Senior Firmware Engineer - Space-Grade FPGA & Optics

NPAworldwide; Herndon (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

NPAworldwide is seeking an experienced Firmware Engineer to contribute to the development of space-grade electro-optical systems from our Herndon location. You will lead firmware architecture and end-to-end development for space-based payloads, working closely with hardware, systems, and optical engineers to ensure seamless integration and robust, testable designs.

The role requires 7+ years in firmware, proficiency in VHDL/SystemVerilog, DSP and high-speed interfaces, and experience with FPGA

Qualifications

• 7+ years of relevant experience in firmware engineering.
• BS or MS in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• Experience with VHDL and SystemVerilog for FPGA/testing.
• Strong background in DSP, timing, and optical communications (LIDAR).
• Proficiency with high-speed serial links (GTY/GTM, JESD204B/C, Ethernet, SpaceWire).
• Experience with GitHub, CI/CD for FPGA flows, automated linting, synthesis, and bitstream generation.

Responsibilities

• Lead firmware architecture and implementation for space-based payloads and laser systems.
• Oversee end-to-end firmware lifecycle from requirements to validation.
• Collaborate with hardware, software, and optical engineers to define interfaces and ensure integration.
• Participate in iterative development cycles with rapid feedback and frequent integrations.
• Conduct lab debugging and hardware-in-the-loop testing with diagnostic tools.
• Support code reviews, documentation, and process improvements.
• Apply space-grade techniques like fault tolerance and radiation mitigation.

Skills

Firmware engineering

VHDL

SystemVerilog

DSP

FPGA development

GitHub CI/CD

lab debugging

Education

BS/MS in EE or equivalent

Tools

Xilinx

Microchip

Lattice

Job description

NPAworldwide is seeking an experienced Firmware Engineer to contribute to the development of space-grade electro-optical systems from our Herndon location. You will lead firmware architecture and end-to-end development for space-based payloads, working closely with hardware, systems, and optical engineers to ensure seamless integration and robust, testable designs.

The role requires 7+ years in firmware, proficiency in VHDL/SystemVerilog, DSP and high-speed interfaces, and experience with FPGA