ViaSat

Hardware Engineer (Space)

ViaSat$132K — $209K *
Tempe, AZ 85281In-Person
Aerospace & Defense
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering or related field
  • 8+ years of experience in high-speed digital board design
  • Hands-on experience with schematic capture tools like Mentor Xpedition or Cadence
  • Proficiency in designing high-speed interfaces such as DDR4, SERDES, UART, and SPI
  • Experience with signal integrity simulation tools like HyperLynx
  • Proven ability to perform worst case analysis (WCA) on electronic circuits
  • Familiarity with FPGA architecture definition and SoC integration
  • Experience in mixed-signal design including ADC and DAC circuits

Responsibilities

  • Lead schematic capture and design of high-speed digital hardware for space applications
  • Define FPGA architecture and integrate SoC across the hardware platform
  • Design high-speed communication interfaces including DDR4 and SERDES
  • Conduct signal integrity analysis and implement necessary design changes
  • Oversee worst case analysis to ensure design stability under varying conditions
  • Design mixed-signal circuits and their interfaces
  • Facilitate and coordinate a multidisciplinary team through design reviews and development milestones
  • Collaborate with firmware and systems engineers for hardware-software integration and debugging
  • Generate and maintain comprehensive design documentation and technical resolutions

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health and wellness benefits
  • Potential additional cash or stock incentives
  • Opportunities for professional development and training
  • Travel opportunities up to 10%
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Collaborative and innovative work environment
Full Job Description
What you'll do

In this role you will lead the hardware design of high-speed digital boards for space applications. You will be responsible for defining FPGA architecture, SoC integration, schematic capture, and mixed-signal circuit design including ADC/DAC interfaces. You will lead a multidisciplinary engineering team through the full hardware development lifecycle from requirements and concept through design, verification, and flight qualification. The role requires hands-on troubleshooting and debug experience with complex, high-speed digital hardware in a space or flight environment

The day-to-day

  • Lead schematic capture and board-level design for high-speed digital hardware in space applications
  • Define and drive FPGA architecture and SoC integration across the hardware platform
  • Design high-speed digital interfaces including DDR4, SERDES, UART, and SPI
  • Perform HyperLynx power/signal integrity analysis and implement corrective design changes
  • Conduct worst case analysis (WCA) to verify design margins across operating conditions, voltage, and temperature
  • Design mixed-signal circuits including ADC and DAC interface architectures
  • Lead and coordinate a multidisciplinary engineering team through hardware development milestones and design reviews
  • Collaborate with firmware, software, and systems engineers for hardware/firmware co-design and integration
  • Support board bring-up, integration, and debug in the laboratory
  • Apply flight hardware design practices and work within space-grade component and reliability constraints
  • Generate and maintain design documentation including schematics, BOMs, design review packages, and interface control documents
  • Responsible for owning and driving technical issues to resolution
  • Works autonomously with little instruction to solve well-defined problems

What you'll need

  • Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field
  • 8+ years of hardware engineering experience with high-speed digital board design
  • Hands-on experience with schematic capture tools (e.g., Mentor Xpedition, Cadence)
  • Proficiency in high-speed interface design: DDR4, SERDES, UART, and SPI
  • Experience with HyperLynx or equivalent signal integrity simulation tools
  • Experience performing worst case analysis (WCA) for electronic circuits
  • FPGA architecture definition and SoC integration experience
  • Mixed-signal design experience including ADC and DAC circuit design
  • Experience with space or flight hardware design and qualification processes
  • Demonstrated experience leading a multidisciplinary engineering team
  • Proven troubleshooting and debug skills for complex high-speed digital hardware
  • Good oral and written communications skills
  • US citizenship
  • Ability to travel up to 10%

What will help you on the job

  • MSEE degree preferred
  • Experience with space-grade FPGAs (Xilinx Radiation Tolerant, Microchip RTG4, or equivalent)
  • Experience with EEE-INST-002, NASA, or ESA parts selection and derating guidelines
  • Experience with power integrity analysis tools
  • Experience with PCB layout tools and high-speed layout design rules
  • Knowledge of thermal and mechanical design constraints for space hardware
  • Familiarity with radiation effects on electronics including SEE and TID considerations
  • Familiarity with GitHub
  • Familiarity with CI/CD practices
  • Familiarity with AI Agents

Salary range

$132,500.00 - $209,500.00 / annually.For specific work locations within San Jose, the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, the base pay range for this role is $164,500.00- $246,500.00/ annually

At Viasat, we consider many factors when it comes to compensation, including the scope of the position as well as your background and experience. Base pay may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Additional cash or stock incentives may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position offered. Learn more about Viasat's comprehensive benefit offerings that are focused on your holistic health and wellness at https://careers.viasat.com/benefits.

About ViaSat

ViaSat is a global communications company that provides satellite and wireless networking technology, services, and solutions. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Carlsbad, California. ViaSat offers a range of products and services, including satellite broadband internet, in-flight Wi-Fi, and secure networking systems for government and military customers. The company has more than 6,200 employees and operates in over 50 countries. ViaSat is publicly traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol VSAT.
Learn more about ViaSat
Size
7,000 employees
Market Cap
$2.2 billion
Industry
Net Income
-$2 million
Founded
1986
5 Year Trend
+12.3%
Revenue
$2.2 billion
NASDAQ

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