Senior FPGA Engineer

K2 Space is building large, high-powered spacecraft for the next generation of space development. Backed by Lightspeed Venture Partners, Altimeter Capital, and many others ($180M raised to date), we intend to mass produce the highest-powered satellite platforms ever built for missions across LEO to Deep Space.

The rise of launch vehicles like Falcon 9 and Starship enables the move from an era of mass constraint to one of mass abundance. We believe this new era requires spacecraft with a fundamentally different design in order to fully utilize the massive rockets coming to market.

We’re a team that believes the future lies in building large, high-powered satellites that can handle multiple orbits. This is a necessity if we ever want to develop the solar system, and become a Kardashev Type II (K2) civilization.

If you are a motivated individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and you're excited about contributing to the success of a groundbreaking Series B space startup, we’d love for you to apply.

The Role

The software team at K2 strives to blur the lines between the various types of software development and encourages team members to get into parts of the stack they may not otherwise have experience with. This spectrum includes HDL programming (VHDL, System Verilog), embedded software on microcontrollers (Rust, C++), operating systems (Rust, C++,

C), application software on flight computers (Rust, C++), GNC algorithms (Rust, C++), to test systems (Python), and many things inbetween. By doing this, we create a stronger team with more capable engineers. For now, this does not include front-end, artificial intelligence, or machine learning development.

As a part of the team, you will be responsible for the development and verification of FPGA firmware used to fly some of the largest spacecraft that have ever been flown. You will be able to write mission-critical code that controls propulsion systems, attitude control systems, RF systems, and power systems to ensure safe and reliable operation of the vehicle. In your first 6 months you will work with your team to develop core pieces of the FPGA architecture such as the strategies for fault tolerance, real-time control, high-speed data routing, and telemetry downlink.

In your first year you will implement larger and more complex FPGA systems and begin verifying your code using both software and hardware in the loop simulators. In your first two years you will operate your code on multiple spacecraft, demonstrating robust performance in demanding missions.

Responsibilities

• Own the architecture and implementation of critical programmable logic systems across the spacecraft that support vehicle networking, RF systems, and real-time control of all spacecraft subsystems

• Implement these architectures in RTL using VHDL and System Verilog

• Verify and validate FPGA designs using a mix of simulation, bench-testing, and Hardware In The Loop testbeds

• Support integration, test, and troubleshooting efforts for FPGA designs across all levels of the spacecraft development and manufacturing

• Develop the tools and infrastructure to support rapid, high-reliability FPGA solutions across all subsystems

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, math, or a STEM discipline or 3+ years of professional experience in software development

• 3+ years working with complex FPGA designs spanning digital, mixed signal, or RF applications

• Development experience with VHDL or System Verilog

Nice to Have

• Experience integrating logic onto Xilinx SoC platforms

• Experience with digital signal processing (DSP) fundamentals and implementing complex DSP logic and software defined radios on FPGAs

• Experience implementing high-speed SERDES interfaces such as Ethernet, PCIe, and JESD
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• Experience with standard bus and streaming protocols such as AXI and AXI-Stream

• Experience with evaluating and integrating vendor/third party IP

• Experience with common scripting languages such as Python, TCL, and Bash

• Experience with Linux systems programming and driver development

• Experience with continuous integration and continuous delivery systems

• Experience building…