Senior Specialist, Firmware VHDL Engineer
At a glance
Senior Embedded & Firmware role at L3Harris Technologies. San Diego · $106,500–$197,500 base.
techroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Turn system requirements into FPGA architectures, technical specifications, and estimates for the work
- Build and tune FPGA designs for RF communications, including filtering, mixing, modulation, and error correction
- Implement and verify FPGA-based DSP for real-time signal processing, using simulation and hardware testing
- Close timing, integrate designs on hardware, review code, and resolve issues across the system
- Create diagrams, interface documents, test procedures, and review materials; travel up to ten percent for integration work
What you bring
- Meet the experience threshold through a bachelor's degree and six related years, a graduate degree and four years, or ten years without a degree
- You can obtain and keep at least a Secret clearance
- Preferred background includes VHDL and FPGA design, RF principles, DSP implementation, and FPGA debugging tools
Who this fits
This senior engineering role suits someone who can take FPGA work from architecture through hardware integration and collaborate with hardware, software, and systems teams. The schedule is a 9/80 arrangement, with every other Friday off, and travel may reach ten percent.
From the employer
Job Title: Senior Specialist Firmware VHDL Engineer
Job Code: 46267
Job Location: San Diego, CA
Job Schedule: 9/80- employees work 9 out of 14 days- totaling 80 hours worked- and have every other Friday off
Job Description:
Help shape the future of secure RF communications. As an FPGA Engineer on our team, you’ll design the FPGA architectures that power next‑generation mission‑critical communication systems. Your work will directly influence how reliably and securely information moves in some of the most demanding environments in the world.
In this role, you’ll take ownership from concept through deployment: defining architectures, developing high‑performance VHDL/Verilog, optimizing for speed and resource efficiency, and validating designs through rigorous simulation and bench testing. You’ll partner closely with hardware, software, and systems engineers to bring complex mixed‑signal and RF processing solutions to life.
If you enjoy solving hard technical problems, pushing FPGA technology to its limits, and contributing to products with real-world impact, this is a place where you can make your mark.
Essential Functions:
- Translate system-level requirements into FPGA architectures, specifications, and work estimates
- Develop and optimize FPGA designs for advanced RF communication systems (filtering, mixing, modulation, ECC, and more)
- Design, implement, and verify FPGA‑based DSP algorithms for real-time signal processing
- Run simulations, perform timing closure, and integrate designs on hardware to ensure top-tier performance
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to integrate FPGA solutions into full system designs
- Perform code reviews, troubleshoot design issues, and continuously refine existing architectures
- Produce high-quality engineering artifacts: block diagrams, interface control documents, test procedures, and review packages
- Travel up to 10% to engage with stakeholders and support on-site integration activities
- Must be able to obtain and maintain a minimum of a Secret level clearance.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree and minimum 6 years of prior redlevant experience. Graduate Degree and a minimum of 4 years of prior related experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum of 10 years of prior related experience.
Preferred Additional Skills:
- Minimum of 6 years’ experience with VHDL, the FPGA design process, and the tools such as Xilinx Vivado, ModelSim and Synplify, used to generate the FPGA designs
- Minimum of 4 years’ experience with RF principles, including filtering, mixing, and signal conversion.
- Minimum of 4 years’ experience with digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms and their implementation on FPGAs.
- Minimum of 6 years’ experience with debugging tools including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and signal generators
- Minimum of 4 years’ experience creating clear technical documentation, design specifications, and delivering presentations to cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
- Experience with embedded systems and microcontroller interfacing
- Experience with implementation of cryptographic algorithms in FPGA devices
- Experience with designing for space environments
- An active Top Secret or TS/SCI clearance
In compliance with pay transparency requirements, the salary range for this role in California is $106,500 - $197,500. This is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, as final offer amount may vary based on factors including but not limited to experience and geographic location. L3Harris also offers a variety of benefits, including health and disability insurance, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, EAP, education assistance, parental leave, paid time off, and company-paid holidays. The specific programs and options available to an employee may vary depending on date of hire, schedule type, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.
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