Senior FPGA Programmer

Brooks Automation; Chelmsford (MA); Hybrid; USD 118,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance

401(k) Plan

Paid holidays & Flexible vacation

Job summary

Brooks Automation is seeking a Senior FPGA Engineer to lead architecture, development, and implementation of ultra-low-latency FPGA-based systems for motion control, machine vision, and distributed automation platforms. You will shape real-time control, sensor pipelines, high-speed interfaces and hardware accelerators.

The role offers collaboration across hardware, software, controls, and systems engineering with opportunities to influence IP, timing closure, and production readiness.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering or related field.
• 8+ years FPGA development experience.
• Experience with real-time FPGA control systems and high-speed interfaces.
• Strong knowledge of DSP, control systems, and timing closure.

Responsibilities

• Lead FPGA architecture and development for real-time motion control and machine vision.
• Design HDL using VHDL/Verilog/SystemVerilog and create deterministic pipelines.
• Develop high-speed data interfaces and hardware accelerators.
• Collaborate with electrical, mechanical, software, and systems teams.

Job description

Brooks is a leading provider of automation solutions with over 40 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, offering precision robotics, integrated automation systems, and contamination control solutions that empower chip manufacturers worldwide. Our product portfolio includes a range of automation solutions, including robots, vacuum systems, and atmospheric robots for semiconductor manufacturing(www.brooks.com).

Are you looking for a place where you can be part of a transformation? Join us at Brooks Automation and be a part of a dynamic organization that is shaping the future of technology.

Senior FPGA Programmer

Job Description

Senior FPGA Engineer – Real-Time Control, Vision & Distributed Systems

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior FPGA Engineer to lead the architecture, development, and implementation of advanced FPGA-based systems for next-generation motion control, machine vision, and distributed automation platforms.

This role will focus on developing ultra-low-latency FPGA architectures supporting:

• High-speed sensor acquisition
• Real-time image processing
• Multi-axis motion control
• Distributed EtherCAT-based control networks
• Precision electromagnetic actuation systems
• Hardware acceleration of computationally intensive algorithms

The ideal candidate combines deep FPGA expertise with strong system-level understanding of controls, sensors, embedded systems, and real-time deterministic architectures. The role provides significant opportunity to influence product architecture, contribute to intellectual property development, and drive breakthrough performance in advanced automation platforms.

Key Responsibilities

FPGA Architecture & Development

Lead development of FPGA-based systems including:

• Real-time control architectures
• Sensor acquisition pipelines
• High-speed communication interfaces
• Hardware acceleration engines
• Multi-channel synchronized processing systems

Design and implement:

• HDL-based designs using VHDL and/or Verilog/SystemVerilog
• Modular and reusable FPGA architectures
• Deterministic low-latency processing pipelines
• Multi-clock domain systems
• High-bandwidth data movement architectures

Develop FPGA solutions for:

• Motion control
• Precision positioning systems
• Machine vision
• High-speed metrology
• Electromagnetic actuator control

Motion Control & Real-Time Systems

Develop FPGA implementations supporting:

• High-bandwidth control loops
• Current control loops
• Position and velocity control
• Multi-axis synchronized motion
• Deterministic distributed control architectures

Implement:

• PWM generation
• Encoder interfaces
• Real-time feedback processing
• State-space and advanced control algorithms
• Control loop acceleration

Support architectures capable of:

• Sub-millisecond closed-loop response
• Hundreds of synchronized control channels
• Distributed real-time execution

Machine Vision & Sensor Processing

Design FPGA pipelines for:

• High-speed camera interfaces
• Real-time image acquisition
• Marker extraction and tracking
• Edge detection and feature extraction
• Sensor fusion architectures

Develop real-time processing solutions for:

• Gigabit Ethernet Vision
• MIPI interfaces
• Camera Link
• CoaXPress
• Custom sensor interfaces

Implement:

• DMA architectures
• Frame buffering
• Hardware image processing accelerators
• Deterministic vision-processing pipelines

High-Speed Data & Communication Systems

Develop FPGA-based communication architectures including:

• EtherCAT
• SPI
• Parallel SPI
• UART
• CAN
• PCIe
• Gigabit Ethernet
• Multi-Gigabit SerDes

Design:

• Distributed synchronization architectures
• Precision timing systems
• Networked FPGA platforms
• Multi-node control systems

Support scalable architectures capable of coordinating large numbers of distributed devices.

