Staff Digital Signal Processing Engineer

Impulsespace; Redondo Beach (CA); On-site; USD 145,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

Impulse Space in Redondo Beach seeks a Staff DSP Engineer to lead the development, implementation, and verification of advanced DSP algorithms for high‑performance space communications.

The ideal candidate has a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, 8+ years of DSP experience, and hands‑on fixed‑point hardware work. You will collaborate with FPGA teams to create hardware‑efficient architectures and improve system robustness.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 8+ years of experience in DSP and digital communications.
• Strong DSP theory with fixed-point hardware experience.
• Experience with MATLAB and Simulink for modeling.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and optimize DSP algorithms for advanced communication systems
• Develop symbol timing recovery, carrier recovery, and equalization algorithms
• Fixed-point modeling and quantization analysis for hardware
• Model with MATLAB/Simulink for DSP chains
• Collaborate with FPGA teams to translate algorithms into hardware‑efficient architectures
• Support hardware architectures and resource balancing
• Participate in lab integration and system bring‑up
• Analyze system performance and propose enhancements

Skills

DSP theory

Digital comm principles

Problem-solving

Communication

Leadership

Education

Master's in Electrical Engineering

PhD in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Verilog/VHDL

Simulink HDL Coder

HDL Toolbox

MATLAB/Simulink

Job description

Staff Digital Signal Processing Engineer

Department: Avionics

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Redondo Beach

Reporting To: Farbod Kagar, Manager, Optical Communications

Compensation: $145,000 - $185,000 / year

Description

We are seeking a highly skilled Staff DSP Engineer to lead the development, implementation, and verification of advanced signal‑processing algorithms for high‑performance communication systems as part of Impulse’s next generation of space vehicles. The ideal candidate will have strong theoretical DSP knowledge, practical fixed‑point implementation experience, and hands‑on hardware integration skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and optimize DSP algorithms for advanced communication systems
• Develop and refine symbol timing recovery, carrier recovery, and equalization algorithms
• Perform fixed‑point modeling, quantization analysis, and algorithm optimization for hardware deployment
• Use MATLAB and Simulink for modeling, simulation, and verification of DSP processing chains
• Collaborate closely with FPGA design teams to translate algorithms into hardware‑efficient architectures
• Support development of hardware architectures, including data‑path specification and resource balancing
• Participate in lab integration, system bring‑up, and debugging of DSP and FPGA subsystems
• Analyze system performance and propose enhancements for robustness, efficiency, and scalability

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field
• Minimum 8+ years of experience in the field
• Strong foundation in DSP theory and digital communication principles
• Expertise in symbol timing recovery, equalization, carrier recovery, and related DSP components
• Proficiency with MATLAB and Simulink for algorithm development and modeling
• Experience with fixed‑point DSP, fixed‑point arithmetic, and implementation constraints for hardware
• Familiarity with hardware architecture design principles
• Ability to work effectively with FPGA and digital hardware engineers
• Experience with lab testing, hardware debugging, and system integration
• Excellent problem‑solving, communication, and technical‑leadership skills

Preferred Skills and Experience

• PhD in Electrical Engineering or related field
• 5+ years of experience with Verilog/VHDL or high‑level synthesis tools
• Background in high‑speed communication systems, FEC, or modem design
• Knowledge of DSP implementation on FPGAs or ASICs
• Familiarity with HDL generation tools such as Simulink HDL Coder / HDL Toolbox
• Experience with free‑space optical communication systems
• Experience in a startup or fast paced agile development environment

Additional Information:

Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case‑by‑case basis and may vary based on job‑related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full‑time hires, you may also be eligible for long‑term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.

Impulse Space’s spacecraft manufacturing business is subject to U.S. export regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This position requires applicants to be either U.S. Persons (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent U.S. resident (green card holder), an individual granted asylum in the U.S., or an individual admitted in U.S. refugee status) or persons eligible to obtain an export license from the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, or other applicable U.S. government agencies. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.