Principal Digital/Embedded Firmware Engineer

• Participate in a multi-disciplinary engineering team developing secure, high-performance military communications hardware and firmware.
• Analyze and decompose system-level requirements into detailed hardware design specifications with full traceability.
• Perform Logic Design; write VHDL code, perform synthesis, logic simulation, test bench generation, functional testing and hardware debugging of designs within FPGA/CPLD devices.
• Architect, implement and test embedded firmware /software within FPGA-based digital designs including signal processing, control logic, and high-speed interfaces on a variety of platforms (FPGAs, microcontrollers, microprocessors, and mixed signal designs).
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex hardware, firmware / software and integration issues across prototype and production phases.
• Support design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR), technical documentation, and configuration management processes.
• Provide technical input for cost estimates, schedules, and risk assessments.
• Collaborate closely with Firmware, Software, RF, systems, and test engineering teams throughout the development lifecycle.

The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in FPGA-based digital design and hands-on experience with integrating hardware and firmware within complex embedded systems. This individual will have a demonstrated track record supporting defense programs across the full product lifecycle-from requirements development and architectural design through integration, qualification testing, and transition to production., * U.S. Citizen required.

• Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret Security Clearance.
• Active Secret clearance preferred.
• Ability to obtain Top Secret clearance preferred., * BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
• 8+ years of experience in embedded hardware and digital design (10+ preferred for Senior level).
• Experience supporting full product development lifecycle including:
• Requirements analysis, System design and hardware implementation, Integration and test
• Firmware/software architecture development for embedded systems, including FPGAs and SoCs
• Technical documentation and formal design reviews
• Strong VHDL, FPGA/SoC design and implementation experience:
• Digital logic design using VHDL/Verilog with System-On-Chip devices (SoC’s), FPGA’s, CPLD/s, and/or Microcontrollers.
• Modern vendor design tools (IDE’s) such as Xilinx Vivado, Vitis, STM, Libero SoC, Lattice Diamond
• Simulation and Testbench generation (Xilinx simulator, Aldec Active HDL, Riveria Pro, Modelsim, or similar)
• RISC microprocessors architectures (ARM Cortex, Microblaze, PowerPC, RISC-V)
• C/C++ language software development for embedded, real-time systems.
• Experience with one or more of the following:
• Integrating and troubleshooting digital subsystems within embedded systems.
• Digital interfaces such as I2C, SPI, RS-232/422, USB, Ethernet
• ADC/DAC devices and understanding performance characteristics.
• Hands-on lab experience debugging hardware using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and related tools
• Understand trade-offs of embedded system targets (FPGA, SoC, microcontroller, RTOS, bare-metal) for developing best cost/option architectures

Preferred Qualifications:

• Active Secret or Top Secret clearance.
• Proven experience in full-stack FPGA development for Xilinx UltraScale/UltraScale+ architectures, spanning RTL design (VHDL/Verilog) and embedded C/C++ development for bare-metal, FreeRTOS, or embedded Linux environments (PetaLinux, etc).
• Experience with one or more of the following:
• Design and development with other FPGA/CPLD vendors such as Microsemi, ST-Micro, Lattice, etc
• High-speed interfaces/protocols such as PCIe, JESD204B, LVDS, and SERDES
• Simulation and modeling tools (MATLAB, Python, LabVIEW)
• Implementing signal processing concepts such as digital filters, digital modulation, up/down conversion within HDL designs
• IP cores and modern processor interfaces (Xilinx IP Cores, AXI4, AXI-Stream or similar)
• Design, integration and testing electronic circuits within embedded systems, including digital, analog and radio frequency (RF) subsystems.
• Experience developing ruggedized or military communication systems

• Experience with the Cooperative Engagement Capability Naval communications system.

• Experience transitioning prototype designs into production hardware
• Familiar with schematic capture design tools (Altium, Cadence Allegro/OrCAD, Ki-CAD or equivalent)

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That’s why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

If you’re looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We’re not hiring followers. We’re recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We’re already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares., Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.