Senior FPGA Engineer

Company: Leidos
Location: San Diego
Posted on: April 2, 2026

Job Description:

Looking for an opportunity to make an impact? At Leidos, we deliver innovative solutions through the efforts of our diverse and talented people who are dedicated to our customers’ success. We empower our teams, contribute to our communities, and operate sustainably. Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community. Our Mission, Vision, and Values guide the way we do business. Your greatest work is ahead! Leidos’ Defense Sector Space Business Area is seeking a Senior FPGA Engineer to join our team in San Diego, CA. This is an exciting opportunity to leverage your expertise in successfully deploying complex engineering projects, while contributing to our national defense mission. We are looking for engineers who thrive in fast-paced environments and have a passion for developing and delivering high-tech solutions. Experience in space qualified designs for LEO, MEO, and GEO will be a plus and we value and welcome those with experience working for organizations like SDA, RCO, or DARPA. Emphasis is on complete life-cycle development of complex FPGAs starting with architecture, design, implementation, timing closure, and hardware testing. If this sounds like the kind of environment where you can thrive, keep reading! Leidos Defense Sector provides a diverse portfolio of systems, solutions, and services covering land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace for customers worldwide. Solutions for Defense include enterprise and mission IT, large-scale intelligence systems, command and control, geospatial and data analytics, cybersecurity, logistics, training, and intelligence analysis and operations support. Our team is solving the world’s toughest security challenges for customers with “can’t fail” missions. To explore and learn more, click here ! Are you ready to make an impact? Share your resume with us today! THE CHALLENGE (primary responsibilities) Complete ownership to architect the full high-density FPGA level design, develop/code/test the design, and finally integrate it on the hardware Mentor junior FPGA engineers as needed Perform data analysis, write technical reports, perform internal and customer design reviews, write and maintain interface design documents for complex FPGA design Develop and test FPGA designs for Chemical, Biological, Radiation, Nuclear, and Space sensor systems for federal government customers. Develop and execute FPGA test plans, determine root cause of test failures, and iterate with senior staff to determine design changes to improve FPGA performance. Collaborate with a multi-disciplined design team to design and integrate DSP applications for latest System on a Chip (SoC) implementations such as Xilinx Zynq Ultrascale and Xilinx Versal Understanding of image processing algorithms, basic knowledge of digital signal processing and tools to implement the DSP algorithms on the FPGA. Analyze, design, and implement HDL test benches in hardware description languages, HDL (VHDL, SystemVerilog), for code validation and validation against models. Ensure designs synthesize, place and route, meeting timing requirements from Virtex/Kintex7, PolarFire and Versal FPGAs. Implement common signaling standards, typical IP hard macros such as SERDES, PLLS, etc. and/or protocols such PCIe Gen4, 40GBE Ethernet, DDR3/4, etc. Use judgment to perform technical troubleshooting and diagnosis of failed equipment and support root cause analysis. 0-10% travel to customer sites as required. WHAT SETS YOU APART (basic qualifications) Proven ability to architect the entire FPGA level design, develop/code/test the design, and finally integrate it on the hardware is a must for this position. Bachelor's degree with 12 years relevant experience or M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field from an accredited college/university with 10 years of relevant experience as an electrical engineer or computer engineer Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret Security Clearance. Fluent in Vivado, Modelsim or Riviera. Fluent in testbenches and self-checking verification methods. Must be able to synthesize, place and route, meet high-speed timing closure for Xilinx FPGAs. Current hands-on experience in HDL design, simulation and testing a must Working knowledge of electronics test equipment like function generators, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and lab power supplies. Well-organized, reliable, attention to detail, demonstrated personal initiative. Ability to multi-task and prioritize workload. Good interpersonal skills and ability to coordinate work with others. Good oral and written communication skills. Motivated self-starter able to work under minimal supervision and an entrepreneurial approach to roles and responsibilities. Familiarity with GIT, JIRA, Agile, Scrum Preferred Qualifications Masters’ degree or higher in Electrical/Computer Engineering with emphasis on digital/ASIC/FPGA design is a plus. Breadth of experience in a complementary discipline ability to develop image processing algorithms in Matlab and implement them in HDL, FPGA design, or embedded software is a plus. Experience with Microchip Polarfire and Libero tools is a plus Experience reviewing and documenting technical data packages for military products. Demonstrated senior-level lead position in a large FPGA project Active Clearance 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. Original Posting: January 14, 2026 For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above. Pay Range: Pay Range $131,300.00 - $237,350.00 The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

Keywords: Leidos, Norwalk , Senior FPGA Engineer, Engineering , San Diego, California