Principal Radar FPGA Firmware Engineer - Lunar Permanence

$176,871 - $247,619/Yr

Blue Origin - Seattle, WA

Full-time - Principal

Seattle, WA

Transportation Equipment Manufacturing

About the position

The Principal Radar FPGA Firmware Engineer at Blue Origin will play a crucial role in the development of radar systems for lunar spacecraft as part of the Lunar Permanence business unit. This position requires a blend of technical expertise, leadership, and a commitment to quality, aimed at ensuring safe human spaceflight. The engineer will work collaboratively with a diverse team to design, simulate, and optimize radar systems, contributing to the mission of building sustainable infrastructure for transporting crew and cargo to the lunar surface.

Responsibilities

• Design and simulation of end-to-end systems to meet required performance specifications such as range and signal-to-noise ratio.
• Design and validate signal processing algorithms for applications of detection, tracking, RF calibration, and parameter estimation.
• Support Matlab/Simulink code generation for signal processing and filtering.
• Analyze algorithmic computational complexity and hardware resource needs (FPGA fabric, memory/IO bandwidth, etc.).
• Perform signal-to-noise/clutter ratio, signal sensitivity, and RF nonlinearity calibration.
• Work with hardware engineers to drive device selection: FPGA, ADC/DAC, DDR3/4, NOR flash, etc.
• Support hardware bring-up and collaborate with electrical engineers to support design verification.
• Implement RTL logic and FPGA prototyping.

Requirements

• B.S. in Electrical Engineering or a related field with 7+ years of DSP experience.
• Experience in developing and implementing DSP algorithms on FPGA and/or embedded processors.
• Experience in simulating an end-to-end system to meet required performance specifications, such as link budget.
• Proficient with Matlab/Simulink or equivalent modeling environment.
• Experience in designing, choosing, and optimizing DSP algorithms for radar or other relevant sensors.
• Proficient with IEEE 802.3, XAUI, PCIe, JESD204, I2C, SPI interfaces.
• Proficient in writing RTL using Verilog/SystemVerilog/VHDL (SystemVerilog desired).
• Strong understanding of FPGA design concepts, CDC, constraint definition, STA, and timing closure.
• Proficient with FPGA development tools such as Xilinx Vivado, Intel Quartus.
• Proficient with ModelSim/QuestaSim or equivalent simulators.
• Experience in writing testbenches utilizing techniques such as UVM/OVM, SV Assertion, and/or functional/code coverage analysis.
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion.

Nice-to-haves

• 10 years of experience in the industry.
• PhD or master's degree in electrical engineering, mathematics, signal processing, or a related field.
• Experience in FMCW or CW Radar/LiDAR signal processing.
• Proficient with scripting languages like Perl, Python, or Tcl.
• Experience with common on-chip bus protocols such as AMBA (AXI, AHB, APB), PCIe, JESD204B, I2C, (Q)SPI, etc.
• Experience with optoelectronic sensors.
• Experience with space applications and radiation environment.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision insurance
• Basic and supplemental life insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Short and long-term disability
• 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%
• Education Support Program
• Paid Time Off: Up to four weeks per year and up to 14 company-paid holidays
• Discretionary bonus based on individual contributions and company results.