FPGA/DSP Engineer, Wideband Signal Processing - Build the Real-Time Core of Custom RF Systems

Tampa, FL | On-site

Opportunity Summary

Join an early-stage defense technology company building RF sensing and electronic warfare systems for demanding operational environments. You will own real-time signal processing on AMD/Xilinx FPGAs paired with Analog Devices RF transceivers on SDR and RF system-on-module platforms. The system processes wide swaths of spectrum, detects many simultaneous emitters in congested environments, and timestamps activity precisely enough to support geolocation, with much of the protocol processing for cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GNSS done directly in FPGA fabric. You will join the microelectronics team alongside a dedicated FPGA and firmware engineer.

You will be part of a newly formed team of four to five engineers chartered to deliver a V0 of a new distributed RF sensing product in roughly 90 days. The team starts from a short list of functional goals rather than a fixed requirements document, has a dedicated development budget, and decides for itself how to get there. Expect weekly development spins, with new PCB revisions ordered at the end of most weeks. Iterations are engineer-driven: if you see a way to make your design better, you make the call and the respin gets built.

About Us

We are a venture-backed defense technology startup founded by former Army officers with frontline electronic warfare and cyber experience. The company builds spectrum-control systems that detect, disrupt, mask, and manage wireless signals, and designs its receive, compute, and transmit boards, firmware, and software in-house down to the component level. Systems are already fielded with Army and special operations users, defense programs are advancing toward production, and a new commercial sensing product line is entering large-scale deployment. The team of roughly 15 is growing quickly ahead of its next funding round.

Job Duties

• Own FPGA signal processing from digitized RF samples through detection outputs
• Develop FPGA logic in Verilog and VHDL on AMD/Xilinx devices integrated with Analog Devices RF transceivers
• Implement streaming DSP including digital downconversion, filtering, channelization, FFTs, energy and burst detection, and adaptive thresholds
• Build protocol-aware detection and precise timestamping for cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GNSS, and other wireless signals
• Extend existing in-house processing that operates on protocol frames and subframes in FPGA fabric
• Support time-difference-of-arrival and other localization techniques through disciplined timing and multichannel processing
• Write supporting C code and work in Linux-based development and target environments
• Design high-throughput data paths using AXI, DMA, JESD204B/C, Ethernet, or comparable interfaces
• Partition workloads across FPGA fabric, embedded ARM processors, and edge compute
• Drive timing closure and own simulation, verification, and hardware-in-the-loop testing
• Validate designs on the bench with SDRs, signal generators, spectrum analyzers, and transmit and amplifier paths
• Turn around firmware changes on weekly cycles in step with new PCB revisions
• Partner with RF hardware and geolocation engineers on synchronization, signal integrity, and system requirements

Qualifications

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
• 5+ years of FPGA development in RF, wireless communications, SATCOM, SDR, radar, or similar real-time signal-processing systems (an RF or communications background is required)
• Strong Verilog and/or VHDL skills with hands-on AMD/Xilinx Vivado experience
• Experience with Zynq, Zynq UltraScale+, RFSoC, or comparable heterogeneous FPGA platforms
• Hands-on experience with SDRs, signal generators, and RF transmit and amplifier paths in the lab
• Shipped streaming DSP blocks such as DDCs, filters, FFTs, channelizers, or detectors
• Working proficiency in C and comfort developing in Linux environments
• Demonstrated timing closure on dense FPGA designs and a solid grasp of fixed-point, latency, and resource tradeoffs
• Strong verification habits using testbenches, cocotb, MATLAB, Python, or similar tools
• U.S. citizenship required, with the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance
• Comfortable turning broad goals into your own plan and delivering on weekly iteration cycles with minimal top-down direction
• Able to work on-site in Tampa, FL

Preferred Experience

• Experience with Analog Devices RF transceivers (for example the AD936x or ADRV900x families)
• LTE, 5G, or other 3GPP cellular PHY processing
• Wi-Fi or Bluetooth baseband processing
• Background in SIGINT, electronic warfare, spectrum monitoring, or wireless sensing
• TDOA, angle-of-arrival, or coherent multichannel receiver experience
• Vitis HLS or other model-based FPGA development
• Defense experience is not required; commercial wireless and SATCOM backgrounds translate well

Why Join Us

• Own the signal-processing core that directly determines system performance
• Build protocol processing in FPGA fabric on custom hardware rather than gluing together vendor IP
• Dedicated development budget, so the team is not forced to cut corners to hit the schedule
• Weekly build, test, and iterate cycles where engineers decide when a design needs another spin
• Optional travel to field exercises, new equipment training, and customer demonstrations for those who want it; no one is required to travel
• Health, dental, and vision coverage with employer-subsidized premiums
• 401(k) with company match, available from day one
• Unlimited PTO with no accrual period
• Streamlined hiring process: one recruiter conversation and one virtual technical interview with the team you would join
• Join at an early stage with significant ownership and long-term growth as the company scales

Compensation Details

$120,000 - $150,000