Digital Signal Processing Engineer

Spacecraft represent the most pressing unmet need across the entire aerospace industry. As more launch vehicles come online and the cost to orbit decreases, more companies launching payloads to space continue to emerge.

For the first time in history, this influx of payload companies combined with reduced launch costs has resulted in a massive increase in need for commercial spacecraft platforms, known as satellite buses. These buses hold the payloads of our customers and are flown on launch vehicles.

Apex manufactures these satellite buses at scale using a combination of software, vertical integration, and hardware that is designed for manufacturing. Our spacecraft enable the future of society: ranging from earth observation to communications and more.

We’d love for you to join us on our mission of providing humankind access to the galaxy beyond our planet.

As a Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Engineer, you will design, develop, and support signal processing solutions for high-performance RF and digital systems across communications, sensing, radar and related domains. You will translate system-level requirements into robust DSP implementations and ensure those solutions perform as expected when integrated with real hardware and software systems.

In this role, you will work closely with RF, flight software, FPGA, and hardware engineers throughout the full development lifecycle. You will take ownership of your technical contributions, support integration and test activities, and help drive reliable, scalable solutions in a fast-paced engineering environment.

Responsibilities:

• Design and implement DSP algorithms and signal processing solutions for RF and digital systems supporting communications, sensing, and related applications.

• Develop DSP implementations across software and FPGA platforms, including fixed-point and hardware-accelerated pipelines.

• Develop, integrate, and verify FPGA-based DSP designs using HDL and/or high-level synthesis tools.

• Develop and maintain system-level and algorithm-level models to support trade studies, performance analysis, and design decisions.

• Translate system requirements into DSP requirements, interfaces, and verification approaches.

• Collaborate closely with RF, FPGA, flight software, and hardware engineers to ensure cohesive end-to-end system performance.

• Support hardware and software integration, debug, and test activities from unit-level bring-up through system-level validation.

• Perform performance characterization and optimization using simulation, lab measurements, and system-level data.

• Participate in design reviews, technical trade studies, and cross-disciplinary engineering discussions.

• Own assigned DSP solutions through the development lifecycle, including iterative improvement as systems mature.

• Work effectively both independently and as part of a team, taking initiative while communicating progress, risks, and tradeoffs clearly.

• Contribute to a culture of engineering rigor, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications:

• U.S. Person status is required as this position requires access to export-controlled data.

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related STEM field (Master’s degree preferred).

• 7+ years of professional experience in digital signal processing, digital communications, sensing, radar, or closely related fields.

• Strong foundation in DSP fundamentals, including filtering, modulation and coding, synchronization, spectral analysis, and detection/estimation.

• Experience implementing and verifying DSP algorithms on FPGA platforms using HDL (VHDL/Verilog) and/or high-level synthesis.

• Experience with system-level modeling, requirements definition, allocation, and verification.

• Familiarity with fixed-point arithmetic and hardware-aware DSP design.

• Experience supporting integration and test of real hardware systems.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with DSP or signal-chain frameworks such as GNU Radio or equivalent modeling environments.

• Familiarity implementing DSP algorithms on real RF hardware, including commercial RF transceivers or RFSoC platforms.

• Experience developing DSP…