Principal FPGA Design Engineer

Terran Orbital Corporation; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% Company-paid medical, dental, and

vision coverage

401(k) Match

Flexible Time Off (FTO)

Education Reimbursement

Competitive Paid Parental Leave

Job summary

Terran Orbital is seeking a Principal FPGA Design Engineer to lead architecture, development, verification, and flight-readiness of FPGA-based avionics subsystems. You will own RTL design from concept through qualification, working with cross-functional teams to deliver high-reliability digital logic for space missions. The role requires SystemVerilog or VHDL mastery, hands-on FPGA toolchains, and strong verification skills.

U.S. citizenship with DoD clearance is required.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of FPGA RTL architecture, development and verification.
• Strong proficiency in SystemVerilog or VHDL.
• Experience with Microsemi PolarFire, AMD Zynq Versal/Ultrascale.
• Experience with high-speed data buses and interfaces (AXI, PCIe, DDR4/5, JESD204B/C, 100Gb Ethernet).
• U.S. Citizenship with ability to obtain DoD security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Own FPGA RTL development from architecture definition through verification, integration and flight readiness.
• Define FPGA architecture and requirements in collaboration with systems, hardware and software teams.
• Develop RTL in SystemVerilog or VHDL for Microchip PolarFire and AMD Zynq US+ and Versal.
• Perform comprehensive verification including simulation, test benches, timing closure and hardware validation.
• Lead design reviews, ensure requirement traceability, and produce documentation for FPGA operation and integration.
• Define and execute verification and validation testing (DVT) and support board bring-up.
• Support system bring-up, integration, and troubleshooting during avionics and flight test activities.
• Lead cross-functional technical discussions, drive architecture decisions and mentor junior engineers.

Skills

FPGA RTL design

SystemVerilog/VHDL

Verification & timing analysis

Polarfire / Zynq Versal / Ultrascale

Vivado / Modelsim/Questasim

Linux C/C++

Git

Python / Tcl / Bash

Space radiation awareness

DoD security clearance readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or equivalent

Tools

Vivado

Mentor Modelsim/Questasim

Git

Python

Tcl

Bash

Job description

Join a team where your impact reaches beyond the stars! At Terran Orbital, you’re not just part of the system – you’re a vital force propelling our mission forward. As trailblazers in satellite manufacturing and aerospace innovation, we shatter boundaries daily to deliver groundbreaking solutions that power our nation’s defense and commercial missions. We are a unique, fast growing, and trusted team dedicated to swiftly and efficiently designing, building, launching, and operating state of the art satellites for advanced mission constellations. If you’re driven by purpose, inspired by challenges, and ready to leave your mark on the universe, you’ll find a home and endless opportunities for growth here. Together, let’s redefine what is possible in orbit and beyond!

Terran Orbital is seeking an experienced Principal FPGA Design Engineer to join our dynamic team. Reporting to the Embedded Software & FPGA Manager, the Principal FPGA Design Engineer will lead the architecture, development, verification, and flight-readiness of FPGA-based avionics subsystems. This role owns FPGA RTL design from concept through qualification, integration, and mission operations. The engineer collaborates across avionics, embedded software, systems, and hardware teams to deliver high-reliability, flight-critical digital logic.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Own FPGA RTL development from architecture definition through verification, integration and flight readiness.
• Define FPGA architecture and requirements in collaboration with systems, hardware and embedded software teams.
• Develop RTL in SystemVerilog or VHDL for Microship Polarfire and AMD Zynq US+ and Versal.
• Perform comprehensive verification, including simulation, test benches, timing closure, resource analysis and hardware validation.
• Lead design reviews, ensure requirement traceability, and produce documentation for FPGA operation and integration.
• Define and execute verification and validation testing (DVT) and support board bring-up.
• Support system bring-up, integration, and troubleshooting during avionics and flight test activities.
• Lead cross-functional technical discussions, drive architecture decisions and mentor more junior engineers.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or equivalent.
• 12+ years of FPGA RTL architecture, development and verification.
• Strong proficiency in SystemVerilog or VHDL.
• Advanced verification methodologies and worst-case timing analysis.
• Experienced designing with Microsemi Polarfire, AMD Zynq Versal, AMD Ultrascale.
• Experienced with FPGA design tools including Vivado and Mentor Modelsim/Questasim.
• Experienced with high-speed data buses and interfaces such as AXI, PCIe, DDR4/DDR5, JESD204B/C, or 100Gb ethernet and other common protocols such as SPI, I2C, UART, CAN FD, and LVDS.
• Experience developing high speed NAND flash controllers including interface timing optimization, ECC integration, bad block management, DMA architecture and high throughput data path design.
• Familiarity with version control systems such as Git based collaborative development environments.
• Experienced with scripting languages such as Python, Tcl, and Bash.
• Experienced developing software in Linux Environment with C/C++.
• Experienced designing for space environment including radiation impacts and mitigations.
• U.S. Citizenship with ability to obtain and maintain DoD security clearance.

Your actual level and base salary will be determined case-by-case and may vary based on the job-related qualification, knowledge, skills, education, and experience. In addition to base salary, we offer 100% covered medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k) match, Flexible Time Off (FTO), covered life insurance, maternity and paternity leave, tuition reimbursement, employee referrals, and lots of swag!

Salary Range

$175,000 — $230,000 USD

Full-time positions only:

Benefits

• 100% Company-paid comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents
• 401(k) Match
• Flexible Time Off (FTO)
• Education Reimbursement
• Competitive Paid Parental Leave

About Terran Orbital

Terran Orbital is a leading manufacturer of satellite products primarily serving the aerospace and defense industries. Terran Orbital provides end-to-end satellite solutions by combining satellite design, production, launch planning, mission operations, and on-orbit support to meet the needs of the most demanding military, civil, and commercial customers. Learn more at www.terranorbital.com

Physical Demands

An employee must meet the physical demands described to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. In performing the duties of this job, the employee is routinely required to sit or stand for long durations of time, in addition to bending, reaching, and walking. This would require the ability to lift or move objects up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift or move objects up to 25 pounds. This position is generally sedentary, with substantial computer usage.

Work Environment

The job operates in a professional office environment but in a manufacturing company. This job routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and scanners.

Disclaimers

To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. In addition, please note that this position may require a current United States National Security clearance or eligibility for such a clearance.

Terran Orbital is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We consider applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or membership in any other group protected by federal, state, or local law.

If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [e-mail].

Terran Orbital does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or staffing firms. To conduct business with Terran Orbital, a Master Services Agreement (MSA) must be executed and confirmed prior to submitting any information relating to a potential candidate. Without a signed MSA, Terran Orbital shall not be responsible to any individual or entity for any payment relating to any form of fee or compensation.

And, in the event that a resume or candidate is submitted by a recruiter, an employment agency, or a staffing firm without a fully executed MSA, Terran Orbital has the unrestricted right to pursue and hire any of those candidate(s) without any legal or financial responsibility to the recruiter, agency, and/or firm.