Senior Firmware Engineer

NSS; Herndon (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

NSS in Herndon, VA is seeking a Senior Firmware Engineer to lead firmware architecture and development for space-based laser and electro-optical systems. You will join the R&D division and work closely with hardware, software, and optical teams to deliver reliable, high-performance firmware for demanding aerospace applications.

The role requires 7+ years of relevant experience, a strong background in VHDL/SystemVerilog, DSP, and FPGA toolchains, and a track record of full lifecycle firmware

Qualifications

• 7+ years relevant experience.
• BS/MS in EE or equivalent.
• Expertise with firmware engineering, VHDL (RTL), SystemVerilog (Testing).
• Experience with Xilinx, Microchip, and Lattice FPGAs and their development tools.
• Experience developing test benches and simulations to verify design.
• Experience interfacing with hardware during development, integration & test.

Responsibilities

• Lead and contribute to firmware architecture and implementation for space-based electro-optical payloads and laser systems
• End-to-end firmware development lifecycle from requirements analysis through design, coding, simulation, verification, and validation
• Collaborate with hardware, systems, software, and optical engineers to define interfaces and ensure system integration
• Participate in iterative development cycles with rapid feedback and frequent integration points
• Conduct lab-based debugging and hardware-in-the-loop testing for system validation
• Support peer code reviews and promote best practices in development processes
• Apply high-reliability/space-grade techniques in a collaborative team environment
• Contribute to documentation, design reviews, and risk identification throughout product lifecycle

Skills

Firmware engineering

VHDL RTL

SystemVerilog testing

DSP

LIDAR

Optical communications

FPGA tools

GitHub CI/CD

Education

BS/MS in EE

Tools

Xilinx tools

Microchip tools

Lattice FPGA tools

Job description

Currently seeking a Senior Firmware Engineer for a reliable and long standing organization leading the development of laser and electro-optic systems for the aerospace community, with key contributions to lasers for atmospheric sensing, laser communications, and lidar sensors for NASA, DoD, and commercial customers.

We are looking for an experienced Engineer to contribute to the development of products on our Research and Development Division in Herndon VA. As part of our R&D division, you would join our firmware team to develop, integrate, and test our firmware products in spaced-based, electro-optical systems.

This is a long-term and permanent opportunity located onsite in Herndon, VA.

No clearance required.

• Lead and contribute to firmware architecture and implementation for space-based electro-optical payloads and laser systems
• Perform end-to-end firmware development lifecycle: from requirements analysis through design, coding, simulation, verification, and validation
• Collaborate closely with hardware, systems, software, and optical engineers in cross-functional teams to define interfaces, resolve design issues, and ensure seamless system integration
• Participate in task-based iterative development cycles, incorporating rapid feedback, frequent integration points, and incremental testing to meet mission reliability goals
• Conduct lab-based debugging, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and system-level validation using diagnostic tools and protocols
• Support peer code reviews, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement of development processes and best practices
• Apply high-reliability and space-grade techniques (e.g., fault tolerance, radiation mitigation) in a collaborative, team-oriented environment
• Contribute to documentation, design reviews, and risk identification throughout the product lifecycle.

Experience and Expertise Required

• 7+ years relevant experience
• BS/MS in EE or equivalent
• Expertise with firmware engineering, VHDL (RTL), System Verilog (Testing)
• Expertise with Digital Signal Processing, precision timing, optical comms (modems), LIDAR
• Experience with Xilinx, Microchip, and Lattice FPGAs and their associated development tools
• Experience developing test benches and running simulations to exercise the design and to verify compliance
• Experience interfacing and working with hardware designers during development, integration, and test phases
• Experience using schematics and block diagrams as inputs for firmware design
• Experience in high-speed serial links: GTY/GTM, JESD204B/C, Ethernet, SpaceWire
• Experience in standard peripheral interfaces: SPI, I2C, UART, LVDS, etc.
• Experience in memory interfaces: DDR3/4, QDR, FRAM, etc.
• Experience with GitHub, CI/CD for FPGA flows, code reviews, automated linting, synthesis, regression testing, timing closure, bitstream generation, release tagging