Cowboyspace

FPGA Software Engineer

San Carlos, California

Work authorization required$150k-$200kDetected 5 days ago

PythonC++LinuxData EngineeringFPGAVerilogEmbedded SystemsAvionicsElectrical EngineeringTest AutomationManual TestingCommunication

About the role

We're looking for an experienced FPGA/RTL engineer to help build the digital backbone of our compute payload - the hard-real-time logic that connects high-speed image sensors to embedded compute.
You'll design and own HDL for flight critical sensor interface, high speed data processing for in-orbit and ground communications, and embedded Linux running on ARM SoC's.
This is active development on a live flight program with near-term launch milestones: you'll join a small team, take full ownership of workstreams from day one, and see your designs fly.

Design, implement, and verify HDL/RTL in SystemVerilog/Verilog for the compute payload's FPGA subsystems, from architecture through on-orbit operation
Develop high-speed camera sensor interfaces, including sensor clocking, configuration, register read/write control, and deterministic pixel capture pipelines
Develop high-throughput communication pipelines for moving compute data from orbit to the ground
Build memory-mapped register interfaces (AXI) between FPGA logic and embedded Linux running on ARM cores, and define the hardware/software contact with flight software engineers
Own timing closure, synthesis, and implementation across Zynq UltraScale+ and Versal targets using Vivado and related toolchains
Develop testbenches and simulation environments to verify designs before hardware, and validate on the bench with logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and protocol analyzers
Support Petalinux platform bring-up, device tree configuration, and driver-level integration of FPGA peripherals with the embedded Linux stack
Lead board bring-up and hardware integration for new payload avionics, working closely with electrical and embedded software engineers
Investigate anomalies spanning the sensor-to-software chain, perform root cause analysis, and drive fixes across hardware/firmware/software boundaries
Document designs and interfaces, and pair with teammates to spread ownership of the FPGA function across the team

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field
5+ years of experience in FPGA/HDL design, including architecture, verification, synthesis, and timing closure
Proficiency in SystemVerilog or Verilog for production FPGA development
Hands-on experience with FPGA + ARM SoC platforms (e.g., Xilinx/AMD Zynq or Zynq UltraScale+) and AMD/Xilinx toolchains (Vivado, Vitis, Petalinux)
Experience designing high-speed digital interfaces and DDR/DMA-based datapaths
Experience integrating FPGA logic with embedded software, including memory-mapped register interfaces and driver-level debugging
Hands-on hardware bring-up and lab debugging experience with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and embedded debug tools

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline
Experience in aerospace, defense, semiconductor, or other high-reliability development
Experience with image sensor interfaces (e.g., MIPI CSI-2, LVDS/SLVS, SubLVDS) or other high-bandwidth sensor front-ends
Familiarity with Versal ACAP architecture and Quartus toolflows
Experience with simulation and verification tools such as Questa/ModelSim, Xcelium, or Verilator, and with UVM or other structured verification methodologies
Proficiency with C/C++, Python, and TCL for bring-up, test automation, and tooling
Experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing and automated regression of FPGA designs
Experience thriving in fast-paced, high-ownership environments with rapid iteration cycles

Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance
401(k) retirement savings plan
Paid parental leave

This listing is sourced directly from Cowboyspace's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.