Sr Research Engineer - FPGA Design

SRI International•Boulder, CO

4d•Onsite

About The Position

SRI is seeking a Senior Research Engineer with deep expertise in FPGA design to lead the development of real-time signal processing systems for advanced sensing applications. This role focuses on low-latency firmware development, high-performance digital signal processing (DSP) implementation, and hands-on system prototyping. You will work in multidisciplinary teams to design and deploy real-time hardware systems for applications including radar, communications, quantum sensing, and photonics. This position is ideal for an engineer who thrives at the intersection of algorithms and hardware and enjoys translating complex signal processing concepts into efficient, real-world implementations. This role is part of SRI’s Advanced Technology and Systems Division (ATSD), which develops innovative, high-performance technologies across domains including radar and electronic warfare, imaging systems, robotics, quantum sensing, and applied optics.

Requirements

Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related field
B.S. + 8 years, M.S. + 6 years, or Ph.D. + 3 years of relevant experience
U.S. Citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance
Extensive hands-on FPGA design experience, including architecture, RTL development, simulation, timing closure, and hardware validation
Proficiency with HDL languages (Verilog, SystemVerilog, VHDL, or equivalent)
Strong background in digital system architecture and embedded system design
Solid foundation in DSP with practical implementation experience
Experience implementing real-time systems with strict latency and throughput requirements (e.g., radar, communications, or similar domains)
Familiarity with SDR platforms and heterogeneous compute systems (e.g., GPUs) for sensor data processing
Experience with system integration, test, and evaluation of complex hardware prototypes
Proficiency in Python, C, C++, or MATLAB
Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to internal teams and external stakeholders
Experience contributing to proposals, technical documentation, and customer presentations
Strong problem-solving skills and ability to manage multiple priorities
Willingness to travel occasionally for fieldwork, testing, or customer engagement

Nice To Haves

Active Top Secret (TS) clearance (SCI and/or SAP experience strongly preferred)
Advanced experience with radar and RF communication systems, including waveform design and processing techniques
Familiarity with radar signal processing methods such as matched filtering, range-Doppler processing, SAR, monopulse, or backprojection imaging
Experience with embedded software development on microprocessors or SoCs
Experience applying AI/ML techniques to sensing or signal processing problems
Strong presentation skills and experience briefing technical and non-technical audiences

Responsibilities

Design and implement FPGA-based architectures for real-time signal processing and low-latency data pipelines
Translate advanced DSP and algorithmic concepts into efficient hardware implementations
Collaborate closely with algorithm developers to optimize performance, resource utilization, and throughput
Lead FPGA development efforts from architecture and design through implementation, integration, and hardware validation
Develop and integrate embedded systems for real-time data acquisition, processing, and control
Guide system-level design decisions, including hardware/software partitioning and interface definition
Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership across projects
Support system integration, testing, and evaluation of prototype and fielded systems
Contribute to technical proposals, white papers, and customer briefings