Senior FPGA Engineer

Compensation:

Competitive salary and benefits package

• Base Salary: $100,000 - $125,000 per year
• Total Compensation (including stock options*): $175,000-$200,000

* Total compensation includes a meaningful equity grant. We're well-funded and building what we believe is a category-defining company. We're looking for mission-aligned people with high conviction in what they're building — not just employees, but owners. Our CEO was a founding engineer at SpaceX, and his vision and hands‑on expertise across hardware, software, and scaling companies are the reason our earliest team members have joined. You'll be working in a high‑paced, well‑equipped environment built for developing scalable, efficient technology — with the resources and speed to match the ambition. This role offers more than cash compensation — it's a real stake in something with that kind of leadership behind it.

Job Description:

We are seeking an FPGA Engineer to design and implement complex FPGA designs for advanced and highly embedded multidomain robotics platforms. The ideal candidate must be motivated and a self‑starter willing to expand their knowledge base and expertise.

Responsibilities:

The candidate will:

• Design, implement, and test FPGA‑based systems to enhance product capabilities
• Build hardware/firmware specifically for avionics, robotics & flight‑critical systems
• Develop and maintain RTL/firmware for peripherals, converters (ADC/DAC), and communication interfaces including 1 Gb+ Ethernet, PCIe, Serial (SPI, UART)
• Conduct simulation, hardware‑in‑the‑loop (HITL) testing and validation

Required Qualifications:

• Must be a U.S Citizen
• Prior Experience: 3+ years
• Work on location in Torrance, CA
• Minimum a BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
• Need strong problem‑solving skills and the ability to work in a small team environment
• Experience in VHDL/Verilog, SoC (System on Chip) design, and FPGA platforms.Strong preference for VHDL
• Worked with AMD/Xilinx FPGAs and/or SoC FPGAs
• Experience with Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Tools:
• GHDL, GTKWave, OpenOCD

Specific Job Tasks will Include the Following:

• Architect FPGA subsystems including data paths, memory hierarchies, and interface logic
• Integrate FPGA designs with embedded processors (ARM/RISC‑V soft or hard cores)
• Define register maps and hardware/software interfaces for FPGA peripherals
• Collaborate with PCB designers to ensure signal integrity, pin planning, and power requirements

Verification & Validation

• Develop simulation testbenches and verification environments
• Perform functional simulation and waveform analysis to validate RTL
• Perform timing analysis and timing closure across multiple clock domains
• Support system bring‑up and debug using on‑chip analyzers (e.g., ILA/SignalTap equivalents)

Hardware Debug & Integration

• Debug FPGA designs using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and JTAG tools
• Support hardware bring‑up of new boards and prototypes
• Work closely with software and controls engineers to integrate FPGA functionality into the robotics platform

General Desired Skills Include

• Linux / Mac knowledge
• Command line tools and strong Unix tools and toolchains know‑how

FPGA Related Desired Skills Include

• Familiarity with Lattice / Microchip (Microsemi / Actel) and other cost‑effective FPGA platforms / toolchains
• Experience with AXI bus (AXI Stream, AXI-4, etc.)
• Proficient with DSP on FPGA data flows and implementations highly desired
• Experience with processing, data routing and/or compute pipeline design methodologies
• Experience with timing closure techniques
• Prefer real world validation over simulated validation

Company Overview

CHIRP Robotics is a well‑funded seed‑stage startup operating in stealth mode and based in Torrance, California. The company aims to become a leading U.S. provider of modular intelligence and autonomous systems for a wide range of vehicles and applications. It has an impressive portfolio of patents on the hardware side and IP in software / algorithms. CHIRP’s CEO, a founding member of SpaceX, brings extensive technical expertise, a strong professional network, and significant business leadership experience.

Why Join Us?

• Opportunity to work on innovative and complex systems.
• Hands‑on experience with a broad range of engineering challenges.
• Collaborative and growth‑oriented work environment.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.