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Xona · 4 months ago

Sr. FPGA Engineer

Burlingame, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Mid, Senior Level

3+ years exp

Xona Space Systems is a navigational intelligence company focused on providing precise positioning solutions. They are seeking a hands-on Sr. FPGA Engineer to design advanced space-based navigation payloads, working on signal processing systems, secure hardware modules, and high-reliability designs for satellite applications.

AerospaceGPSInformation ServicesNavigationSatellite CommunicationSoftware

No H1B

Security Clearance Required

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

Architect and implement RTL for Xilinx RFSoC and other space-qualified FPGAs

Design high-performance DSP and signal generation modules for navigation waveforms (e.g., PRN code generation, mixers, modulators)

Develop secure hardware blocks (e.g., SHA-256, HMAC) for authentication and anti-spoofing

Build robust data pipelines to move and process signal streams in real-time

Design with space in mind: mitigate single event upsets (SEUs), implement fault detection/correction, and optimize for radiation-prone environments

Work closely with cross functional teams to bring up payload functionality on actual satellite hardware

Simulate, verify, and test your designs rigorously - then see them fly

Qualification

FPGA developmentSignal processingCrypto hardware designEmbedded softwarePython scriptingC/C++ programmingHigh-speed serial I/ODSP fundamentalsCollaborationDocumentation discipline

Required

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering (or similar)

3+ years of FPGA development experience using Verilog, VHDL, or SystemVerilog

Experience with HDL simulation and verification

Proven experience with AMD/Xilinx platforms-ideally RFSoC or Zynq Ultrascale+ - and their embedded PL+PS architectures

Solid background in DSP fundamentals and real-time signal processing in hardware. Strong grasp of on-chip dataflow, clock domain crossing, and AXI/AXI-Stream buses

Comfortable using Vivado, Riviera Pro, and Synplify

Proven track record of developing in a collaborative environment, including familiarity with git/gitlab and strong documentation discipline

Full-time, onsite in Burlingame, California (this role is not remote or hybrid)

To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e. Green Card holder), or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)

To comply with U.K. regulations, this role requires Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks, and successful candidates must be eligible to obtain UK Security Clearance (SC)

Successful candidates must obtain and hold a security clearance at the reliability status level, and pass security assessment for the Canadian Controlled Goods Program (CGP) and ITAR

Preferred

Experience designing for space: SEU mitigation, TMR, scrubbing, or rad-hard flows

GNSS or navigation signal processing expertise (GPS, Galileo, etc.)

Crypto hardware design (e.g., SHA-2, HMAC, AES) and experience with secure communication protocols

Familiarity with JESD204B/C, high-speed serial I/O, or RF front-end interfacing

Embedded software experience on ARM (e.g., for control/config of FPGA fabric)

Python or TCL scripting for test automation and build flows

Knowledge of space qualification processes, radiation testing, or flight hardware integration, with preference for strong hardware-in-the-loop devops practices

C/C++ programming experience

Experience with digital generation of high performance RF signals