Turn digital designs into connections that matter
As an FPGA Engineer at Sovera, you’ll design, develop, and test the digital systems behind our satellite network. Your work will support safety-critical logic, sensors, cryptography, and RF and optical communications systems—the capabilities that help our constellation operate and communicate reliably.
You’ll own your FPGA designs through development, verification, testing, and support, working closely with avionics, software, and platform engineers to take ideas from prototype through production and flight. You’ll connect design decisions to performance on real hardware and use what you learn to improve the next iteration.
Aerospace experience is not required. We welcome engineers who bring fresh ideas from other industries, enjoy solving difficult problems, and want to help build communications infrastructure that countries and communities can depend on.
What you’ll do
· Develop highly reliable FPGA firmware for Sovera hardware.
· Work across engineering disciplines to bring new products from prototype through production and flight.
· Own your firmware throughout its lifecycle, including verification testing, documentation, and support.
· Apply rigorous development and verification practices to deliver reliable firmware for spaceflight.
· Collaborate with avionics, software, and platform engineers to design, integrate, and validate FPGA implementations.
What you’ll bring
· A bachelor’s degree in computer science, electrical engineering, mathematics, or another engineering discipline; or at least two years of professional software development experience in place of a degree.
· Experience using Verilog, SystemVerilog, or VHDL.
Experience that will help you stand out
· Working with complex digital designs.
· Experience across FPGA development, including RTL design, verification, synthesis, timing analysis, and lab bring-up and validation.
· Developing firmware for Xilinx SoC FPGA platforms and designing high-throughput interfaces between the processing system (PS) and programmable logic (PL).
· Working with high-speed serial links such as Gigabit Ethernet, PCI Express, or similar interfaces.
· Implementing networking protocols and packet processing, including Ethernet 802.3, IP, UDP, and TCP.
· Implementing digital signal processing algorithms on FPGAs, including fixed-point analysis and verification.
· Developing embedded software in C or C++, or substantial experience with another programming language.
· Writing scripts in Bash, Perl, or Python.
· Understanding common electronic components, reading circuit schematics, and contributing to hardware design discussions.
· Strong leadership, communication, and teamwork skills.
Why Sovera
You’ll help build a system whose purpose extends beyond connectivity. For our partners, sovereign control means having a say in how essential communications infrastructure serves their country—and maintaining control of their data and customers.
Our team brings experience building LEO constellations, including some of the world’s most advanced broadband internet systems. We’re applying that experience across the full system: thousands of satellites, advanced communications payloads, open reference designs for consumer receivers, and the software and digital systems that connect them.
For an FPGA engineer, that means demanding technical work, ownership from design through flight, and a direct connection between the hardware capabilities you enable and the service people receive.
Compensation and benefits
Annual base salary ranges:
· FPGA Engineer, Level I: $125,000–$160,000
· FPGA Engineer, Level II: $145,000–$195,000
· Sr. FPGA Engineer, Level III: $160,000-$215,000
Your level and base salary will be determined individually based on job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience.
In addition to base salary, you may be eligible for company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards; discretionary bonuses; and the opportunity to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
Benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage; access to a 401(k) retirement plan; short- and long-term disability insurance; life insurance; paid parental leave; and other discounts and perks. You may also accrue three weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays each year.
Additional requirements
This role requires the ability to work extended hours or weekends as needed to meet mission-critical deadlines.
ITAR requirements
To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicants must be a U.S. citizen or national, a U.S. lawful permanent resident, a refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or an asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
Equal opportunity
Sovera is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based on merit, competence, and qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin or ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or any other legally protected status.
Help build a future where more people can get connected—and countries retain control of the connections that matter.