Staff Hardware Engineer (Secure Compute Systems)

Fresh Consulting; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Fresh Consulting is seeking a Staff Hardware Engineer (Principal Level) in Houston, TX, with remote options requiring onsite every other week. The role focuses on hardware for secure compute systems and post-quantum cryptography in collaboration with software, security, and systems teams.

You will own power/thermal design, work on FPGA integration, and ensure manufacturability for space-qualified hardware. Strong delivery under tight schedules is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 15 years of professional hardware experience, taking compute or electronics hardware from concept to production.
• Experience with power and thermal design and analysis for electronics hardware.
• Experience with mechanical/physical envelope, packaging, and enclosure design.
• Experience designing bus interfaces and bus architectures (e.g., PCIe, Ethernet, SpaceWire, or similar).
• Experience sourcing components and working with third-party vendors and contract manufacturers.
• Prefer space-qualified, rad-hard, or ruggedized hardware experience; cryptographic hardware exposure is a plus.
• Track record of delivering hardware under aggressive timelines.

Responsibilities

• Design and collaborate on hardware-based products for PQC and Orbital Compute systems.
• Own power, thermal, and physical envelope design for compute hardware, including enclosure design.
• Design bus interfaces and bus architectures for secure compute systems.
• Deliver the first hardware variant on a short time-to-market while designing in parallel for hardware at scale.
• Design for manufacturability, reliability, and environmental constraints including radiation, vibration, and thermal-vacuum for orbital variants.
• Partner with software, security, and systems engineers to integrate cryptographic and compute hardware into end products.
• Support hardware design reviews (PDR, CDR) and provide feedback.
• Contribute to FPGA-based design and integration where applicable.
• Deliver iteratively in a fast-paced environment with ambiguity.
• Perform additional job duties as assigned.

Skills

Power/thermal design

Hardware engineering

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor of Science in Electrical or Computer Engineering

15 years hardware experience

Tools

PCIe

SpaceWire

Job description

Title: Staff Hardware Engineer (Principal Level)
Duration: Full-Time
Location: Houston, TX (Can be remote however you must be onsite in Houston every other week)
Candidate must be a U.S person due to ITAR regulations

Fresh has partnered with a Space company, we are seeking a Staff Hardware Engineer, Secure Compute Systems to join Security business, designing and delivering hardware-based products for post-quantum cryptography (PQC). Operating in a fast-paced environment characterized by rapid iteration and significant ambiguity, the successful candidate will partner closely with software, security, and systems engineers, to deliver secure, reliable compute hardware at the pace our mission demands.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Design and collaborate on hardware-based products for post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and Orbital Compute systems, spanning terrestrial and orbital variants
• Own power, thermal, and physical envelope design for compute hardware, including enclosure design
• Design bus interfaces and bus architecture for secure compute systems
• Deliver the first hardware variant on a short time-to-market while designing in parallel for hardware at scale
• Design for manufacturability, reliability, and the environmental constraints of the operating environment, including radiation, vibration, and thermal-vacuum considerations for orbital variants
• Partner with software, security, and systems engineers to integrate cryptographic and compute hardware into end products
• Support hardware design reviews (e.g., PDR, CDR) and give and receive productive feedback during collaboration and reviews
• Contribute to FPGA-based design and integration where applicable
• Deliver iteratively and quickly in a fast-paced environment with significant ambiguity
• Perform additional job duties as assigned

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or another related technical discipline, or equivalent professional experience
• 15 years of professional hardware or electrical engineering experience, taking compute or electronics hardware from concept to production
• Experience with power and thermal design and analysis for electronics hardware
• Experience with mechanical/physical envelope, packaging, and enclosure design
• Experience designing bus interfaces and bus architectures (e.g., PCIe, Ethernet, SpaceWire, or similar)
• Experience sourcing components and working with third-party vendors and contract manufacturers
• Demonstrated ability to deliver hardware under aggressive timelines while planning for manufacturability and scale
• Prefer experience with space-qualified, rad-hard, or ruggedized hardware for harsh environments
• Prefer experience with hardware security or cryptographic hardware (HSMs, secure elements, or TPMs)
• Prefer familiarity with relevant hardware, safety, and quality standards
• Track record of making things happen in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
• Uses good judgement to problem-solve proactively, positively impacting hard challenges
• Demonstrated organization skills to meet tight deadlines with high quality results

Compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Range $180K – $230K.