Communication Systems Firmware and FPGA Sr. Engineer

The Communication Technologies and Engineering Division (CTED) represents the disciplines of communications, networking, and PNT (Position, Navigation, and Timing) in support of space missions, along with their enabling technologies. In our domain, CTED projects comprise all aspects, from architectures to prototypes to implementation, theoretical to hands-on.  Our engineers work directly with corporate and U.S. Government customers to ensure robust and resilient communications. 

Our Digital Electronics and Electromagnetics Department in Chantilly, VA is engaged in modeling & simulation work and prototyping & testbed development work. The range of work includes cubesat payload development, signal collection prototypes, antenna modeling and measurements in our anechoic chamber, software defined radio communications and signal collections systems, and RF system in support of prototyping and customer developments.

Work Model: This Position will be located 100% onsite in Chantilly, VA.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Joining the Digital Electronics and Electromagnetics Department as an experienced engineer who works both independently and as a member of project teams
• Solving technical problems in the areas of communications, signals collection, and data processing
• Developing experiments and prototypes in our laboratory facilities that include extensive SDR hardware, FPGA development systems, and RF signals test and measurement equipment
• Supporting customer programs by performing research, analysis, development, and assessments of signal processing algorithm implementations on operational hardware
• Providing subject matter expertise in Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and Software Defined Radios (SDR)
• Supporting our DOD and Intelligence customers with primary support to the National Reconnaissance Office
• Using your technical abilities and insights to keep ongoing development programs successful and to influence future missions

What You Need to be Successful – Engineering Specialist

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited program in Electrical Engineering or related technical discipline
• Minimum of eight years of relevant experience in progressively more responsible roles.
• Work in a laboratory environment working with SDRs or FPGAs, and associated test equipment
• Experience in developing and implementing DSP algorithms with real-world performance requirements on either CPU or FPGA-based platforms
• Experience working with customers and on project teams
• Willing to travel domestically up to 10% of time. 
• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SSBI security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government.  U.S. citizenship is required to obtain this level of security clearance.

In addition to the above, the minimum requirements for Senior Engineering Specialist:

• Minimum of twelve years of relevant experience in progressively more responsible roles.
• Demonstrated ability to architect and implement digital processing and SDR system solutions with real-world performance requirements
• Experience leading development projects and mentoring junior staff

How You Can Stand Out

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:

• Post graduate degree in Electrical Engineering or related technical discipline from an accredited university.
• Proficiency with a variety of popular SDR or FPGA tools such as GNURadio, Vivado, or ModelSim
• Experience working with antenna systems, RF systems, SIGINT processing, communications systems and hardware prototyping.
• Significant Linux-based DSP systems work that spans across CPUs, FPGAs, GPUs, and SDR platforms.
• Strong background in scientific programming using languages such as C, C++, Julia, or Python.

Leadership Competencies

Our leadership philosophy is simple: every employee, regardless of level and role, can demonstrate leadership. At Aerospace, our commitment is our people. To cultivate our talent and ensure that we have a strong pipeline of future leaders, we want individuals who:

• Operate Strategically
• Lead Change   
• Engage with Impact   
• Foster Innovation   
• Deliver Results  

Ways We Reward Our Employees

During your interview process, our team will provide details of our industry-leading benefits.

Benefits vary and are applicable based on Job Type.  A few highlights include:

• Comprehensive health care and wellness plans
• Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation
• Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options
• 401(k) Plan — Employees receive a total company-paid benefit of 8%, 10%, or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service and matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested in the plan upon hire
• Flexible spending accounts
• Variable pay program for exceptional contributions
• Relocation assistance
• Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career
• Education assistance programs
• An inclusive work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect

We are all unique, from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life, yet one thing bonds all of us to each other—the belief that we can make a difference. This core belief empowers us to do our best work at The Aerospace Corporation.

Equal Opportunity Commitment

The Aerospace Corporation is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We believe that a diverse workforce creates an environment in which unique ideas are developed and differing perspectives are valued, producing superior customer solutions. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, color, religion, genetic information, marital status, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, physical disability, medical condition, mental disability, or disability status and any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. If you’re an individual with a disability or a disabled veteran who needs assistance using our online job search and application tools or need reasonable accommodation to complete the job application process, please contact us by phone at 310.336.5432 or by email at ieo.mailbox@aero.org. You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal, as well as the Pay Transparency Policy Statement.