Principal FPGA Engineer

Position Title: Principal FPGA Engineer
Requisition ID: 1768
Position Location: Sterling, VA
Position Reports To: Manager, Space Electronics
Supervises Others: No

At Trident Systems Space Electronic Systems (SES) division, we believe in the power of using strong engineering principles to drive innovation and solve complex problems. We foster a culture of rigorous engineering and continuous improvement, leveraging the full knowledge of our organization through collaborative product development processes that include design and peer reviews. We combine our expertise in space electronics with right-sized development processes to create innovative, high-performance space-based electronic systems that meet our customers' evolving needs.

We are a mission partner supporting DoD, Intelligence Community, and Civil space customers. We develop complex, radiation effects mitigated, designs that balance competing requirements in modern space programs, delivering cutting-edge solutions that enable our customers to achieve more in space.

Position Summary

An SES Principal FPGA Engineer supports the architecture, design, implementation, verification, and integration of FPGA-based electronic systems across space power electronics, avionics, and compute platforms. This role will initially focus on modular electrical power systems, including control logic, telemetry, digital interfaces, protection functions, and embedded hardware integration, while contributing reusable FPGA expertise applicable across broader product lines.

A Principal Engineer is expected to work independently on complex technical assignments, provide technical leadership across FPGA development efforts, mentor junior engineers, and serve as a trusted subject matter expert in FPGA implementation and verification.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Architect, design, implement, and verify FPGA-based digital systems for modular power electronics and space electronics applications
• Develop RTL designs supporting control logic, telemetry processing, digital communications, protection functions, sequencing, and embedded hardware interfaces
• Develop FPGA interfaces for ADCs, DACs, SPI, I2C, UART, LVDS, Ethernet, memory interfaces, and other digital peripherals
• Perform FPGA implementation including synthesis, place-and-route, timing closure, CDC analysis, and hardware debug
• Support verification planning, simulation, testbench development, and validation activities
• Support hardware bring-up, board-level integration, and troubleshooting
• Perform root cause analysis of FPGA, hardware, and system integration issues
• Support requirements development, design reviews, integration, qualification, production, and sustainment
• Contribute reusable FPGA architectures, design methodologies, and verification practices across multiple product lines
• Mentor junior engineering staff
• Interface directly with electrical, software, systems, integration, manufacturing, and test teams
• Support technical proposals and customer interactions as needed
• Ability to support travel or off-site work, as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering or related technical degree
• 9+ years of related experience with a bachelor's degree OR a 6+ years of experience with a master's degree
• Experience with power electronics control, battery systems, telemetry, protection logic, or digital control architectures
• Experience with FPGA integration to ADCs, DACs, sensors, digital interfaces, and embedded processors
• Experience with board-level digital hardware development and mixed FPGA/electronics design
• Experience with aerospace, space electronics, or other high-reliability applications
• Experience with radiation effects mitigation or fault-tolerant design
• Experience with embedded SoC FPGA platforms, DMA architectures, or processor integration
• Experience with compute-oriented FPGA architectures, communications interfaces, or high-speed digital systems

Trident Systems reserves the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

Benefits

Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits including but not limited to:

• Health benefits
  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Basic life with AD&D
  • Short term disability
  • Long term disability
  • Ancillary (Voluntary life with AD&D, accident, critical illness, hospital, and pet)
  • Spending accounts (HSA, FSA, and DCFSA)
• Paid time off
• Holidays
• 401(k) (including company match)
• Tuition reimbursement
• Leaves (Parental, maternity, and military)
• Annual discretionary bonus (for eligible roles)

Trident Solutions is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact recruiting@tridsys.com

Pay Transparency: The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)