Senior FPGA Engineer, Networking & Security

Location: San Jose, CA; hybrid schedule with on-site work required three days per week

Salary: $184,000–$208,000 per year, plus equity and benefits

Company

hirify.global designs, builds, and operates LEO satellite constellations and provides integrated space systems for Earth intelligence, climate monitoring, and national security.

What you will do

• Define onboard networking architecture, including switching, routing, packet filtering, firewalling, deep packet inspection, and VPN concepts.
• Design and implement end-to-end, router-level, and file-based encryption for onboard and downlink data.
• Define Ethernet switching and routing devices and evaluate COTS, semi-custom, and FPGA-based implementations.
• Build spacecraft NoC fabrics and robust FPGA-to-FPGA links with continuous health monitoring and reporting.
• Integrate Ethernet PHY and MAC functionality, link aggregation, FEC, and signal-integrity solutions on FPGAs.
• Integrate the network fabric with customer payloads, validate low-level links, publish technical papers, and align networking and security with the broader onboard compute architecture.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, plus 5+ years of professional FPGA engineering experience.
• Hands-on experience with Ethernet, link aggregation, high-speed DAC lanes, and signal-integrity considerations.
• Practical hardware or firmware experience with AES, AES-GCM, ECC, IPSec/VPN handshakes, and familiarity with post-quantum cryptography.
• Knowledge of Reed-Solomon and other FEC schemes, including translating BER and link-budget requirements into implementations.
• Experience with packet flows, switching, routing, filtering, deep packet inspection, firewalling, and VPN termination in embedded or FPGA-based systems.
• Strong SystemVerilog, Verilog, or VHDL and FPGA verification skills; ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance and meet ITAR/EAR export-control access requirements.

Nice to have

• Experience with spacecraft networks such as Ethernet and SpaceWire.
• Experience implementing FPGA NoC fabrics and familiarity with space-grade or radiation-tolerant FPGAs.
• Background in spacecraft avionics, payload data handling, or secure space-to-ground links.
• Contributions to standards bodies, open-source cryptographic implementations, or published research.

Culture & Benefits

• Full-time employment with equity compensation.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus a 401(k) retirement plan.
• Short- and long-term disability and life insurance.
• Three weeks of paid vacation for new employees, 12 paid holidays, unlimited sick time, and paid parental leave.
• Equal employment opportunity and reasonable accommodations throughout the application and interview process.