SatCom, ISR & Space Payload Architect
$169,000–$244,700 year
On-siteSan Jose, California, United States or Portsmouth, Virginia, United States
Job Summary
Define system architectures for SatCom, ISR, and space payload applications leveraging Altera FPGA technologies. Partner with customers and internal teams to translate mission requirements into scalable, high-performance solutions. Design and optimize signal processing pipelines for modulation/demodulation, channelization, encryption, and image/sensor processing. Drive adoption of FPGA-based acceleration for onboard processing, including real-time and edge compute in space environments. Collaborate with hardware, software, and product teams to influence roadmap and deliver optimized solutions. Provide technical leadership across design, verification, and deployment phases. Develop reference architectures, white papers, and technical collateral for aerospace and defense customers. This role requires a Bachelor's degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering, 8+ years of experience in satellite communications or ISR systems, and hands-on FPGA design skills. Applicants must be eligible for U.S. Government security clearance.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
- 8+ years of experience in satellite communications, ISR systems, or space payload design
- Strong background in digital signal processing (DSP) for communications or sensing systems
- Hands-on experience with FPGA design (VHDL/Verilog/SystemVerilog, RTL development)
- Experience with communication protocols and standards (e.g., DVB-S2/S2X, CCSDS, LDPC, etc.)
- Familiarity with high-speed data interfaces (e.g., PCIe, Ethernet, JESD204)
- Experience with system-level design in constrained environments (power, thermal, radiation)
- Eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance
Desired Qualifications
- Master's degree
- Experience with onboard satellite payload processing or software-defined payloads
- Knowledge of RF systems, link budgets, and waveform design
- Experience with AI/ML acceleration in ISR or space-based analytics
- Familiarity with Altera FPGA architecture and toolchain
- Understanding of radiation-tolerant design and space qualification requirements
- Strong system-level architecture and problem-solving skills
- Ability to balance performance, power, and reliability for space environments
- Customer-facing experience with aerospace/defense stakeholders
- Clear communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
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