Rocket Lab Corporation
FPGA Engineer II
About this role
Rocket Lab seeks an FPGA Engineer II to develop and verify firmware designs for spacecraft avionics systems supporting civil, commercial, and defense satellite programs. You'll collaborate across engineering disciplines to design, implement, and test FPGA solutions for real space missions, with opportunities to see your work operate on-orbit.
What you'll do
- Design and verify FPGA firmware for Xilinx and Microchip devices in spacecraft avionics applications
- Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams to define firmware architecture and requirements
- Develop technical documentation for FPGA operation and system interfaces
- Execute test campaigns from module-level through automated unit and system-level testing
- Participate in spacecraft development lifecycle from requirements through on-orbit validation
What they're looking for
- VHDL programming
- FPGA design fundamentals and principles
- Xilinx and Microchip tools and devices
- Verification frameworks (UVM, VUnit)
- Signal integrity and digital timing analysis
- Embedded systems and PCB schematic reading
- Interface protocols (SPI, UART, I2C, CAN, GigE, PCIe)
- Spacecraft avionics and radiation-hardened design
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Rocket Lab Corporation
Rocket Lab builds spacecraft and satellites that it launches on its own rockets, developing the avionics, flight software, and ground systems needed to operate these vehicles in orbit. The company is hiring software engineers, test automation specialists, and spacecraft operations engineers to develop embedded flight software, design testing systems, and manage satellite fleet health across commercial and government missions.
View all jobs at Rocket Lab CorporationLikely interview questions
- Describe a complex FPGA design you've implemented using VHDL and walk us through your verification approach
- How have you handled timing closure and signal integrity challenges in previous FPGA projects?