Space Vehicle Design Engineer

Space Vehicle FPGA Design Engineer

Senior Level | Boulder, CO | $120,000 - $160,000 | Active Secret Clearance Required (Ability to Obtain Higher Clearance Preferred)

Design and develop next-generation FPGA solutions supporting advanced space vehicle electronic systems throughout the complete product lifecycle. Join a multidisciplinary engineering team developing high-reliability flight hardware, embedded processing solutions, and mission-critical electronics that enable resilient space capabilities for national security missions.
A Day in the Life - What you'll do

• Design, develop, integrate, and release FPGA solutions supporting advanced space vehicle electronics and mission-critical payloads.
• Architect complex FPGA System-on-Chip (SoC) solutions utilizing AMD (Xilinx) FPGA technologies for high-performance space applications.
• Develop FPGA architectures supporting both Versal and Zynq platforms for mission algorithms and control electronics.
• Integrate digital intellectual property (IP) into FPGA designs while ensuring reliability, performance, and maintainability throughout the system lifecycle.
• Develop embedded FPGA solutions that interface with flight software, embedded Linux Board Support Packages (BSPs), and spacecraft electronics.
• Perform laboratory integration, hardware bring-up, debugging, verification, and validation activities supporting engineering and flight hardware.
• Develop FPGA Verification Plans (FVP), FPGA Verification Test Matrices (FVTM), and FPGA Version Description Documents (FVDD) to support system qualification and configuration management.
• Collaborate closely with electrical, software, firmware, systems, and manufacturing engineers throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Apply innovative digital design techniques to solve complex engineering challenges involving high-reliability spaceborne electronics.
• Participate in technical design reviews, engineering presentations, customer briefings, and peer reviews supporting program execution.
• Support technical risk assessments by identifying engineering risks, evaluating mitigation strategies, and providing subject matter expertise throughout program development.
• Coordinate engineering tasks across multidisciplinary teams, removing technical obstacles and ensuring successful completion of program milestones.
• Support electrical subsystem development from concept through production, integration, qualification, and operational deployment.
• Ensure FPGA designs meet performance, timing, reliability, radiation tolerance, and mission assurance requirements for spaceflight applications.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, or another STEM discipline from an accredited institution.
• 8+ years of FPGA design and digital hardware development experience supporting aerospace, defense, or high-reliability embedded systems.
• Extensive experience developing FPGA solutions utilizing AMD (formerly Xilinx) FPGA technologies.
• Experience architecting and implementing complex FPGA System-on-Chip (SoC) designs.
• Experience developing FPGA solutions utilizing Versal and/or Zynq architectures.
• Strong understanding of digital logic design, FPGA development methodologies, and embedded hardware architectures.
• Experience integrating FPGA solutions with embedded software and embedded Linux environments.
• Experience performing FPGA integration, laboratory testing, debugging, and hardware validation activities.
• Experience developing engineering documentation including verification plans, verification matrices, configuration documentation, and technical reports.
• Strong understanding of digital board design concepts including FPGA implementation, power design, packaging, and electronic subsystem integration.
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary engineering teams supporting complex aerospace development programs.
• Strong communication, presentation, analytical, and technical problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting spacecraft, satellite payloads, or other space vehicle electronic systems.
• Experience developing embedded Linux Board Support Packages (BSPs).
• Experience with high-reliability or radiation-tolerant FPGA development.
• Experience implementing Root of Trust and Chain of Trust cybersecurity architectures within FPGA firmware and embedded systems.
• Experience with FPGA verification methodologies, simulation environments, and automated test frameworks.
• Experience supporting complete product lifecycles from architecture through production and sustainment.
• Familiarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies and Digital Engineering environments.
• Experience supporting Department of Defense or National Security Space programs.
• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience with hardware/software co-design, embedded processors, and real-time signal processing applications.

Who is Caribou Thunder?

Caribou Thunder is a HUBZone-certified small business providing advanced technical and engineering services to the U.S. Department of War and its mission partners.

35+ states and 20+ countries. We've delivered trusted solutions for over two decades - strengthening national readiness across missions on land, undersea, in the air, and throughout LEO, MEO, GEO, and deep space.
Why Caribou Thunder? TEAM THUNDER - Mission Focused. Delivery Proven. Ready to Serve.

Employee Advocacy
Mission Proven
Global Reach
Skilled Teams
Modern Tools
Empowering Culture

Our engineers and innovators ensure capability from sea floor to space frontier - delivering on time, maintaining compliance, and performing with precision in high-consequence environments.

We specialize in Engineering Services, Cybersecurity, Software Development, Modeling & Simulation, Digital Engineering, and Artificial Intelligence - disciplines powering the nation's most complex technical missions.
Employee Advocacy + Benefits

Our people are the heart of Caribou Thunder. We invest in their growth, flexibility, and well-being - knowing their success drives ours.

Benefits include:

• Premium Health, Dental & Vision Insurance
• 401(k) with 6% Company Match
• Flexible PTO & Work Schedule
• Education & Certification Reimbursement
• Support for Military Leave
• Work-Life Balance & Traditional Family Values

Your future, your flexibility, your well-being - we invest in you. Apply and let's connect.