Senior FPGA Engineer II
Rocket Lab's Optical Systems division is seeking a Senior FPGA Engineer II to join our team in Chantilly, VA. This role focuses on designing Xilinx FPGAs in VHDL to support Tranche 3 of the Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company delivering responsive launch services, complete spacecraft design and manufacturing, payloads, satellite components, and more, with the goal of opening access to space.
As a Senior FPGA Engineer II, you will collaborate with the hardware design team to define requirements and complete FPGA logic design, coding, simulation, and testing. You will support hardware and software development teams during product bring-up and testing, provide subject-matter expertise on design and automated test development procedures, perform research and analysis of customer specifications and datasheets to determine design feasibility, debug designs in the lab, and perform synthesis, implementation, and timing analysis.
The ideal candidate will have a bachelor's degree in computer engineering, electrical engineering, or a related discipline, along with over 8 years of experience in FPGA firmware design using VHDL. The ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Security Clearance is required. Preferred qualifications include experience with Xilinx/AMD Versal architecture, FPGAs and embedded systems in radiation environments, FPGA- or ASIC-based image processing algorithms, creating and integrating IP in RTL and block designs, familiarity with C, Python, or MATLAB, software interfaces including interrupts and DMA, DDR4, Aurora, and high-speed transceiver design and verification, AXI Stream and AXI Memory Mapped interfaces, and PCB design and schematic capture with tools such as Altium Designer.
Rocket Lab offers a comprehensive benefits package, including top-tier medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid vacation and sick leave, paid holidays, flexible spending and dependent care savings accounts, paid parental leave, disability and life insurance, and access to a 401(k) retirement plan with company match. Additional perks include a discounted employee stock purchase program, subsidized EV charging stations, onsite gym, food and drinks, and other discounts.
Joining Rocket Lab means becoming part of a mission-driven team dedicated to unlocking the potential of space to improve life on Earth. We value hard work, determination, relentless innovation, teamwork, and an unwavering commitment to achieving what others often deem impossible. Our culture emphasizes having each other's backs, checking egos at the door, and rolling up our sleeves on all tasks big and small.