engineer to join our innovative engineering team in Youngsville, NC. In this role, you will contribute to the architecture, design, development, verification, and release of FPGA-based solutions supporting next-generation power management products. Working alongside global, cross-functional teams, you will play a key role in bringing new products to market, including advanced silicon carbide (SiC)-based three-phase power conversion systems that deliver reliable power for mission-critical applications such as data centres.

The expected annual salary range for this role is $105000 - $154000 a year.

Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

What you’ll do:

• Work as part of an engineering team to architect, develop, verify, test, and release FPGA-based designs in support of new product development. Collaborate with global cross-functional teams to support the launch of new products, including SiC-based three-phase power conversion systems designed to support critical loads such as data centres.
• Review product requirements and collaborate with systems, firmware, controls, power electronics, and hardware engineers to translate system-level specifications into FPGA architecture and detailed design requirements.
• Evaluate alternative FPGA architectures and implementation approaches to meet customer and product development requirements while considering performance, resource utilization, cost, reliability, and schedule.
• Design, develop, review, and maintain synthesizable RTL using Verilog, SystemVerilog, and/or VHDL.
• Develop FPGA logic for functions such as PWM generation, digital control, protection and fault management, high-speed data acquisition, sequencing, state machines, digital filtering, and processor/peripheral interfaces.
• Develop modular and reusable FPGA design components and establish effective FPGA coding and design practices.
• Develop testbenches and perform RTL simulation and functional verification to ensure designs meet functional and system requirements.
• Perform synthesis, place-and-route, static timing analysis, and timing closure using industry-standard FPGA development toolchains.
• Analyze and resolve FPGA implementation challenges related to timing, resource utilization, clock distribution, reset architecture, and clock-domain crossing.
• Design and integrate communication interfaces between FPGAs, microcontrollers, DSPs, ADCs, DACs, and other system components using interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, Ethernet, and parallel interfaces, as applicable.
• Support board-level bring-up, integration, and debugging of FPGA-based systems using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG debuggers, and embedded FPGA debugging tools.
• Participate in design reviews, RTL code reviews, verification reviews, and root-cause investigations.

Qualifications:

Required (Basic) Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related engineering discipline from an accredited institution with 5 years of experience in embedded software or firmware development OR
• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related engineering discipline from an accredited institution with 4 years of experience in embedded software or firmware development OR
• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related engineering discipline from an accredited institution with exact lab work.
• Professional experience developing synthesizable RTL using VHDL, Verilog, and/or SystemVerilog.
• Experience with FPGA design workflows including RTL development, simulation, synthesis, implementation, timing analysis, and hardware validation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Design experience with power electronic, industrial control, energy conversion, or other real-time embedded products.
• Experience implementing digital control algorithms, PWM generation, modulation techniques and high-speed deterministic control functions in FPGA.
• Experience with FPGA development toolchains such as Intel Quartus, and ModelSim/Questa.
• Experience integrating FPGA designs with microcontrollers, DSPs, ADCs, DACs, and mixed-signal embedded systems.
• Experience implementing communication interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, Ethernet, and high-speed serial or parallel interfaces.
• Experience with embedded firmware development and programming in C/C++.
• Experience using hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation for system integration and validation.

Skills:

• Strong knowledge of digital logic design, synchronous design principles, finite-state machines, pipelining, clocking, reset architectures, and FPGA resource optimization.
• Understanding of three-phase electrical power systems and power conversion concepts is preferred.
• Ability to read and understand electrical schematics, component datasheets, interface specifications, and timing diagrams.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in cross-functional and geographically distributed engineering teams.
• Self-motivated, proactive, detail-oriented, and capable of independently driving technical activities to meet project schedules.
• Ability to work in a laboratory environment around high-voltage equipment where strict adherence to safety practices is critical.

All positions may require participation in video and in-person interviews as part of the hiring process. All candidates will be evaluated based on job-related competencies, and all candidates’ privacy rights and data security will be protected in accordance with applicable laws.

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Eaton believes in second chance employment. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction history will be considered regardless of their arrest or conviction history, consistent with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the California Fair Chance Act and other local laws.

You do not need to disclose your conviction history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Eaton is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.

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We know that good benefit programs are important to employees and their families. Eaton provides various Health and Welfare benefits as well as Retirement benefits, and several programs that provide for paid and unpaid time away from work. Click here for more detail: Eaton Benefits Overview. Please note that specific programs and options available to an employee may depend on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.