Senior DSP Engineer

Vector Atomic•Pleasanton, CA

About The Position

Vector Atomic, an IonQ company, is seeking a Senior DSP Engineer to design algorithms for instrument control based on system goals, high-level requirements, and laboratory measurements. The role develops custom signal-processing algorithms for resource-constrained systems and creates test plans and experiments to generate empirical data that complements simulation results. The work begins in research and development, with the eventual goal of transitioning the technology to commercial devices. The engineer will be a strong individual contributor who takes ownership of tasks while supporting team goals. The engineer will collaborate with physicists, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, optical engineers, and software engineers to create quantum instruments and precision sensors. The role involves signal-processing algorithm design and validation using simulation tools, implementation across CPUs and RTL-based FPGA systems, and support for translation into RTL or firmware. The engineer will also characterize system behavior, measure performance, identify system models, and help debug systems in a dynamic laboratory environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a STEM field and five years of experience relevant to signal processing.
Expert understanding of signal-processing theory and practical implementation.
Practical experience with most of the following: lock-in amplifiers, FFTs, FIRs, IIRs, CICs, DDSs, MIMO processing, multirate filtering, OFDM, sampling theory, Kalman filters, modulation, I/Q, harmonic generation, and quantization effects.
Ability to define digital algorithms for hardware systems such as FPGAs and CPU-based firmware.
Comfort working in a dynamic laboratory environment.
Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, with coworkers and collaborators.
Previous experience designing and optimizing digital signal-processing algorithms for embedded instrumentation, especially sensors.
Experience simulating signal-processing algorithms using MATLAB, Simulink, and/or Python.
Signal-analysis background for model identification and parameter extraction.
Understanding of noise mechanisms in electronic systems and ability to estimate noise in systems with digital, RF, and analog sections.
Ability to define complex signal-processing algorithms in fixed-point and variable-bit-width environments.
Ability to optimize algorithms for performance while considering resource utilization.
C/C++, Python, and/or Rust coding skills.
Practical experience with professional CASE tools, including revision control, bug tracking, and debuggers.
Must qualify as a U.S. Person under applicable U.S. export control laws.

Nice To Haves

Experience with advanced inertial measurement units (IMUs), inertial navigation systems (INS), gyroscopes, accelerometers, and GPS units.
Understanding of channel effects and mitigation strategies for free-space RF and optical communications systems.
Some RTL coding background.
Practical experience developing control algorithms such as Kalman filters and PID, and using state-space modeling.
Ability to define measurement strategies to extract plant models for simulation and optimization.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with physicists, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, and optical engineers to develop next-generation quantum instruments.
Design signal-processing algorithms for precision sensors.
Implement signal-processing algorithms in CPUs and RTL-based FPGA systems.
Use simulation tools to define and validate customized signal-processing algorithms for sensor applications.
Develop implementations that meet system-level requirements in resource-constrained embedded systems.
Assist with translating algorithms into RTL or firmware implementations.
Define experiments to characterize plant behavior, measure performance metrics, and perform system identification.
Collaborate with electrical and software engineers to identify issues and debug systems.
Develop test plans and measurement strategies that produce empirical data to support simulation results.