FPGA Engineer (Starshield)

FPGA ENGINEER (STARSHIELD) 

Starshield leverages SpaceX’s launch capability and Starlink technology to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads. 

The satellite engineering team is hiring for satellite programs that are pushing the boundaries of in-space capabilities. Our missions support scientific research, classified national security space and commercial opportunities. Software engineering and innovation is at the core of these programs.  

The satellite software team is building highly reliable in-space networks, designing secure systems to guarantee access to space, and creating autonomous satellite operation systems, and more. Aerospace experience is not required to be successful here - we want our engineers to bring fresh ideas from all areas, love solving problems, and seek to make an impact on an inspiring mission. As we expand this team, we're looking for versatile, driven, and collaborative engineers.  

As an FPGA engineer on the satellite digital design team, you will be designing, developing, and testing FPGAs that supports safety critical logic, sensors, optical, and communications systems for SpaceX’s satellite constellation. You will engage with other SpaceX engineers to discover the needs of the missions and code highly reliable digital designs which turns the mission into reality. You will be responsible for the complete lifecycle of the FPGA designs you create, including development, testing, and support. 

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Deliver highly reliable firmware for SpaceX-designed hardware 
• Work with engineers across the department to develop new products, from prototype through production and flight 
• Take ownership of your firmware products, including verification testing and writing documentation
• Follow the SpaceX flight software development process and write great firmware for spaceflight
• Work in close collaboration with avionics, software, and platform engineers to design and validate FPGA designs 

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, electrical engineering, math or other engineering discipline; OR 2+ years of professional software development experience in lieu of a degree
• Experience using Verilog, SystemVerilog, or VHDL 

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: 

• Experience working with complex digital designs 
• Experience in different stages of FPGA development: RTL design, verification, synthesis, timing analysis, lab bring up/validation 
• Experience integrating logic onto SoC platforms and designing high-throughput PS/PL interfaces 
• Experience developing firmware for Xilinx FPGA platforms using the Xilinx toolchain
• Experience with high speed serial links, including GbE, PCI-E or similar
• Experience with networking protocols and packet processing (Ethernet 802.3, IPV4/IPV4, UDP, TCP)
• Experience developing and testing high reliability, safety critical, and fault tolerant systems
• Hardware debug experience, including familiarity with tools such as the oscilloscope, logic analyzer, protocol analyzer (SPI, CAN, Ethernet or similar)
• Experience developing software for embedded systems in C or C++, or significant experience in another software language
• Scripting skills (bash, Perl, Python)
• Familiar with common electronic components and comfortable reading circuit design schematics and contributing to hardware design discussions
• Excellent leadership, communication and teamwork skills 
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret or Top Secret SCI clearance

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: 

• Note that an active clearance may provide the opportunity for you to work on sensitive SpaceX missions; if so, you will be subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol testing 
• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed  

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS: 

Pay Range:

FPGA Engineer /Level I: $120,000.00 - $145,000.00/per year

FPGA Engineer /Level II: $140,000.00 - $170,000.00/per year

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short & long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation & will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Exempt employees are eligible for 5 days of sick leave per year.