Sr. Firmware Engineer

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

Job summary

Henpen Corporation in Herndon, VA seeks a Senior Firmware Engineer to contribute to space-grade firmware development for electro‑optical systems. You will lead architecture, design, and testing alongside hardware and software teams in a cross-functional environment.

Responsibilities include end-to-end firmware lifecycle, lab debugging, HIL testing, and ensuring reliability per space programs. Experience with RTL/FPGA flows and collaboration with diverse engineers is essential for success.

Qualifications

• 7+ years relevant experience in firmware engineering and space-grade systems.
• BS/MS in EE or equivalent required.
• Expertise with VHDL (RTL) and SystemVerilog for testing.
• Experience with Xilinx, Microchip, and Lattice FPGAs and tools.
• Experience with GitHub CI/CD, linting, and FPGA flows.

Responsibilities

• Lead and contribute to firmware architecture for space-based payloads.
• End-to-end firmware development from requirements to validation.
• Collaborate with hardware, systems, software, and optics engineers.
• Perform lab debugging, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and validation.
• Support code reviews and continuous process improvements.
• Apply high-reliability techniques including fault tolerance and radiation mitigation.

Skills

Firmware engineering

RTL design

SystemVerilog

FPGA workflows

High-reliability practices

Education

BS/MS in EE or equivalent

Tools

VHDL

Xilinx FPGA tools

Microchip FPGA tools

Lattice FPGA tools

GitHub CI/CD

Linux

Docker

VS Code

Job description

Senior Firmware Engineer
Herndon, Virginia, USA
140000-210000

Job Description

We are looking for an experienced Firmware Engineer to contribute to the development of products on our Research and Development Division in Herndon VA.

As part of our R&D division, you would join our firmware team to develop, integrate, and test our firmware products in our spaced-based, electro-optical systems.

Essential Job Duties

• Lead and contribute to firmware architecture and implementation for space-based electro-optical payloads and laser systems
• Perform end-to-end firmware development lifecycle: from requirements analysis through design, coding, simulation, verification, and validation
• Collaborate closely with hardware, systems, software, and optical engineers in cross-functional teams to define interfaces, resolve design issues, and ensure seamless system integration
• Participate in task-based iterative development cycles, incorporating rapid feedback, frequent integration points, and incremental testing to meet mission reliability goals
• Conduct lab-based debugging, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and system-level validation using diagnostic tools and protocols
• Support peer code reviews, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement of development processes and best practices
• Apply high-reliability and space-grade techniques (e.g., fault tolerance, radiation mitigation) in a collaborative, team-oriented environment Contribute to documentation, design reviews, and risk identification throughout the product lifecycle

Job Requirements

Experience and Expertise Required 7+ years relevant experience BS/MS in EE or equivalent Expertise with firmware engineering, VHDL (RTL), System Verilog (Testing) Expertise with Digital Signal Processing, precision timing, optical comms (modems), LIDAR Experience with Xilinx, Microchip, and Lattice FPGAs and their associated development tools Experience developing test benches and running simulations to exercise the design and to verify compliance Experience interfacing and working with hardware designers during development, integration, and test phases Experience using schematics and block diagrams as inputs for firmware design Experience in high-speed serial links: GTY/GTM, JESD204B/C, Ethernet, SpaceWire Experience in standard peripheral interfaces: SPI, I2C, UART, LVDS, etc. Experience in memory interfaces: DDR3/4, QDR, FRAM, etc. Experience with GitHub, CI/CD for FPGA flows, code reviews, automated linting, synthesis, regression testing, timing closure, bitstream generation, release tagging Bonus Areas Experience in Python for build/testing automation and data analysis Experience with Linux, scripting, Docker containers, and automation Experience developing Hi-Rel/Space programs and TMR coding Experience developing code (C, C++) for microcontrollers Experience with VS Code

We are a leading developer of laser and electro-optic systems for the aerospace community, with key contributions to lasers for atmospheric sensing, laser communications, and lidar sensors for NASA, DoD, and commercial customers.

Qualifications

Job Requirements

Experience and Expertise Required 7+ years relevant experience BS/MS in EE or equivalent Expertise with firmware engineering, VHDL (RTL), System Verilog (Testing) Expertise with Digital Signal Processing, precision timing, optical comms (modems), LIDAR Experience with Xilinx, Microchip, and Lattice FPGAs and their associated development tools Experience developing test benches and running simulations to exercise the design and to verify compliance Experience interfacing and working with hardware designers during development, integration, and test phases Experience using schematics and block diagrams as inputs for firmware design Experience in high-speed serial links: GTY/GTM, JESD204B/C, Ethernet, SpaceWire Experience in standard peripheral interfaces: SPI, I2C, UART, LVDS, etc. Experience in memory interfaces: DDR3/4, QDR, FRAM, etc. Experience with GitHub, CI/CD for FPGA flows, code reviews, automated linting, synthesis, regression testing, timing closure, bitstream generation, release tagging Bonus Areas Experience in Python for build/testing automation and data analysis Experience with Linux, scripting, Docker containers, and automation Experience developing Hi-Rel/Space programs and TMR coding Experience developing code (C, C++) for microcontrollers Experience with VS Code

We are a leading developer of laser and electro-optic systems for the aerospace community, with key contributions to lasers for atmospheric sensing, laser communications, and lidar sensors for NASA, DoD, and commercial customers.

Why is This a Great Opportunity

We are looking for an experienced Firmware Engineer to contribute to the development of products on our Research and Development Division in Herndon VA.

As part of our R&D division, you would join our firmware team to develop, integrate, and test our firmware products in our spaced-based, electro-optical systems.