1

Junior Rtl Design Engineer Jobs in Springfield, VA

... engineers, scientists, etc) to design, develop, simulate, and integrate challenging DSP FPGA ... RTL and incorporate client feedback into firmware revisions. This role will also support ...

Design Engineer 5 - Tysons, VA

Tysons, VA · On-site

$101K - $138K/yr

We design, build, operate, and maintain cyber-physical solutions for the nation's most mission ... Directs more junior engineering team members through the project lifecycle to achieve engineering ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

Junior Rtl Design Engineer information

See Springfield, VA salary details

$35K

$75K

$114.4K

How much do junior rtl design engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 18, 2026, the average yearly pay for junior rtl design engineer in Springfield, VA is $74,996.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $50,700.00 and $83,600.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Junior RTL Design Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Junior RTL Design Engineer, a solid background in digital logic design, hardware description languages (such as Verilog or VHDL), and a relevant engineering degree are essential. Experience with simulation and synthesis tools (like ModelSim, Synopsys, or Xilinx Vivado) and a basic understanding of ASIC or FPGA flows are typically required. Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective teamwork skills help individuals excel in translating specifications into efficient hardware designs. These skills ensure accurate, reliable, and high-performance digital circuit development, which is crucial for meeting project goals and industry standards.

What are Junior RTL Design Engineers?

Junior RTL Design Engineers are entry-level professionals who work on designing and verifying the Register Transfer Level (RTL) logic for digital integrated circuits. They typically use hardware description languages like Verilog or VHDL to describe and simulate the functionality of hardware blocks according to specifications. Their responsibilities often include coding, simulation, debugging, and collaborating with senior engineers to ensure the design meets performance and functional requirements. This role is crucial in the process of creating chips and digital systems used in various electronic devices.

What is the difference between Junior Rtl Design Engineer vs Digital Design Engineer?

AspectJunior Rtl Design EngineerDigital Design Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Electrical Engineering or related field; some certificationsBachelor's or higher in Electrical/Electronic Engineering; certifications vary
Work EnvironmentDesign teams in semiconductor or electronics companiesDesign and development teams in similar industries
Employer & Industry UsageCommonly employed in chip design, FPGA, ASIC developmentUsed in digital circuit and system design across industries

Both roles involve digital circuit design, but Junior Rtl Design Engineers focus more on RTL coding and verification, while Digital Design Engineers may handle broader digital system development. The roles often overlap in skills and work environment, with the main difference being scope and experience level.

What are some common challenges faced by Junior RTL Design Engineers when transitioning from academic projects to industry roles?

Junior RTL Design Engineers often find the transition from academic projects to industry roles challenging due to the increased complexity and scale of commercial designs. In industry, there is a strong emphasis on meeting strict timing, power, and area requirements, as well as adhering to rigorous verification and documentation standards. Collaboration with verification, physical design, and software teams is essential, and juniors may need to quickly adapt to using industry-standard EDA tools and workflows. Gaining proficiency in debugging and understanding legacy codebases are also typical hurdles. However, most teams provide mentorship and structured onboarding to help new engineers succeed.
What cities near Springfield, VA are hiring for Junior Rtl Design Engineer jobs? Cities near Springfield, VA with the most Junior Rtl Design Engineer job openings:
Infographic showing various Junior Rtl Design Engineer job openings in Springfield, VA as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 91% Full Time, 1% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 7% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $74,996 per year, or $36.1 per hour.
FPGA Firmware Design Engineer

