Embedded Systems Engineer (Medical Devices)

Black Canyon Consulting•Ashburn, VA

12h

About The Position

We are seeking a dynamic, mid-career Embedded Systems Engineer to join our team developing next-generation medical devices. In this role, you will be the linchpin between the digital logic fabric and the high-level application software. You will architect and implement complex FPGA designs that interface seamlessly with user-space applications running on embedded processors via AXI interconnects. Beyond the FPGA, you will own the board-level electronics: you’ll generate detailed schematics for complex devices built around the Xilinx FPGA, ensuring robust power delivery, high-speed signal routing, and peripheral integration. We are looking for a “full-stack” embedded thinker, someone who is equally excited to design a new analog front-end, refactor a Linux device driver, or optimize a data processing pipeline. You won’t just be writing and using IP blocks; you will own the embedded ecosystem, from the circuit board to the application layer, delivering technology that directly impacts patient lives under a quality management system.

Requirements

4–7+ years of hands-on experience in embedded systems development.
Proven ability to generate complex board-level schematics for FPGA-based designs using industry-standard tools (e.g., Altium Designer, KiCad). Must understand power sequencing, high-speed routing constraints, and mixed-signal layout considerations.
Deep working knowledge of the Xilinx toolchain (Vivado, Vitis) and the ability to generate, customize, and debug IP cores connected via the AXI interconnect protocol.
Proficiency in VHDL, Verilog, or SystemVerilog for synthesis, simulation, and timing closure.
Strong experience with embedded Linux (Yocto, PetaLinux, or Buildroot), kernel configuration, and cross-compilation.
Fluency in C/C++ or Rust (preferred) for low-level firmware and driver development; proficiency in Python for scripting and data analysis.
Solid understanding of communication protocols beyond AXI, such as SPI, I2C, UART, and high-speed serial links.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in a regulated environment (FDA, MDR) with safety-critical standards like IEC 62304.
Deep experience with precision analog front-ends, ADCs, DACs, and power management ICs (PMICs) commonly found in medical instrumentation.
Experience with Digital Signal Processing (DSP), SoC design on Zynq/MPSoC/RFSoC platforms, or high-speed transceivers.
Deep expertise in Xilinx logic design and schematic generation, and a broad willingness and ability to contribute wherever the project needs it most, from software drivers to regulatory documentation.
You don’t just see an FPGA task; you see the data flow from the sensor conditioning circuit, through the AXI bus, up to the UI.
You can translate complex hardware limitations to software engineers and vice versa, documenting your work clearly for regulatory audits.

Responsibilities

Design and own the detailed electrical schematics for complex, FPGA-centric medical devices. This includes component selection, power architecture definition, clock distribution, high-speed memory interfaces (DDR), and analog signal conditioning circuits.
Design, code, and verify complex digital designs on Xilinx platforms (Vivado/Vitis), with a primary focus on implementing custom IP blocks that communicate with user-space Linux applications via AXI4 (Lite, Stream, and Memory-Mapped) interfaces.
Develop and maintain Linux kernel drivers and user-space libraries that bridge the gap between the FPGA logic and C++/Rust/Python applications.
Participate in all phases of the product lifecycle within a regulated IEC 62304 / ISO 13485 framework, including requirements definition, architectural design, FMEA, and verification testing.
Work closely with PCB layout engineers to guide stack-up and routing; perform board bring-up, bench testing (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers), and debugging of your schematics.
Demonstrate flexibility by owning problems outside any single domain. You will debug high-speed signal integrity issues one day, and write a Python script to automate hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing the next.
Profile and optimize embedded systems for low latency, high throughput, SWAP-C (size, weight, power, and cost) constraints, and patient safety.