Senior High-Speed Digital Hardware Engineer – Aerospace

questdefensesystemssolutionsinc; Cedar Rapids (IA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Quest Defense Systems & Solutions seeks a Senior High-Speed Digital Hardware Engineer in Cedar Rapids, IA to design complex circuit cards for aerospace and defense. You will drive architecture, schematics, and PCB layout through first-pass hardware success, tackling signal-integrity challenges with multiple FPGAs and DDR5/DDR6 memory.

The role requires hands-on hardware bring-up, collaboration with ECAD/PCB teams, and a track record of delivering under demanding schedules. U.S.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of experience designing complex digital hardware or circuit-card assemblies.
• Hands-on experience with high-speed digital board design from schematic capture through hardware bring-up and validation.
• Experience designing high-speed serial interfaces with multiple lanes per card.
• Experience integrating multiple FPGAs, complex SoCs, and high-performance memory such as DDR5 or DDR6.
• Strong understanding of signal integrity, timing, crosstalk, electrical interference, and board-level design constraints.
• Experience collaborating closely with ECAD and PCB layout engineers.
• Ability to lead technical decisions, resolve complex hardware issues, and deliver on tight schedules.
• Ability to work onsite in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
• U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Architect and design complex high-speed digital circuit cards for aerospace and defense.
• Develop schematics, select components, and define board-level interfaces and requirements.
• Design high-speed serial interfaces with multiple data lanes (Ethernet, fiber, copper).
• Integrate multiple FPGAs, complex SoCs, and DDR5/DDR6 memory.
• Analyze and resolve signal integrity, timing, and interference challenges.
• Collaborate with ECAD and PCB layout engineers on stackups and routing.
• Lead technical reviews, design trade studies, and risk assessments.
• Support board bring-up, testing, and validation in the lab.
• Work with FPGA, software, systems, mechanical, and test engineers to deliver system solutions.
• Create schematics, BOMs, analysis results, and test procedures.

Skills

High-speed design

FPGA/SoC integration

Signal integrity

DDR5/DDR6 memory

Schematic capture

PCB bring-up

ECAD collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical / Computer Engineering

Tools

Cadence

Mentor Graphics

Altium

Job description

Quest Defense Systems & Solutions seeks a Senior High-Speed Digital Hardware Engineer in Cedar Rapids, IA to design complex circuit cards for aerospace and defense. You will drive architecture, schematics, and PCB layout through first-pass hardware success, tackling signal-integrity challenges with multiple FPGAs and DDR5/DDR6 memory.

The role requires hands-on hardware bring-up, collaboration with ECAD/PCB teams, and a track record of delivering under demanding schedules. U.S.