FPGA Firmware Design Engineer

Leidos

Arlington, VA

$87K - $157K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Retirement, PTO

Posted 29 days ago


Leidos rating

8.4

Company rating: 8.4 out of 10

Based on 146 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

56th of 428 rated business services


Job description

Description

The Electronic Warfare Division of Leidos is looking for a FPGA DSP Firmware Engineer to work with a multi-disciplined design team (electrical engineers, systems engineers, scientists, etc) to design, develop, simulate, and integrate challenging DSP FPGA designs and RF sensor systems based on given program requirements.  The successful candidate will have a strong background in firmware design, the ability to translate MATLAB designs into RTL and incorporate client feedback into firmware revisions.  This role will also support integration, test, and verification in the final products.
Primary Responsibilities
•    Design, integrate and test challenging DSP FPGA designs for EW sensor systems.
•    Evaluate a project’s firmware needs, designing a firmware solution to meet project needs and be able to communicate that design to the program leadership.
•    Develop and implement new firmware, debug firmware to ensure it functions properly, evaluate performance and troubleshoot as needed.
•    Incorporate client feedback into firmware revisions, manage budgetary and time constraints.
•    Keep the firmware team up-to-date on technological developments and industry best practices.
•    Lead the design and development of innovative reconfigurable Software-Defined Radio (SDR) architectures, Sensor Systems, Data Acquisition, from Air/Space to Ground deployments for government agencies
•    Analyze schematic diagrams for high-speed digital and/or analog circuitry in associated FPGA-centric systems. 
•    Develop and maintain requirements documents, engineering drawings and configuration management policies for FPGA project hierarchy.
•    Develop project test plans and test procedures, provide test planning support, and assist in the execution of both lab testing and field testing.
•    Conduct experimental tests on latest FPGA and SoC evaluation boards, evaluate results, and then develop specifications for selecting next-generation components for deliverable systems.
•    Create testbenches to accurate simulate designs in XSim, ModelSim, QuestaSim, etc
•    Some travel and work at remote sites for limited time periods may be occasionally required.
•    Provide status reports to project managers and/or division production manager as required.

At Leidos, we offer competitive benefits http://www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits, including 4 or more weeks Paid Time Off, 11 paid Holidays, 401K with a 6% company match and immediate vesting, Flexible Schedules, Discounted Stock Purchase Plans, Technical Upskilling, Education and Training Support, Parental Paid Leave, and much more.  Join us and make a difference in Electronic Warfare Technology! 

Basic Qualifications
•    Active US government Secret clearance.  
•    Ability to work full time at facility site in Arlington, VA
•    Experience with FPGA Integrated Design Environment tool sets such as Xilinx Vivado and Mentor Graphics ModelSim.
•    Experience with latest System on a Chip (SoC) implementations such as AMD/Xilinx Ultrascale+ /Versal series and Altera Agilex/MCP and Xilinx RFSoC.
•    Proficiency in hardware descriptor languages, HDL (VHDL, Verilog) and/or MATLAB model(s). 
•    Experience optimizing designs to make them pass timing and fit on desired target.
•    Ability to perform design constraints generation and verification as well as evaluate synthesis and timing performance reports.
•    Hands on design and test experience with signal processing concepts such as FFTs, channelizers, digital filters, digital modulation, digital down/up-conversion, adaptive processing, etc and their implementation into new or existing modular HDL designs.
•    Familiarity with common signaling standards, typical IP hard macros such as SERDES, PLLS, etc. and/or protocols such PCIe, JESD204B, LVDS, etc.
•    Proficiency with hardware integration, test and debug tools (high-speed logic analyzers, scopes, spectrum analyzers, etc.)
•    Bachelors in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering or similar field
•    Minimum of 4 years of relevant experience 

Preferred Qualifications  
•    Experience writing test software in C/C++ or assembly language to validate design
•    Experience with high-speed (> 20GHz) design techniques
•    ARM or RISC-V embedded processor based SoC design experience
•    Proven experience in the military/aerospace hi reliability electronic warfare product development, especially in the area of radiation hardened, space grade FPGA circuit card design,
•    Subject matter expert in high-speed digital hardware, embedded firmware & software, and miniaturized high-performance systems for EW applications.
•    Expertise in optimum thermal management for FPGA circuit card design for high altitude conduction cooled applications
•    Ability to obtain TS/SCI clearance

NKE

ElectronicWarfare

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:April 20, 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 $87,100.00 - $157,450.00

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.

About Leidos

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.

Pay and Benefits

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.

Securing Your Data

Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos’ name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system – never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at LeidosCareersFraud@leidos.com.

If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.


What Leidos employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom


Leidos logo

About Leidos

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

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 sustainable practices. Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community.

Industry

It services

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Reston, VA, US

Social media