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Fpga Reverse Engineer Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Two Six Technologies

Hardware Reverse Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site

$142K - $187K/yr

They are seeking a Hardware Reverse Engineer to analyze embedded systems, identify vulnerabilities ... FPGA devices. • Active U.S. security clearance at the Top Secret level, with the ability to ...

EndoSec LLC

FPGA Engineer

Reston, VA · On-site

$135K - $173K/yr

... tools, reverse engineering, cocotb, pyuvm Full Time Travel required to 10%. Must be able to apply for and maintain a U.S. Government Security Clearance FPGA Engineer The EndoSec FPGA Engineer is ...

EndoSec LLC

FPGA Engineer

Herndon, VA

$133K - $171K/yr

... tools, reverse engineering, cocotb, pyuvm Full Time Travel required to 10%. Must be able to apply for and maintain a U.S. Government Security Clearance FPGA Engineer The EndoSec FPGA Engineer is ...

i3

Vulnerability Research Engineer

Washington, DC

$115K - $181K/yr

You will reverse engineer and analyze software and build purpose-driven tools that help teams test ... Experience with FPGA/DSP-adjacent development, hardware/software integration, or test automation ...

Geologics

Digital Design Engineer

Manassas, VA · On-site

$67/hr

Design of digital electronics including Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) development and ... Ability to "reverse engineer" existing designs and understand/update functionality for new ...

Geologics

Digital Design Engineer

Manassas, VA · On-site

$67/hr

Design of digital electronics including Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) development and ... Ability to "reverse engineer" existing designs and understand/update functionality for new ...

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All JobsFpga Reverse Engineer JobsFpga Reverse Engineer Jobs in Reston, VA

Fpga Reverse Engineer information

See Reston, VA salary details

$85.3K

$141.8K

$202.9K

How much do fpga reverse engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 18, 2026, the average yearly pay for fpga reverse engineer in Reston, VA is $141,785.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $92,600.00 and $185,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Fpga Reverse Engineer vs FPGA Design Engineer?

AspectFpga Reverse EngineerFPGA Design Engineer
Required SkillsHardware analysis, reverse engineering, FPGA protocolsFPGA development, HDL coding, digital design
Work EnvironmentSecurity, defense, embedded systemsConsumer electronics, telecommunications, aerospace
CertificationsOften none specific, but security clearances may be neededFPGA/ASIC design certifications, e.g., Xilinx or Intel certifications

While both roles involve working with FPGA technology, Fpga Reverse Engineers focus on analyzing and understanding existing FPGA designs, often for security or troubleshooting purposes. FPGA Design Engineers create new FPGA hardware solutions from scratch, emphasizing development and implementation. Both roles require strong FPGA knowledge but differ in their primary objectives and work environments.

What does an FPGA Reverse Engineer do?

An FPGA Reverse Engineer specializes in analyzing, understanding, and reconstructing the functionality of FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) designs, often without access to original documentation or source code. Their work involves extracting bitstreams, interpreting logic functions, and sometimes recovering or modifying firmware for security analysis, legacy system support, or hardware research. This role requires a strong background in digital design, hardware description languages (HDLs), and embedded systems.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an FPGA Reverse Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an FPGA Reverse Engineer, you need a solid background in digital logic design, hardware description languages (such as VHDL or Verilog), and a degree in electrical engineering or a related field. Familiarity with FPGA development tools (like Xilinx Vivado or Intel Quartus), logic analyzers, and decompilation or reverse engineering software is essential. Exceptional analytical thinking, attention to detail, and problem-solving skills help you unravel complex designs and communicate findings clearly. These competencies are crucial for accurately understanding, replicating, or securing FPGA-based systems in critical hardware environments.

What are the common challenges faced by FPGA Reverse Engineers when analyzing proprietary bitstreams or undocumented hardware designs?

FPGA Reverse Engineers often encounter challenges such as limited documentation, proprietary or obfuscated bitstream formats, and complex hardware abstraction layers. Disassembling and interpreting bitstreams without clear reference material requires a strong understanding of digital logic, FPGA architecture, and embedded systems. Collaboration with other hardware engineers and leveraging specialized reverse engineering tools are essential for overcoming these obstacles and ensuring accurate analysis.
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Fpga Reverse Engineer jobs near you
Hardware Reverse Engineer

Hardware Reverse Engineer

Two Six Technologies

Arlington, VA

Other

Posted 26 days ago

Job description

Overview of Opportunity 

Join the Trusted Electronics & Effects business unit of Two Six Technologies-a team of innovative engineers and reverse engineers in Arlington, Virginia-where you'll dive into groundbreaking research on advanced embedded systems and architectures. Working with technologies like processor modules, digital boards, and high-speed signals, you'll deconstruct physical hardware, extract firmware, identify vulnerabilities, and push the boundaries of what's possible in embedded system security. Collaborating closely with top-tier hardware engineers and security researchers, you'll help tackle some of the toughest challenges in the field. 

Our growing roster of government customers depends on us to deliver cutting-edge security solutions. We're looking for a skilled Hardware Reverse Engineer to help drive our mission forward. If you're passionate about solving complex challenges and making a tangible impact on national security, we want you on our team.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Reverse engineer and analyze complex embedded systems designs to identify functional behaviors and facilitate deeper vulnerability analysis.
  • Identify and exploit key system components, including communication channels and firmware memory.
  • Conduct vulnerability research on hardened systems and architectures.
  • Draft technical reports related to the function, characteristics, and any potential vulnerabilities of the assessed hardware and firmware.
  • Rapidly prototype innovative technologies to analyze and exploit target systems.
  • Reconstruct schematics from physical boards and develop hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) environments to test and emulate device behavior
  • Conduct protocol and signals analysis utilizing oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and logic analyzers.
  • Contribute to a diverse range of research and development projects focused on embedded system security.
  • Isolate areas of interest in complex systems with precision and efficiency.

What you will have(Basic Qualifications):

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline. Equivalent practical experience in security research, reverse engineering, vulnerability research, or exploit development may substitute for a degree.
  • Extensive hands on experience with the following:
    • Experience developing on embedded systems such as high speed data devices, or system-on-modules.
    • Experience analyzing and reverse engineering binaries (x86/ARM/AVR)
    • Debugging embedded systems using tools such as JTAG, UART, oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers.
    • Developing and integrating bootloaders for embedded systems.
    • Creating wiring diagrams and schematics.
    • Programming in C, C++, and Python.
    • Development targeting AMD/Xilinx, Altera, or Microsemi FPGA devices.

Nice if you Have (Preferred):

  • Advanced degree (Master's or Ph.D.) in Computer Science, Computer/Electrical Engineering, or a related scientific field.
  • Experience as part of small R&D teams composed of researchers, engineers, and scientists.
  • Custom PCB development experience with tools such as Altium.
  • Knowledge of RF protocols and systems.
  • Experience with Layer 1 and Layer 2 wired and wireless protocols, such as USB, SPI/I2C/1-Wire, Ethernet, PCI-Express, 802.11, and Bluetooth/ZigBee.
  • Hacking experience on IoT products.
  • Demonstrated experience managing and leading technical employees and engineering teams.

Security Clearance:

  • Active U.S. security clearance at the Top Secret level, with the ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI clearance.

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