FPGA Engineer
Impulse Space
USD 125k-170k / year + Equity
Posted on Feb 13, 2026
As an FPGA engineer at Impulse Space, you will be responsible for taking complex protocols and algorithms and accelerating them into high throughput FPGA blocks. Working closely with RF software engineers you will write libraries to help bridge the gap between fabric acceleration and high-level applications. Your code will not only fly in space but become the backbone for ground systems that will push millions of mission packets per second.
- Department
- Software
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Location
- Redondo Beach
- Workplace type
- Onsite
- Compensation
- $125,000 - $170,000 / year
Responsibilities
- Design and implement all layers of satellite communication modems from DSP blocks to network protocols.
- Analyze timing and resource requirements for existing and next generation RF products.
- Create end-to-end test harnesses with integrations into CI/CD pipelines.
- Work closely with RF software engineers as you design high performance libraries to bridge the gap between FPGA and SOC.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, electrical engineering, math or other engineering discipline.
- 2+ years of professional FPGA development experience.
- Experience using Verilog, SystemVerilog, or VHDL.
- Experience developing for Xilinx FPGA/SOC products.
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Experience with Xilinx Vivado and Petalinux tooling.
- Demonstrated experience of DSP fundamentals such as filters, and PLLs.
- Exposure to fundamentals of satellite communications, encoders, PSK, symbol synchronization.
- Experience developing software for embedded systems in C++ or C.
- Experience with FPGA block stimulation and test benching.
- Familiarity with satellite communication standards (DVB-S2X, CCSDS).
Additional Information:
Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.
Impulse Space’s spacecraft manufacturing business is subject to U.S. export regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This position requires applicants to be either U.S. Persons (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent U.S. resident (green card holder), an individual granted asylum in the U.S., or an individual admitted in U.S. refugee status) or persons eligible to obtain an export license from the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, or other applicable U.S. government agencies. Learn more about the ITAR here.
Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
About Impulse Space
Impulse Space, the in-space transportation company founded by Tom Mueller, is opening access beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with its fleet of in-space transportation vehicles. The high-energy Helios vehicle unlocks orbits beyond LEO with its powerful Deneb engine, dropping off payloads in MEO, GEO, heliocentric, lunar, and other planetary orbits. The flight-proven Mira vehicle uses a nontoxic, high-impulse chemical propulsion system to offer orbital transport, constellation deployment, and precision reentry services to customers throughout LEO. Led by a team that delivered the most reliable rockets in history, Impulse provides economical and efficient in-space transportation by reliably and rapidly getting customers where they want to go.
Our Hiring Process
Stage 1:
Application Received
Stage 2:
Resume Review
Stage 3:
Intro Phone Interview
Stage 4:
Technical Phone Interview(s)
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