Senior Avionics FPGA Design & Verification Engineer - TeraWave

Blue Origin LLC; United States; On-site; USD 144,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid parental leave

Stock options

Paid time off

Job summary

Blue Origin seeks a Spacecraft Systems engineer to design and verify high‑reliability avionics hardware for spaceflight vehicles. You will define requirements, model architectures, and drive end‑to‑end design and verification of on‑vehicle systems.

The role emphasizes FPGA/SoC integration, RTL development, and collaboration with cross‑functional teams to ensure robust performance in mission‑critical environments.

Qualifications

• BS or higher in Electrical/Computer Engineering or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in digital design and SoC architecture.
• Proficiency in SystemVerilog or Verilog for RTL implementation.
• Experience with SoC integration and interface design.
• Understanding of digital timing and synchronization concepts.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop digital hardware architectures for high reliability satellite avionics.
• Create and implement RTL code for critical SoC blocks and interfaces.
• Contribute to architecture optimization for performance, power, and cost trade-offs.
• Collaborate on design verification to ensure robust and reliable designs.
• Participate in advanced verification techniques: UVM, CRV, and/or SVA.
• Support prototype development for early validation.
• Document design specifications and decisions.
• Participate in design reviews with cross-functional teams.
• Troubleshoot and debug complex digital design issues.
• Implement interfaces between digital hardware and firmware/software components.
• Research and evaluate new architectural approaches.

Skills

SystemVerilog/Verilog

SoC architecture

FPGA tool flow

FPGA design

RTL code

Digital timing

Scripting (Python)

Education

B.S. in Electrical/Computer Engineering

Master's/PhD preferred

Tools

Questasim

Xilinx/AMD Versal

Space-grade FPGAs

Job description

Application close date: Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

At Blue Origin, we envision millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. We’re working to develop reusable, safe, and low-cost space vehicles and systems within a culture of safety, collaboration, and inclusion. Join our team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight! Blue Origin is pioneering the future of space-based communications with TeraWave, a revolutionary satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6Tbps anywhere on Earth. This multi-orbit constellation will consist of optically interconnected satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO), providing enterprise-grade connectivity for critical operations worldwide.

As part of the Spacecraft Systems team, you will develop vehicle avionics with Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) at the core for vehicle control and operation with processing and integration of various system interfaces. As part of the development team, you will design, develop, and verify high-performance avionics hardware for space flight vehicles. You will drive requirements definition, modeling, analysis, design, test, and production release of on-vehicle systems. Your responsibilities will encompass electronic requirements, architecture concepts, detailed design development, design verification and test. In addition, you will follow avionics designs through formal verification, environmental qualification, release, and participate in integration and flight support activities.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop digital hardware architectures for high reliability satellite avionics
• Create and implement RTL code for critical SoC blocks and interfaces
• Contribute to architecture optimization for performance, power, and cost trade-offs
• Collaborate on design verification to ensure robust and reliable designs
• Participate in advanced verification techniques: Assertion-Based Verification, Universal Verification Methodology, and/or Constrained Random Verification
• Support prototype development for early validation
• Document design specifications, architecture decisions, and implementation details
• Participate in design reviews and technical discussions with cross-functional teams
• Troubleshoot and debug complex digital design issues
• Implement interfaces between digital hardware and firmware/software components
• Research and evaluate new architectural approaches to meet evolving requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. or higher in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline
• 7+ years of experience in digital design and SoC architecture
• Proficiency in SystemVerilog or Verilog for RTL implementation
• Experience with SoC integration and interface design
• Understanding of digital timing and synchronization concepts
• Knowledge of industry-standard bus protocols (AXI, AHB, etc.)
• Familiarity with synthesis tools and RTL-to-gates methodology
• Experience with simulation and debugging of complex digital systems
• Strong background in Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) and FPGA tool flow
• Solid knowledge of simulation-based test using Questasim, and evaluation of code coverage metrics

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related discipline
• Experience developing avionics or electronics for space, aerospace, or other harsh-environment/mission-critical applications
• Experience with radiation‑tolerant or radiation‑hardened FPGA/SoC design techniques (e.g., TMR, SEU/SEL mitigation, error detection and correction)
• Hands‑on experience with space‑grade or aerospace‑qualified FPGAs (e.g., Xilinx/AMD Versal, RTG4, Microsemi/Microchip PolarFire)
• Proficiency with Universal Verification Methodology (UVM), Constrained Random Verification, and/or Assertion‑Based Verification (SVA) in a production design flow
• Experience with high‑speed serial interfaces (SpaceWire, SERDES, JESD204, PCIe, etc.) relevant to satellite or optical communication payloads
• Familiarity with safety‑critical or high‑reliability development standards (e.g., DO‑254, MIL‑STD‑883, NASA EEE‑INST‑002)
• Experience with hardware/software co‑design and firmware integration, including embedded processor cores (e.g., MicroBlaze, ARM Cortex, RISC‑V soft cores)
• Scripting and automation experience (Python, Tcl, Perl) to support verification, regression testing, and design flow automation
• Experience with formal verification methods and tools

Base Pay Range

• CA applicants is $156,802.00 - $219,522.45
• CO applicants is $144,179.00 - $201,849.90
• WA applicants is $156,802.00 - $219,522.45
• Other site ranges may differ.

Culture Statement Don’t meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Export Control Regulations Applicants for employment at Blue Origin must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Background Check Required for all positions: Blue’s Standard Background Check Required for Certain Job Profiles: Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires one to be on a military installation Required for Certain Job Profiles: Drivers who operate Commercial Motor Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or combination of power unit and trailer that meets or exceeds 10,001 lbs. and/or transports placardable amounts of hazardous materials by ground in any vehicle on a public road while in commerce, may be subject to additional Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations including: Driver Qualification Files, Medical Certification (obtained before onboarding), Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing, vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements (if applicable) and hazardous materials transportation/shipping training. Required for certain Job Profiles: Ability to obtain and maintain Merchant Mariner Credential, which includes pre‑employment and random drug testing as well as DOT physical.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, paid parental leave, short and long‑term disability, 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%, and an Education Support Program.
• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
• Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company‑paid holidays.
• Dependent on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company's sole discretion.
• Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation. Please check with your recruiter for more details.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Blue Origin is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a highly qualified and dedicated workforce. Blue Origin hires and promotes people on the basis of their qualifications, performance, and abilities. We support the establishment and maintenance of a workplace that fosters trust, equality, and teamwork. We provide all qualified applicants for employment and employees with equal opportunities for hire, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local law. Blue Origin will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Washington Fair Chance Act, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws. For more information on “Know Your Rights,” please see here. Affinecative Action and Disability Accommodation Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin’s Affinecative Action Plans, or applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application and/or interview process, please contact us at [e-mail]. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request. We’re committed to building the road to space so our children can build the future. We are a mission‑driven company focused on ideas and innovation, and encourage fresh perspectives from bold voices. At Blue, our team is building the future as their unique selves. Thank you for your interest in working at Blue Origin! Blue Origin was founded with a vision to enable a future where millions of people are living and working in space to benefit Earth. In order to preserve Earth, Blue Origin believes in the need to enable humanity to expand, explore, find new energy and material resources, and move industries that stress Earth into space. Blue Origin believes it has an important role in building a road to space and lowering the cost of getting there. At Blue Origin, we’re working on this today by developing fully reusable launch vehicles and systems that are safe, reliable and affordable. Every launch vehicle is designed for human spaceflight from the beginning and able to ferry payloads to space.

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