Senior FPGA Engineer

Advanced Navigation is the world’s most determined innovator in AI robotics and navigation technologies across land, air, sea and space applications. Founded on a culture of research and discovery, Advanced Navigation's mission is to be the catalyst of the autonomy revolution. Fields of expertise include artificial intelligence, underwater sonar, GNSS, radio frequency systems, inertial sensors, robotics, quantum sensors and photonics. 

Today, Advanced Navigation is a supplier to some of the world's largest companies, including Airbus, Boeing, Google, Tesla, NASA, Apple, and General Motors. Discover it for yourself: https://youtu.be/F7uAqs1gtuk

Overview of Role

The Senior FPGA Design Engineer plays a key part in the design, implementation, integration, and verification of FPGA-based solutions for advanced navigation and sensing systems. As part of a multidisciplinary engineering team, you will work closely with optics, electronics, software, algorithm, systems, and mechanical engineers to develop innovative, high-performance products from concept through production. The position requires a strong technical background in FPGA development, a collaborative mindset, and the ability to solve complex engineering challenges in a fast-paced environment.

Roles and responsibilities: 

• FPGA Mastery: Maintain expert-level proficiency in FPGA architecture, hardware description languages (HDLs), vendor toolchains, and modern verification methodologies.
• Robust Architecture: Design performant, low-latency, and deterministic FPGA configurations that are highly testable, maintainable, and compliant with stringent system requirements.
• Defect Resolution: Rapidly diagnose, root-cause, and resolve complex hardware/software defects using advanced debugging techniques and simulation tools.
• Documentation: Author clear, comprehensive technical documentation including architectural specifications, requirements traceability, and test plans/results.
• Technology Scouting: Keep abreast of the evolving state-of-the-art in FPGA technologies, SoC architectures, & agile hardware development methodologies to maintain the company’s competitive edge.
• Autonomy & Ownership: Highly self-directed; effectively prioritizes competing tasks and manages resources to deliver complex deliverables on schedule without requiring micro-management.
• Operates with a solution-oriented mindset, maintaining momentum, productivity, and positive energy when tackling complex, ambiguous, or high-pressure engineering challenges.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical/Electronic, Computer Systems, or Mechatronics) or equivalent professional qualification.
• Experience: 5+ years of hands-on FPGA development experience in commercial, industrial, aerospace, defense, robotics, or similar high-reliability environments.
• Vendor Ecosystems: Proven hands-on experience with both AMD/Xilinx (Vivado) and Microchip toolchains and device architectures.
• Advanced VHDL Proficiency: Deep expertise in hardware description languages, specifically including:
• Advanced timing constraints (SDC/XDC), timing analysis, and achieving timing closure on high-utilization designs.
• Hardware-in-the-loop debug techniques (e.g., ChipScope/ILA, SignalTap).
• Safe clock domain crossing (CDC) practices in complex, multiclock domain architectures.
• Clock management and distribution utilizing on-chip PLLs/MMCMs.
• Fixed-point and floating-point digital signal processing (DSP) implementation, including digital control loops (e.g., PID filters, digital tracking loops, and phase-locked loops) implemented in fabric. 
• Interfacing with high-speed, high-precision data converters, including driving DACs for phase modulation and reading from ADCs for photodetector/sensor signals. 
• High-speed memory and digital interfaces (e.g., DDR3/DDR4, PCIe, LPDDR, gigabit transceivers).
• Physical/electrical communication layers (differential signaling, LVDS, termination strategies).
• Low-level communication protocols (SPI, I2C, UART, CAN).
• Knowledge of PCB constraints regarding FPGA pin layout, signal grouping, and differential pair limitations.
• Strong debugging and troubleshooting skills using laboratory equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, and protocol analyzers.

Preferred Criteria

• Experience with FPGA verification methodologies, testbench development, and simulation frameworks.
• Experience designing, developing, or maintaining automated verification and validation test infrastructures.
• Familiarity with higher-level languages for automation, modeling, and scripting (Python, MATLAB, Bash).
• Experience with sensor systems, navigation systems, signal processing, control systems, or embedded real-time platforms.
• Experience with CI/CD workflows, version control systems, and automated build environments.
• An understanding of optics and optoelectronics as they pertain to high-precision instrumentation (e.g., Fiber Optic Gyroscopes).
• Familiarity with modern software/hardware verification frameworks (e.g., UVVM, OSVVM, or UVM).
• Comprehensive knowledge of Work Health and Safety (WHS/HSE) practices within a laboratory or manufacturing environment.

Soft Skills

• Good communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively across multiple engineering disciplines.
• Ability to collaborate in a highly integrated multidisciplinary team environment.
• Proactive approach to problem solving and continuous improvement.
• Strong ownership mindset and accountability for technical outcomes.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Commitment to knowledge sharing, mentoring, and fostering a collaborative engineering culture.