Principal Emulation & Prototyping Engineer

Blue Origin•Hutto, TX

About The Position

Blue Origin’s Emerging Systems business unit is developing TeraWave, a multi-orbit satellite communications network intended to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps worldwide. Its digital system includes a high-throughput modem ASIC and a DSP-intensive digital beamforming ASIC, with first tapeout targeted for 2027. The hardware platform development strategy, methodology, and infrastructure are being established for Blue Origin’s first in-house silicon program. The Principal Emulation & Prototyping Engineer will own the pre-silicon hardware platforms end to end. This includes commercial emulation for design and verification bring-up and FPGA prototyping of DSP and beamforming datapaths with real data converters, RF front ends, antenna hardware, and lab instrumentation. The engineer will define platform strategy, select and deploy hardware, create build flows, and establish a nightly image service for program users. The role also defines how DSP and beamforming designs are scaled for prototyping and works with architecture and modeling teams to establish criteria for fidelity. Wireless communications experience is welcome but not required.

Requirements

BS plus 10 years, MS plus 8 years, or PhD plus 6 years in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Hands-on experience with FPGA implementation tools and flows, including synthesis, constraints, place and route, and timing closure, and with commercial emulation platforms.
Strong hands-on RTL skills in SystemVerilog or Verilog, including the ability to read, modify, and debug production RTL not authored by the candidate.
Experience defining and deploying FPGA prototyping or emulation flows, including build automation and release management.
Experience bringing up large digital designs on FPGA or emulation platforms.
Proficiency in Tcl, Python, or similar scripting for build automation, flow development, and CI integration.
Experience with lab and board-level bring-up and debug using on-chip probes, waveform capture, and lab instrumentation.
Experience supporting internal users of a shared platform or flow, including triage, documentation, and direct technical support.
Ability to work effectively across cross-site, multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Nice To Haves

Background in space-based communications, wireless communications, or modem/baseband hardware.
Experience prototyping DSP or communications datapaths, including LDPC/FEC, framing, or beamforming logic.
Experience with high-speed FPGA interfaces such as JESD204B/C, multi-gigabit transceivers, DDR memory controllers, PCIe, or Ethernet.
Experience with mixed-signal or RF lab integration, including data converter interfacing, coherent clocking and jitter budgets, and instrumentation-driven testing.
Experience with host-side software development (C/C++, DPI, SCE-MI) for transactors, speed bridges, and test harnesses.
Experience bringing up embedded processors and boot flows on FPGA, including ARM-based SoC FPGAs or soft-core processors.
Familiarity with advanced verification methodology sufficient to reuse and adapt simulation content on platform.
Experience applying AI/ML or LLM-based tooling to build triage, log analysis, or flow automation.

Responsibilities

Define and build Blue Origin’s pre-silicon emulation and prototyping capability from the ground up.
Develop platform strategy, flows, and infrastructure, and lead tradeoff studies covering capacity, build turnaround, debug visibility, and cost.
Evaluate and recommend commercial emulation systems, commercial prototyping systems, off-the-shelf boards, and custom board solutions.
Own the end-to-end build flow, including partitioning, synthesis, constraints, implementation, and timing closure for large SoC and subsystem designs across single- and multi-FPGA targets.
Adapt designs for platform use, including clock and reset restructuring, memory model substitution, and replacement of hard IP with platform equivalents.
Define the rate-reduction strategy for DSP and beamforming prototyping and establish representative-fidelity criteria with architecture and modeling teams.
Build hardware-in-the-loop platforms connecting DSP and beamforming datapaths to real converters, RF front ends, and antenna hardware, including converter interfacing, coherent multi-channel clock distribution, and latency-deterministic data paths.
Establish and operate a nightly build service that produces qualified images on a predictable cadence, with versioning, release notes, rollback, and qualification tests for each image.
Develop transactors, speed bridges, host-side software, and test harnesses connecting designs to reference models, test equipment, and real-world interfaces.
Manage platform capacity, scheduling, and allocation across users, and forecast capacity needs against program milestones.
Debug at platform level using signal capture, waveform tracing, and transaction-level debug; triage failures with design and verification teams to isolate root causes.
Partner with RF, antenna, and DSP teams on lab integration, calibration, and end-to-end signal chain validation.
Produce and maintain user documentation, onboarding material, and usage guidance so teams can operate independently.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
Basic and supplemental life insurance.
Paid parental leave.
Short- and long-term disability.
401(k) with company match of up to 5%.
Education Support Program.
Stock options for regular employees working at least 20 hours per week.
Up to four weeks of paid time off per year based on weekly scheduled hours.
Up to 14 company-paid holidays.
Depending on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on individual contributions and company results; bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed.