Senior Digital Design Engineer

Defense Systems Group at Leidos has an immediate opening for a Senior Digital Design Engineer at our St. Petersburg, FL facility. This position supports the development of advanced, mission‑critical military communications systems and involves the design, integration, testing, and optimization of secure, ruggedized electronic hardware for defense applications.

The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in FPGA‑based digital design and hands‑on experience integrating hardware and firmware within complex embedded systems. This individual will have a demonstrated track record supporting defense programs across the full product lifecycle—from requirements development and architectural design through integration, qualification testing, and transition to production.

The Leidos St. Petersburg facility specializes in the design, development, modeling and simulation, analysis, prototyping, and testing of advanced electronic systems. Our primary focus areas include embedded communications systems, Software Defined Radios (SDR), and Phased Array Antenna Systems supporting Department of Defense and commercial customers.

• Participate in a multi‑disciplinary engineering team developing secure, high‑performance military communications hardware.
• Analyze and decompose system‑level requirements into detailed hardware design specifications with full traceability.
• Architect and implement FPGA‑based digital designs for signal processing, control logic, and high‑speed interfaces.
• Develop and validate detailed electrical designs including schematic capture and hardware integration.
• Perform board bring‑up, functional testing, and hardware/software integration in laboratory environments.
• Support design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR), technical documentation, and configuration management processes.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex hardware and integration issues across prototype and production phases.
• Support environmental qualification, EMI/EMC testing, and ruggedization efforts for field deployment.
• Provide technical input for cost estimates, schedules, and risk assessments.
• Collaborate closely with RF, firmware, systems, and test engineering teams throughout the development lifecycle.

• U.S. Citizen required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret Security Clearance.
• Active Secret clearance preferred.
• Ability to obtain Top Secret clearance preferred.

• BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
• 6+ years of experience in embedded hardware and digital design (8+ preferred for Senior level).
• Experience supporting full product development lifecycle including:
• Requirements analysis
• System design and hardware implementation
• Integration and test
• Technical documentation and formal design reviews
• Strong VHDL design and FPGA implementation experience.
• Experience integrating and troubleshooting digital, analog, and RF subsystems within embedded systems.
• Experience with high‑speed digital interfaces (e.g., I2C, SPI, RS‑232/422, USB, Ethernet).
• Experience with high‑speed protocols such as JESD
  204B, LVDS, PCIe, and SERDES.
• Experience working with ADC/DAC devices and understanding performance characteristics.
• Experience with schematic capture and PCB design tools (Altium, Cadence Allegro/OrCAD, or equivalent).
• Hands‑on lab experience debugging hardware using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and related tools.

• Active Secret or Top Secret clearance.
• Experience with high‑speed PCB design techniques (>1 GHz).
• Experience with RF subsystem integration.
• Experience with simulation and modeling tools (MATLAB, Python, LabVIEW).
• Familiarity with satellite communication systems and services (Iridium, Inmarsat, etc.).
• Experience developing ruggedized or military communication systems.
• Experience with EMI/EMC considerations and environmental qualification testing.
• Experience transitioning prototypes into production hardware.
• Experience mentoring junior engineers or leading technical efforts.

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.