Senior FPGA Engineer

About Vector Atomic

Vector Atomic is building quantum devices for applications including GPS-free navigation and timing, geophysical exploration, and telecommunications. We are focused on delivering near-term products that take advantage of the exquisite properties of quantum systems. Our devices are designed with the form, fit, function, and cost for the real world. Our rapidly growing team of 50 plus brings an innovative but practical approach to developing quantum devices. If you'd like to work on transformational technologies in a dynamic, team-oriented environment, come join our team!

Position Summary

We are seeking a Senior FPGA Engineer interested in developing the next generation of quantum technology. This hands-on role will support the development of controllers for a new generation of quantum sensors. Initially, work will be R&D-focused, but the ultimate goal is to deliver commercial devices. Ideal candidates are strong individual contributors that take ownership of their tasks while supporting overall team goals. If you have a passion for cutting-edge technology and thrive in a dynamic, team-oriented environment, Vector Atomic is a perfect fit.

Requirements

What You'll Do

• Work with a cross-functional team of physicists, electronics engineers and optical designers to develop requirements and assist with FPGA/SoC part selection (along with support ICs such as memory, power supplies and Interface ICs)
• Assist hardware developers with the design of custom PCBs based on modern FPGA/SoC devices
• Identify critical design issues that could drive PCB layout to ensure robust boards
• Create RTL, test-bench, and EDA support files to meet performance goals on the target device
• Assist with board “bring-up” and integration of custom FPGA-based electronics; develop test scripts and documentation to assist with validation

• BSEE/MSEE Degree with 5+ years of related work experience; related technical degrees will be considered, with 7+ years of directly relevant experience
• US export control laws require “U.S. persons” including U.S. citizens (born or naturalized), lawful permanent residents, and certain categories of refugees, and asylees
• Must be comfortable working in a laboratory environment
• Ability to communicate effectively with coworkers and collaborators, both written and verbal

Required expertise:

• HDL coding (Verilog and/or VHDL) for synthesizable RTL and verification
• EDA tools Vivado and/or Quartus for FPGA design
• Fixed-point digital signal processing in RTL designs
• Laboratory test and measurement equipment such as oscilloscopes, power supplies, pulse generators, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers
• Assisting hardware engineers to design PCBs for Xilinx and/or Altera FPGA/SoCs
• Writing physical and timing constraints (SDC) for timing closure on high clock rate FPGAs
• Industry standard communication protocols such as SPI, I2C, AXI, Avalon, Ethernet, AMBA, Wishbone
• Scripting for EDA tools, preferably TCL or Python
• Practical RTL design issues such as latency, jitter, metastable behavior, hold/setup time and multicycle paths
• Revision control and issue tracking tools (e.g., git and Jira)

Nice-to-have expertise:

• SoC designs such as Zynq, Ultrascale and/or Arria
• Formal verification techniques, PSL, SystemVerilog, UVVM, UVM or OVM
• Embedded Linux on ARM, UBoot and device trees
• Embedded TCP/IP stacks on SoCs, for example lwIP and/or embedded Linux
• Altium for PCB design

Benefits

At Vector Atomic we value teamwork, open and honest discourse, and work-life balance. We are an employee-owned company with competitive compensation and benefits including:

• Platinum-level family health coverage (medical, dental, vision)
• Health and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Employer 401(k) contributions
• 20 days of paid time off / 10 paid holidays
• Paid parental leave
• Stock ownership plan
• Fully stocked kitchen

Pay Range

We provide market-competitive compensation packages, inclusive of base pay, performance bonus, benefits, and equity. The pay range for this position is $125,000 to $175,000 including annual bonus. It's atypical to be hired at the top end of this range for the role, as actual pay is based on several factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience level.

Vector Atomic is an equal opportunity employer and we welcome applications from all backgrounds regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, or any other classification protected by law.

Vector Atomic does not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third-party recruiting agencies in response to job postings. No fee will be paid to third parties who submit unsolicited candidates directly to our hiring managers or HR team.