Shield AI

Staff Engineer, FPGA Design (R5347)

Shield AI$150K — $230K *
Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • B.S., M.S., or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related STEM discipline.
  • Experience with FPGA design and verification using VHDL or SystemVerilog.
  • Proven track record in building reliable digital communication systems.
  • Understanding of timing closure, clock domain crossing, and system integration.
  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative setting with dynamic requirements.
  • Strong problem-solving and debugging skills.
  • Familiarity with version control systems like Git.

Responsibilities

  • Design and develop FPGA-based communication modules for advanced UAV platforms.
  • Create solutions for timing synchronization and redundancy in flight controllers.
  • Integrate FPGA solutions with system architecture alongside cross-functional teams.
  • Execute synthesis, implementation, and timing closure processes.
  • Debug, test, and optimize systems for reliability and performance.
  • Collaborate with PCB designers during hardware validation phases.
  • Contribute to architectural discussions for long-term technical direction.

Benefits

  • Pay range of $150,000 - $230,000 annually
  • Bonus opportunities
  • Comprehensive benefits package
  • Equity options for employees
Full Job Description
Job Description:

We are seeking a highly motivated FPGA Design Engineer with experience developing high-performance digital designs.

The ideal candidate will be responsible for designing, implementing, verifying, and debugging FPGA-based solutions for complex avionics solutions for cutting-edge Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). This role requires strong digital design fundamentals, experience with AMD/Xilinx development tools, and the ability to collaborate across hardware, firmware, and software teams.

What you'll do:

  • Design and develop FPGA-based communication modules for advanced UAV platforms.
  • Develop solutions that enable precise timing synchronization and redundance across flight controllers.
  • Integrate FPGA solutions with system-level architecture in collaboration with cross-functional engineering teams.
  • Perform synthesis, implementation, timing closure, bitstream generation.
  • Debug, test, and optimize for reliability, latency, and throughput.
  • Collaborate with PCB designers during board bring-up and hardware validation.
  • Contribute to FPGA architecture discussions and help define long-term technical direction within the platform.
  • Participate in design reviews and maintain engineering documentation.


Required qualifications:

  • B.S., M.S, PhD degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) discipline, such as Aerospace, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering
  • Strong experience with FPGA design, implementation, and verification using VHDL or SystemVerilog.
  • Demonstrated ability to build reliable, high-performance digital communication systems.
  • Solid understanding of timing closure, clock domain crossing, and system-level integration.
  • Comfortable working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment with evolving requirements.
  • Strong debugging and problem-solving skills.
  • Knowledge of FPGA timing analysis and timing closure techniques.
  • Familiarity with version control tools such as Git.
  • Strong debugging and problem-solving skills.


Preferred qualifications:

  • Experience with Xilinx FPGA ecosystem (Vivado, toolchains, etc).
  • In-depth understanding of ethernet and network stack implementation.
  • Experience developing flight computers
  • Experience designing solutions for safety-critical real-time systems.
  • Experience with AXI4, AXI-Stream, and memory-mapped interfaces.
  • Experience using TCL scripting to automate FPGA build flows.
  • Knowledge of CI/CD practices for FPGA development.


$150,000 - $230,000 a year

#LI-SM1

#LD

Full-time regular employee offer package:

Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee offer package:

Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

About Shield AI

Shield AI is a defense technology company that develops artificially intelligent systems for military applications. The company was founded in 2015 by Brandon Tseng, Ryan Tseng, and Andrew Reiter, and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Shield AI's products include autonomous drones and software that can be used for reconnaissance, surveillance, and other military operations. The company's mission is to reduce the number of military casualties by providing soldiers with better intelligence and situational awareness. Shield AI has received funding from a number of investors, including Andreessen Horowitz and Founders Fund.
Learn more about Shield AI
Size
200 employees
Industry
Founded
2015

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