Principal FPGA & Firmware Engineer

The Principal FPGA & Firmware Engineer will lead the architecture, development, integration, and verification of FPGA-based processing systems and embedded firmware that power advanced spacecraft avionics, payloads, and autonomous space systems.

Nova Solvers is an advanced engineering company developing spacecraft, avionics, sensing systems, autonomous technologies, and mission-critical solutions for commercial, civil, defense, and national security customers. Our team specializes in transforming complex challenges into innovative, high-performance systems that operate in the most demanding environments. We are passionate about building technologies that enable the next generation of space missions and defense capabilities.

Nova Solvers is seeking a Principal FPGA & Firmware Engineer to lead the architecture, design, implementation, and verification of FPGA-based processing systems and embedded firmware for spacecraft avionics, payload control, and mission-critical digital electronics. This is a principal-level, hands-on technical leadership position for an engineer who has personally developed complex FPGA and embedded systems and can guide digital architectures from concept through qualification and flight.

The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise in FPGA development, embedded systems, and digital hardware integration with a passion for solving complex engineering challenges in demanding aerospace environments.

• Lead FPGA and embedded firmware development for spacecraft avionics and payload control systems.
• Define digital architecture, subsystem requirements, interfaces, and implementation strategies.
• Develop FPGA designs using Verilog/System Verilog for real-time spacecraft control, data processing, and payload applications.
• Develop embedded firmware in C/C++ for processors, microcontrollers, and FPGA-based systems.
• Perform timing closure, resource optimization, and power analysis for FPGA designs.
• Integrate FPGA logic with high-speed interfaces including LVDS, SERDES, Ethernet, SPI, I2C, UART, and RS-422.
• Develop and maintain simulation environments, test benches, and verification frameworks.
• Collaborate with hardware engineers on board-level design, signal integrity, and hardware/software integration.
• Apply design-for-testability and design-for-reliability principles to flight hardware development.
• Conduct bench-level bring-up, debugging, and validation using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG tools, and laboratory instrumentation.
• Support environmental testing including vibration, thermal vacuum, EMI/EMC, and qualification campaigns.
• Lead technical reviews, risk assessments, design evaluations, and subcontractor oversight activities.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to company-wide FPGA and firmware development standards.
• Generate and maintain HDL repositories, firmware baselines, verification documentation, test reports, and configuration-controlled deliverables.

We are looking for engineers who thrive on solving difficult technical challenges and are comfortable taking ownership of critical systems. Successful candidates possess strong technical leadership skills, a hands‑on engineering mindset, and a proven ability to deliver reliable digital systems for demanding aerospace and defense applications.

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience designing, implementing, and verifying FPGA and embedded systems for spacecraft, aerospace, defense, or other high-reliability applications.
• Deep proficiency with Verilog and/or System Verilog.
• Experience with FPGA development environments such as AMD Vivado, Microchip Libero, or equivalent tool chains.
• Strong understanding of digital communications, embedded systems, and real-time processing architectures.
• Experience with simulation, timing analysis, hardware debugging, and system verification.
• Hands‑on experience with laboratory validation and troubleshooting of digital hardware.
• Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary engineering teams throughout development and…