Design and implement end-to-end satellite communication modems from DSP blocks to network protocols, analyze timing and resource needs for RF products, build FPGA-SoC libraries, create test harnesses integrated into CI/CD, and collaborate with RF software engineers to deliver high-throughput FPGA blocks for space and ground systems.
As an FPGA engineer at Impulse Space, you will be responsible for taking complex protocols and algorithms and accelerating them into high throughput FPGA blocks. Working closely with RF software engineers you will write libraries to help bridge the gap between fabric acceleration and high-level applications. Your code will not only fly in space but become the backbone for ground systems that will push millions of mission packets per second.
Responsibilities
- Design and implement all layers of satellite communication modems from DSP blocks to network protocols.
- Analyze timing and resource requirements for existing and next generation RF products.
- Create end-to-end test harnesses with integrations into CI/CD pipelines.
- Work closely with RF software engineers as you design high performance libraries to bridge the gap between FPGA and SOC.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, electrical engineering, math or other engineering discipline.
- 2+ years of professional FPGA development experience.
- Experience using Verilog, SystemVerilog, or VHDL.
- Experience developing for Xilinx FPGA/SOC products.
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Experience with Xilinx Vivado and Petalinux tooling.
- Demonstrated experience of DSP fundamentals such as filters, and PLLs.
- Exposure to fundamentals of satellite communications, encoders, PSK, symbol synchronization.
- Experience developing software for embedded systems in C++ or C.
- Experience with FPGA block stimulation and test benching.
- Familiarity with satellite communication standards (DVB-S2X, CCSDS).
Additional Information:
Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.
Impulse Space’s spacecraft manufacturing business is subject to U.S. export regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This position requires applicants to be either U.S. Persons (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent U.S. resident (green card holder), an individual granted asylum in the U.S., or an individual admitted in U.S. refugee status) or persons eligible to obtain an export license from the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, or other applicable U.S. government agencies. Learn more about the ITAR here.
Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
About
Impulse Space, the in-space transportation company founded by Tom Mueller, is opening access beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with its fleet of in-space transportation vehicles. The high-energy Helios vehicle unlocks orbits beyond LEO with its powerful Deneb engine, dropping off payloads in MEO, GEO, heliocentric, lunar, and other planetary orbits. The flight-proven Mira vehicle uses a nontoxic, high-impulse chemical propulsion system to offer orbital transport, constellation deployment, and precision reentry services to customers throughout LEO. Led by a team that delivered the most reliable rockets in history, Impulse provides economical and efficient in-space transportation by reliably and rapidly getting customers where they want to go.
Impulse Space El Segundo, California, USA Office
El Segundo, CA, United States, 90245
Similar Jobs
Aerospace • Hardware • Robotics • Software • Manufacturing
Design, implement, verify, and validate custom FPGA firmware for Terran R across the full product lifecycle. Lead FPGA development including RTL design, synthesis, timing analysis, board bring-up, qualification, and flight production while collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure integrated, mission-critical avionics systems.
Top Skills:
Amd XilinxChiselCi/CdDsp (Rf)FpgaIntel (Altera) Fpga ToolchainsMicrochip Fpga ToolchainsRisc-V ToolchainRtlSimulinkSpinalhdlSynthesisSystemcSystemverilogTiming AnalysisVerilogVersion And Configuration ControlVhdlVitis
Aerospace
Develop and verify FPGA firmware for spacecraft avionics from requirements through implementation, verification, and testing. Collaborate across disciplines to define firmware architecture, document interfaces, participate in module-to-system test campaigns, and support on-orbit operation and hardware testing for Xilinx and Microchip FPGA/SoC designs.
Top Skills:
FpgaMicrochipSocVhdlXilinx
Aerospace
Lead design, implementation, integration, and verification of FPGA-based architectures for RF, communications, telemetry, and real-time signal processing. Translate algorithms into RTL, manage FPGA toolflow (simulation, synthesis, P&R, timing closure), optimize for latency/throughput/power, develop reusable IP and verification infrastructure, support board bring-up, hardware debug, and cross-discipline system integration for flight and ground avionics.
Top Skills:
AdcAmdCC++DacEthernetFpgaIntel/AlteraJesd204Matlab/SimulinkPciePythonSpiSystemverilogUartVerilogVhdlXilinx
What you need to know about the Los Angeles Tech Scene
Los Angeles is a global leader in entertainment, so it’s no surprise that many of the biggest players in streaming, digital media and game development call the city home. But the city boasts plenty of non-entertainment innovation as well, with tech companies spanning verticals like AI, fintech, e-commerce and biotech. With major universities like Caltech, UCLA, USC and the nearby UC Irvine, the city has a steady supply of top-flight tech and engineering talent — not counting the graduates flocking to Los Angeles from across the world to enjoy its beaches, culture and year-round temperate climate.
Key Facts About Los Angeles Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 375,800; 5.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Snap, Netflix, SpaceX, Disney, Google
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, adtech, media, software, game development
- Funding Landscape: $11.6 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Strong Ventures, Fifth Wall, Upfront Ventures, Mucker Capital, Kittyhawk Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: California Institute of Technology, UCLA, University of Southern California, UC Irvine, Pepperdine, California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Quantum Science and Engineering