Hardware Integration & Board Bring-Up

Collaborate closely with:

• Electrical engineers
• Controls engineers
• Mechanical engineers
• Software engineers
• Systems architects

Support:

• FPGA board selection
• SoC architecture development
• Hardware bring-up and validation
• Signal integrity debugging
• Power and thermal optimization

Interface with:

• ADCs
• DACs
• Sensors
• Power electronics
• Motor drivers
• High-speed memory systems

Performance Optimization

Lead efforts to optimize:

• FPGA resource utilization
• Latency
• Throughput
• Memory bandwidth
• Determinism
• Power consumption

Create automated test environments for:

• Functional verification
• Hardware-in-the-loop validation
• Timing closure verification
• Production readiness testing

Innovation & Technical Leadership

Drive technical innovation through:

• Patent disclosures
• Intellectual property creation
• Architecture reviews
• Technical mentoring
• Best-practice development

Contribute to next-generation:

• Control architectures
• Vision systems
• Motion control platforms
• AI-assisted hardware acceleration

Required Qualifications

• B.S., M.S., or PhD in:
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Computer Engineering
  • Robotics
  • Controls Engineering
  • Related technical discipline
• 8+ years of FPGA development experience
• Expert proficiency with:
  • VHDL
  • Verilog/SystemVerilog
  • FPGA design methodologies

Strong experience with one or more FPGA families:

• AMD/Xilinx
• Intel/Altera
• Lattice

Demonstrated experience developing:

• Real-time FPGA control systems
• High-speed sensor interfaces
• Hardware accelerators
• Multi-channel synchronized processing architectures

Strong understanding of:

• Digital signal processing
• Control systems
• Motion control
• Hardware/software partitioning
• Timing closure methodologies

Experience with:

• Simulation and verification
• Testbench development
• Hardware debugging
• Lab instrumentation

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in:

• Precision motion control systems
• Semiconductor equipment
• Robotics
• Advanced automation
• Machine vision

Knowledge of:

• EtherCAT networks
• Distributed controls
• Sensor fusion
• Computer vision acceleration
• FPGA-based image processing

Experience implementing:

• Kalman filtering
• State estimation
• Motor control
• Electromagnetic actuator control
• Real-time control loops

Familiarity with:

• MATLAB/Simulink
• Python
• C/C++
• Embedded Linux

Experience with:

• Zynq SoCs
• PCIe architectures
• High-speed memory interfaces (DDR4/DDR5)
• Multi-gigabit serial transceivers

Compensation

Base Salary Range: $118,265.18 USD to $160,005.83 USD

Factors which may affect starting pay within this range may include geography/market, skills, education, experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

This position is also eligible for an annual discretionary bonus.

Benefits

At Brooks, we offer the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

• Medical, Dental, Vision and Disability Insurance

• 401(k) Plan

• Exempt employees are provided company paid holidays and Flexible Vacation to enjoy personal time off and incidental sickness.

Have a question about our benefits and compensation package? Your recruiter can share more with you during the hiring process.

Work Location & Flexibility
At Brooks, we aim to foster a collaborative and engaging environment while offering flexibility where possible. Work arrangements may include a mix of in-office and remote work, depending on the nature of the role and business needs. Specific expectations will be shared during the interview process.

Brooks is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and proudly serves as an equal-opportunity employer. We welcome all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristics.

Diversity enhances our innovative capabilities and strengthens our ability to serve our customers and communities effectively. At Brooks Automation, we celebrate the unique experiences and perspectives each individual brings, believing they are essential to our collective success. Join us in building a workplace where every team member is valued and can thrive.

For applicants with disabilities requiring accommodations, don’t hesitate to get in touch with [e-mail] or call [phone] to discuss your needs.

Review EEO Law & EEO Statement.

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