Senior VHDL Digital Communications Engineer

TrustPoint; Virginia (MN); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity (stock options)

Full benefits package

Job summary

TrustPoint is seeking a Senior VHDL Digital Communications Engineer in Virginia to develop cutting-edge digital signal processing solutions for our next-generation GPS systems in space.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in VHDL, FPGA design, and experience in GNSS or wireless communications. The role offers competitive compensation, benefits, and the opportunity to thrive in a dynamic startup environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in digital communications and VHDL development for embedded or FPGA-based systems.
• 3+ years of experience in electrical engineering for GNSS or wireless communications applications.
• Strong understanding of RF systems and satellite communications.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop reliable FPGA-based digital signal processing solutions for GNSS architecture.
• Implement CDMA and DSSS receivers using VHDL on FPGA platforms.
• Evaluate and improve system performance under channel impairments.

Skills

VHDL development

Digital communications

FPGA design

Electrical engineering

RF systems

Education

B.S. in Electrical Engineering

M.S. in related field (preferred)

Tools

SoC and FPGA toolchains

GNU Radio

Job description

Join TrustPoint and Build the World’s First Commercial GPS System in Space

GPS is a ubiquitous global utility in modern society; knowing one’s location is critical for government, commercial, and personal applications. Still, today’s solutions for determining location are inaccurate, slow, unencrypted, and susceptible to jamming and spoofing. These shortcomings make GPS insufficient for tomorrow’s safety‑critical and high‑precision applications, a problem TrustPoint intends to solve.

TrustPoint is developing a fully commercial next‑generation GPS service to provide significant performance, security and reliability improvements for GPS users. This includes better accuracy, quicker Time to First Fix, and anti‑spoof and anti‑jam capabilities. The improvements will support US Government position and timing service resiliency as well as enable next‑generation commercial applications like drone delivery, self‑driving cars, urban air mobility, and augmented reality. The $260B annual GNSS Hardware, Software and Data Services market is ripe for disruption and TrustPoint intends to lead that revolution with our commercial infrastructure and services.

The Position

We are seeking a Senior VHDL Digital Communications Engineer to join our team and contribute to the design, development, and testing of both hardware and FPGA‑based digital signal processing systems. You will work on everything from high‑speed analog/digital circuits to advanced VHDL implementations for space and ground systems, helping to build our constellation of satellites and next‑gen receiver technologies. This role offers significant upward mobility.

We’ll Expect You To…

• Design and develop reliable FPGA‑based digital signal processing solutions for our GNSS architecture
• Implement CDMA and DSSS receivers using VHDL on FPGA platforms
• Develop and integrate modem algorithms supporting BPSK through 8PSK modulation
• Apply advanced FEC techniques (e.g., LDPC), timing recovery (Costas loops), and digital pre‑distortion (DPD) for high‑Doppler LEO environments
• Interface with high‑speed ADCs/DACs, manage clock domains, and integrate with analog RF front ends
• Evaluate and improve system performance under channel impairments like multipath, Doppler, and fading
• Support product development, infrastructure commissioning, anomaly investigation, and operations automation
• Work closely with cross‑functional teams including RF, systems, and verification engineers
• Ensure quality standards through rigorous testing and validation procedures

You’ll Need to Have…

• B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field (M.S. preferred)
• 5+ years of experience in digital communications and VHDL development for embedded or FPGA‑based systems
• 3+ years of experience in electrical engineering for GNSS, space, or wireless communications applications
• Proficiency with SoC and FPGA toolchains, mixed‑signal design, and software‑defined radios
• Strong understanding of RF systems, signal impairments, and satellite communications
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and documentation skills
• U.S. Citizen (required)
• Ability to travel up to 10%

We’d Like to See…

• Experience implementing hardware‑in‑the‑loop, simulation, and field testing
• Experience with GNU Radio and Software Defined Radios (SDRs)
• Experience with automated test frameworks for BER and EVM measurements
• Adaptive filtering and interference mitigation experience
• Prior experience working in a startup environment
• Active U.S. security clearance

Cultural Fit

• Thrive in a startup environment
• Positive, team‑first communicator
• Willing to roll up sleeves and work cross‑functionally
• Strategic thinker with tactical execution skills

Compensation and Benefits

The selected candidate will be competitively compensated with salary, equity (stock options), and a full benefits package.