Senior FPGA Engineer, VHDL

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Job Title: Senior FPGA Engineer, VHDL

Job Code: 42454

Job Location: San Diego, CA

Job Schedule: 9/80 (employee's work 9 out of every 14 days - totaling 80 hours worked - and have every other Friday off)

Job Description:  

You will lead the design and development of high‑performance FPGAs for advanced communications systems. As a senior technical contributor, you will define architectures, develop VHDL, and optimize FPGA implementations for performance, power, and resource efficiency. You will drive projects from concept through deployment, ensuring robust verification, validation, and integration into larger system architectures.

In this role, you will collaborate closely with hardware, software, and systems engineering teams, troubleshoot complex design issues, perform code reviews, and enhance existing FPGA designs for greater reliability and capability. You will also mentor junior engineers and help cultivate a culture of technical excellence and continuous innovation.

Success in this position requires deep experience in digital and RF‑related FPGA design, proficiency with tools such as Xilinx Vivado, Intel Quartus, and ModelSim, and up‑to‑date knowledge of emerging FPGA technologies and industry trends. Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple projects are essential.

This role may include up to 10% travel to support stakeholders and on‑site project needs.

Essential Functions:  

• Help shape project plans and estimates so the team starts with a clear understanding of the FPGA work ahead.
• Take system‑level requirements and turn them into practical FPGA architectures and specifications.
• Work side‑by‑side with RF and systems engineers to make sure the digital and RF pieces fit together cleanly.
• Design and refine FPGA solutions for RF communication systems, including key functions like filtering, mixing, signal conversion, and error‑correction.
• Build and verify DSP algorithms for modulation, demodulation, and other communication processing tasks.
• Prepare designs for target FPGA devices, run place‑and‑route with the right constraints, and analyze timing and resource usage.
• Contribute to and improve consistent development practices, including peer reviews and firmware processes.
• Create clear technical documentation—design review materials, block diagrams, interface documents, and test plans.
• Confirm performance through simulation, then integrate and test FPGA designs on the actual circuit‑card hardware.
• Active Secret Security Clearance or ability to obtain once hired.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications (one of the following):

Preferred Additional Skills:

• In compliance with pay transparency requirements, the salary range for this role in California is $127,000 - $236,500
• This is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, as final offer amount may vary based on factors including but not limited to experience and geographic location
• L3Harris also offers a variety of benefits, including health and disability insurance, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, EAP, education assistance, parental leave, paid time off, and company-paid holidays
• The specific programs and options available to an employee may vary depending on date of hire, schedule type, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements
• L3Harris Technologies is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer
• L3Harris is committed to treating all employees and applicants for employment with respect and dignity and maintaining a workplace that is free from unlawful discrimination
• All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or other related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, characteristic or membership in any other group protected by federal, state or local laws
• L3Harris maintains a drug-free workplace and performs pre-employment substance abuse testing and background checks, where permitted by law
• Please be aware many of our positions require the ability to obtain a security clearance
• Security clearances may only be granted to U.S. citizens
• In addition, applicants who accept a conditional offer of employment may be subject to government security investigation(s) and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information

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Work for Warriors is a no-cost employment program of the California Military Department for Service Members, Veterans, and military family members. The Veteran Staffing Consultant for L3Harris is Chuck Callahan.