Senior DSP Engineer

Vector Atomic•Pleasanton, CA

5d•$140,000 - $190,000

About The Position

Vector Atomic, an IonQ company, is seeking a Senior DSP Engineer to design signal-processing algorithms for instrument control based on system goals, high-level requirements, and laboratory measurements. The engineer will develop custom algorithms for resource-constrained systems and create test plans that generate empirical data to complement simulation results. The work will initially focus on research and development, with the ultimate objective of transitioning algorithms to commercial devices. The role is suited to a strong individual contributor who can own tasks and support team objectives. The engineer will work with physicists, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, and optical engineers to develop next-generation quantum instruments and precision sensors. Responsibilities span algorithm design and validation using simulation tools, implementation in CPUs and RTL-based FPGA systems, system-level performance work for limited-resource embedded systems, experimental characterization and system identification, and cross-functional debugging. The position is based in a dynamic laboratory environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM), and five years of experience relevant to signal processing.
Expert understanding of signal-processing theory and practical implementation, with experience in most of the following: lock-in amplifiers, FFTs, FIRs, IIRs, CICs, DDSs, MIMO processing, multi-rate 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 with coworkers and collaborators, verbally and in writing.
Must qualify as a U.S. Person under applicable U.S. export control laws.
Previous experience designing and optimizing digital signal-processing algorithms for embedded instrumentation, with an emphasis on 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 and optimize them 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.

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, PID, and state-space modeling.
Ability to define measurement strategies to extract plant models for simulation and optimization.

Responsibilities

Work with physicists, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, and optical engineers to create next-generation quantum instruments.
Design signal-processing algorithms for precision sensors, with implementations in CPUs and RTL-based FPGA systems.
Use simulation tools to define and validate customized signal-processing algorithms for a wide range of sensor applications.
Develop implementations that meet system-level requirements in limited-resource embedded systems and assist with translation into RTL or firmware implementations.
Define experiments to characterize plant behavior, measure performance metrics, and perform system identification.
Collaborate with electrical engineers and software engineers to identify issues and debug systems.