Senior FPGA Engineer

Kapta Space, a VC-funded early-stage startup in Seattle, WA, is breaking new ground in Geospatial Intelligence. Our technology centers around a proven, scalable electronically-steered radar for sophisticated spaceborne applications such as earth observation using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) techniques, as well as enabling advanced defense missions such as target tracking on the ground and in the air.

Kapta Space is seeking a Senior FPGA Engineer to lead RTL design and FPGA development for radar operation and algorithm implementation. Kapta Space is seeking FPGA Engineers with experience in mission-critical firmware development that have the drive and experience to complete projects independently and on time.

You Are the Right Fit for the Role at Kapta Space If:

• You are able to work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team in creating firmware requirements
• You are able to architect, design, and implement software for our Kapta radar sensor
• You can work collaboratively with radar algorithm, hardware, software and mechanical engineers to build reliable embedded firmware for the payload
• You are able to evaluate implementation/maintenance, complexity and resource requirements (logic cells, embedded memory, DSP Slices) for control and signal processing routines in RTL. Produce trade-studies to support decision making
• You can integrate RTL designs onto FPGA/SoC platforms with synthesis, place and route, and timing analysis
• You have demonstrated experience with leading verification and validation of FPGA design on prototype and fight hardware
• You are comfortable assisting in the recruiting, interviewing, and hiring additional teammates to our rapidly growing team

Requirements of the Role:

• BS or MS degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
• 8+ years of experience in embedded firmware development (ideally for radar applications)
• Experience with bring up and verification of RTL-based designs on targeted HW
• Experience with low-speed interfaces (I2C, SPI, UART, RS422, etc.)
• Comfortable with Git, CI, Code Reviews, and Version Control and organized enough to be productive in a lean startup environment
• Experience in RTL design with Verilog/VHDL
• Ability to read schematic diagrams
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Top Secret/SCI security clearance

Bonus if candidates have experience and skills in the following areas:

• Designing and implementing distributed digital systems
• Implementing digital systems in challenging environments, such as on satellites or airborne systems
• Clock Domain Crossing and Timing Closure
• AMD Ultrascale, Intel Arria10, Lattice Avant, and/or Microchip PolarFire platforms
• Interfaces for high-speed ADC/DACs (JESD204)
• Implementing signal processing algorithms in RTL
• Embedded designs with multiple FPGAs and peripheral interfaces (SPI, UART, GPIO, I2C, Ethernet)
• Implementing efficient, low latency data movement between FPGAs, processors, storage devices, and networking interfaces
• Working knowledge of networking stacks (Ethernet, TCP/IP)
• An active or previously held US Government TS/SCI security clearance is considered a strong plus.

Concerned you do not meet all the requirements? Not a problem - please apply even if you do not meet all these criteria.

U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Kapta Employees must be U.S. citizens, lawful U.S. permanent residents (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State or Commerce as applicable.

Kapta Space is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. We believe that diversity drives innovation, strengthens our team, and broadens our capabilities. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage individuals from underrepresented groups to apply.


Kapta Space does not engage with external recruiters or agencies without prior written agreement. If you are a recruiter (individual or agency) and wish to engage with Kapta Space for talent acquisition, please email [email protected].


We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. All final hiring decisions are made by humans.