Senior FPGA Design & Verification Engineer – Terwave

Blue Origin • Bay Area, WA

10d

About The Position

Blue Origin is pioneering the future of space-based communications with TeraWave, a revolutionary satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth. This multi-orbit constellation will consist of optically interconnected satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO), providing enterprise-grade connectivity for critical operations worldwide. Blue Origin is seeking a Senior FPGA Design and Verification Engineer to develop the digital signal processing and physical layer implementation for the Terawave next generation modem. In this role, you will architect, design, implement, and verify FPGA-based modem and physical layer solutions that enable robust, high-reliability communications for our spacecraft and ground systems. Using latest generation hardware and modern design methodologies, you will work across the full development lifecycle – from architecture and algorithm mapping through implementation, verification, and hardware bring-up – collaborating closely with systems, DSP/communications, RF, and avionics engineering teams.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or above in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or equivalent.
• 7+ years of experience in FPGA design and verification.
• Strong proficiency in RTL design using VHDL and/or Verilog/ SystemVerilog.
• Experience implementing DSP or communications/modem functions in FPGAs (e.g., modulation/demodulation, FEC, filtering, digital front-ends).
• Proficiency with FPGA development toolchains (e.g., Xilinx/AMD or Intel/Altera) and simulation tools.
• Experience with verification methodologies including self-checking testbenches and functional coverage.
• Strong understanding of timing analysis, constraints, and timing closure.

Nice To Haves

• Background in digital communications theory and physical layer design (synchronization, equalization, carrier/timing recovery, link budgets).
• Experience with system-on-chip (SoC) platforms integrating FPGA fabric and embedded processors.
• Experience in embedded development in C/C++, or experience writing low level drivers.
• Experience developing test venue software and hardware infrastructure for hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing environment.

Responsibilities

• Architect and design FPGA implementations of modem and physical layer functions on a SoC FPGA platform.
• Translate communications system and DSP algorithm requirements into efficient, resource-optimized RTL (VHDL/Verilog/ SystemVerilog).
• Develop and execute comprehensive verification strategies, including self-checking testbenches, constrained-random verification, and coverage-driven methodologies (e.g., UVM).
• Perform timing closure, resource optimization, and design implementation for high-performance FPGA and system-on-chip (SoC) platforms.
• Support integration and hardware bring-up, including lab testing, debug, and validation against system-level performance requirements.
• Collaborate with DSP/communications engineers to co-design and optimize physical layer algorithms for fixed-point FPGA implementation.
• Contribute to design reviews, documentation, and design-for-test/design-for-reliability practices consistent with aerospace-grade development.
• Support radiation-tolerant and high-reliability design considerations for space-based applications.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability, 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%, and an Education Support Program.
• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
• Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior