Senior FPGA / Digital Design Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Qualis LLC is seeking an experienced FPGA/Digital Design Engineer to develop high-performance FPGA solutions for advanced RF and software-defined radio systems. The ideal candidate is a hands-on AMD/Xilinx FPGA developer with strong experience using Vivado, PetaLinux, Tcl scripting, board support packages, and FPGA reference designs.

This role focuses on taking system requirements into practical FPGA implementations, integrating vendor and custom reference designs, and supporting the development of advanced SDR, sensing, communications, electronic warfare, and PNT technologies. The successful candidate will work closely with RF, software, systems, and hardware engineers to deliver integrated prototype and production solutions.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, integrate, and test FPGA-based processing solutions for RF and SDR systems.
• Develop FPGA designs using VHDL, Verilog, and/or SystemVerilog in AMD/Xilinx Vivado.
• Develop and optimize real-time digital signal-processing functions, data movement architectures, digital receivers, exciters, channelizers, and processing pipelines.
• Integrate and customize AMD/Xilinx FPGA reference designs, IP cores, board support packages, and development platforms.
• Develop and maintain Tcl scripts to automate Vivado project creation, design configuration, synthesis, implementation, bitstream generation, and hardware handoff workflows.
• Develop and integrate embedded Linux solutions using PetaLinux, including hardware handoff, boot configuration, device trees, board-support packages, and driver integration.
• Configure, integrate, and validate FPGA digital interfaces for high-speed converters, RF transceivers, memory, Ethernet, PCIe, JESD204, AXI, and other board-level peripherals.
• Support FPGA board bring-up, FPGA debugging, timing closure, interface troubleshooting, hardware validation, and laboratory integration activities.
• Collaborate with RF, software, systems, and hardware engineers to develop integrated system solutions.
• Support architecture development, technical trade studies, and future technology roadmaps for next-generation SDR, EW, sensing, communications, and PNT systems.
• Participate in customer meetings, technical reviews, demonstrations, and proposal activities.
• Contribute to innovative solutions for distributed sensing, remote operation, and advanced RF processing architectures.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an ABET-accredited college or university in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field.
• 8+ years of experience developing FPGA-based systems.
• Strong hands-on experience with AMD/Xilinx FPGA devices and Vivado development tools.
• Proficiency in VHDL and/or Verilog; SystemVerilog experience is a plus.
• Experience implementing digital signal-processing algorithms in FPGA architectures.
• Experience integrating AMD/Xilinx FPGA reference designs, IP cores, processor subsystems, board support packages, and high-speed digital interfaces.
• Experience writing Tcl scripts for Vivado project creation, build automation, implementation, and bitstream generation.
• Experience with PetaLinux, Vitis, or embedded Linux development for FPGA-based systems, including BSP, device-tree, boot, and driver configuration.
• Experience with software-defined radio platforms, digital RF systems, or real-time signal-processing systems.
• Familiarity with high-speed digital interfaces, data-movement architectures, and FPGA timing closure.
• Experience supporting board bring-up, FPGA debugging, hardware troubleshooting, and laboratory testing.
• Ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with AMD/Xilinx RFSoC, Zynq UltraScale+, Versal, Kintex UltraScale, or similar FPGA architectures.
• Experience with high-speed data converters, JESD204B/C, DDR memory, PCIe, Ethernet, AXI, DMA, and high-throughput streaming architectures.
• Experience with FPGA simulation, verification, and debug tools such as Vivado Simulator, ModelSim/Questa, and Integrated Logic Analyzer.
• Knowledge of electronic warfare, SIGINT, radar, communications, or PNT systems.
• Experience with MATLAB, Python, C++, or embedded software development.
• Familiarity with fixed-point DSP design, FPGA resource optimization, and performance trade studies.
• Experience supporting government R&D, prototype development, or advanced technology programs.
• Active security clearance.