Senior Hardware Engineer

New Wave Design; Eden Prairie (MN); On-site; USD 136,000 - 182,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with employer matching

Generous vacation

9 holidays observed

Life insurance

Disability coverage

Flexible schedules

Parental leave

Job summary

New Wave Design is seeking an Electrical Engineer to create FPGA-based, high-performance products for aerospace and defense applications.

The candidate will design, analyze, and validate complex FPGA-based hardware, collaborating with cross-functional teams and manufacturing to ensure robust, scalable solutions.

Qualifications

• B.S. degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering or related field with 5-7 years experience.
• M.S. degree is desirable but not required.
• Experience with RTL coding in VHDL/Verilog and FPGA toolchains.

Responsibilities

• Develop and analyze system requirements for FPGA-based hardware.
• Lead hardware design, bring-up, and integration with teams.
• Create test plans and validate hardware performance.
• Mentor junior engineers and guide project teams.
• Ensure production readiness and cost-efficient designs.

Skills

FPGA design

HDL coding

VHDL Verilog

Schematic capture

PCB layout

Xilinx/AMD

Intel/Altera

ModelSim

Signal integrity

SystemVerilog

MIL/Aero standards

JIRA

Defense experience

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering

Tools

Cadence

Siemens Hyperlinks

ModelSim

Lab equipment

Job description

Description

New Wave Design is looking for an Electrical Engineer to create innovative, high-end FPGA-based products.

The ideal candidate will have a degree in electrical or computer engineering and an interest in developing high-performance products using the latest commercial technologies. The candidate should have strong problem-solving and communication skills with a passion to learn and grow as an engineer, independently and as part of a team.

The Electrical Engineer position is responsible for the design and development of FPGA-based high-speed serial interface products. This position requires close collaboration with the engineering staff and project managers. Knowledge of the FPGA development process, including RTL coding (VHDL or Verilog), synthesis, timing analysis, simulation, verification, and lab test / debug is required.

Responsibilities:

System Design & Architecture

• Develop and analyze system requirements for advanced MIL/Aero form factor cards, FPGA-based systems, and other embedded solutions.
• Architect and design hardware to support high-performance, mission-critical applications.
• Lead the evaluation and selection of components and technologies aligned with product goals and industry standards.

Hardware Development

• Drive schematic design, PCB layout guidance, and hardware bring-up for new products.
• Collaborate with FPGA, software, and mechanical engineering teams to ensure seamless integration.
• Perform simulation, signal integrity analysis, and thermal analysis to optimize designs.

Testing & Validation

• Develop and execute comprehensive test plans to verify hardware functionality and reliability.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex hardware issues during development and production phases.
• Ensure compliance with performance, safety, and regulatory standards.

Collaboration & Leadership

• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership to project teams.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product management and customers, to define product features and performance benchmarks.
• Work closely with manufacturing to ensure designs are optimized for production and cost efficiency.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and standards in high-performance embedded systems.
• Contribute to internal R&D efforts to explore new capabilities and product enhancements.
• Drive continuous improvement in design processes, tools, and methodologies.

Documentation & Communication

• Create and maintain detailed technical documentation, including schematics, design specifications, test reports, and project plans.
• Effectively communicate complex technical concepts to stakeholders, including non-technical audiences.

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science or related field of study is acceptable for this position with 5-7 years of experience
• Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science or related field of study is desired but not required for this position

Technical Skills

• Expertise in hardware design for FPGA-based systems, high-speed interfaces (e.g., PCIe, Ethernet), and power delivery.
• Proficiency in schematic capture and PCB layout tools such as Cadence, Siemens Hyperlinks.
• Strong analytical skills for signal integrity, power integrity, and thermal performance analysis.
• FPGA/CPLD logic design, synthesis and simulation.
• HDL coding (VHDL, Verilog, System Verilog).
• FPGA tools (Xilinx/AMD, Intel/Altera, Microsemi/Microchip).
• Simulation tools (e.g. ModelSim).
• Timing analysis.
• Understanding of product specifications and system requirements to create related test, verification & validation requirements.
• General lab equipment operation (DMM, oscilloscope, logic & bus analyzers, device programmers).
• Experience with Mil/Aero standards and applications is highly desirable.
• Understanding of real-time embedded systems.
• Familiarity with advanced verification techniques such as coverage driven testing, assertions, and formal verification.
• Experience with decomposition, traceability, and verification of digital design requirements.
• Familiarity with JIRA is a plus.
• Defense experience is a plus.

Soft Skills

• Proven ability to lead technical projects and mentor junior engineers.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive, innovative mindset.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to interface with internal teams, customers, and stakeholders.

Physical Parameters:

• Must be able to lift and carry 20 pounds.
• Must be able to lift 20 pounds over the head
• Must have finger and wrist dexterity with repetitive motion

Due to the type of work at our facilities and certain access restrictions, successful applicants must be of a "U.S. Person". The candidate must be able to prove so, with remittance of proper identification supporting so, upon an acceptance of employment.

What we offer:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Four weeks of vacation for all employees
• 9 paid holidays observed annually
• Generous 401(k) plan that includes employer matching funds
• Life insurance and disability coverage
• Birth, adoption, parental leave benefits
• Flexible spending accounts
• Employee Assistance Plan, including up to 10 free counseling sessions
• Voluntary coverages include, vision, additional life and accident insurance, critical illness insurance
• Flexible work schedules

Diversity drives innovation; and inclusion drives success. NWD knows our employees are our greatest asset. With a focus on collaboration, innovation, respect, and a commitment to providing professional development opportunities, work-life balance initiatives, and a fulfilling employee experience, the NWD employees can tackle the toughest challenges in our industry as we deliver intelligent computing solutions at the edge. At NWD, you can grow your career and make a meaningful impact.

Salary Range:

$136,100.00-$181,700.00

Please know that the salary information is a general guideline only. NWD considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities for the position candidates' work experience education/training key skills as well as market and business considerations when extending an offer.

About New Wave Design:

NWD is an industry leading designer of high-bandwidth, ultra-low latency rugged network hardware and IP cores, serving the Aerospace and Defense market for over 20 years. Our FPGA-based solutions power the future of our client’s most advanced mission processing, electronic warfare, sensor fusion, ISR, test & measurement, and maintenance applications. With a commitment to innovation and excellence, NWD solves the most challenging networking and sensor processing problems with products based on standard form factors including VPX and XMC, as well as emerging industry standards and custom solutions.

New Wave Design is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.