Satellite Avionics Firmware Engineer

About Xplore

The new technology frontier is rapidly expanding - and Xplore is pushing the boundaries and accelerating growth with new capabilities to transform industries with insights from space. Xplore is building a first-of-its-kind multi-sensor low Earth orbit satellite constellation designed to deliver a new class of innovative and affordable data products for Earth observation, space domain awareness, and astronomy.

Xplore is a venture-backed space technology startup based in Redmond, WA. We provide proprietary sensor-captured data from space that enables our customer's insights, intelligence, inspiration, and discovery of our planet and the solar system for commercial, government, defense, NGO, and research applications. Visit: https://www.xplore.com

Xplore is currently recruiting innovative space hardware, software, sensors, processing and data technology professionals to be part of an exciting and rapidly growing company. Xplore offers market competitive compensation and benefits for our employees who enjoy working in a fast-paced, intellectually challenging, fun, value-based collaborative environment. Visit: https://www.xplore.com/careers.html

Summary of Position

Xplore is hiring a Satellite Avionics Firmware Engineer to develop firmware and software for the various flight avionics segments across the Xplore spacecraft avionics architecture. As a Satellite Avionics Firmware Engineer on the Engineering team, this individual will play an integral role in developing, integrating, and testing reusable avionics firmware systems on a rapid development schedule. The engineer will operate at the interface between hardware and software to architect, develop, and verify the avionics firmware systems to support autonomous space systems and must have experience developing avionics firmware and software for operational spacecraft. The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate an ability to work with minimal supervision while being responsive and flexible within the framework of an agile space start-up.
Responsibilities

• Develop firmware requirements in coordination with systems engineering, hardware engineering, software engineering and subsystem owners.
• Take ownership of your firmware products, including verification testing and writing documentation.
• Develop FPGA designs and implementations utilizing hardware description languages.
• Perform verification utilizing techniques such as simulation and System Verilog.
• Author tests, documentation, and participate in design reviews.
• Develop, lead, and own digital, analog, and mixed-signal circuit avionic designs that interact with avionics systems (including sensors and electromechanical).
• Support avionics controller architecture trade studies, analyses, performance characterization and specification, device selection, and controller roadmap direction.
• Support controller risk analyses, failure modes effects and criticality analyses (FMECA), design for test/manufacture/cost (DFx), and root-cause analysis of test discrepancies.
• Effectively communicate development status, risks, and challenges to management.

Requirements
Experience

• Knowledge of common communication methods, such as RS232, RS422, I2C, SPI, LVDS, Ethernet, CAN, or PCIe
• Experience developing firmware for Xilinx FPGA platforms using the Xilinx toolchain.
• Experience with high-speed serial links, including USB, Ethernet, LVDS or similar.
• Hardware debug experience, including familiarity with tools such as the oscilloscope, logic analyzer, protocol analyzer (SPI, CAN, I2C or similar)
• Experience developing software for embedded systems in C or C++, or significant experience in another software language.
• Familiar with common electronic components and comfortable reading circuit design schematics and contributing to hardware design discussions.
• Experience with analog, digital or mixed-signal circuit design, including analysis, simulation, test, troubleshooting, and part selection.
• Familiar with many of the following parts and their usage: ADCs, DACs, OpAmps, power supplies (linear, LDO, DC/DC), FPGAs, microcontrollers, processors, volatile memory (DDR), non-volatile memory (NAND, NOR, etc.), and MOSFETs.

Preferred

• 6+ years of FPGA/ASIC design and verification work experience
• Experience developing operational software for a space mission.

Qualifications

• B.S. degree in computer engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, aerospace, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 4+ years of FPGA/ASIC design and verification work experience
• Experience designing, developing, and verifying high-performance FPGA or ASIC solutions for use in highly integrated (SW and HW) systems.
• Demonstrated firmware development skills in real-time embedded systems.
• Experience utilizing Xilinx development platform to successfully build, test, and deploy hardware implementations.
• Must be a current U.S. citizen or current lawful permanent resident of the U.S.

Benefits
Salary

The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $80,000 - $160,000 per year. Xplore has different base pay ranges for different work locations within the United States, which allows us to pay employees competitively and consistently in different geographic markets. Individual base pay depends on various factors, in addition to primary work location, such as complexity and responsibility of role, job duties/requirements, and relevant experience and skills.
Health Care Plan

Employees (and their families) can be covered by medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance. The HSA qualified plan is for full-time employees working 30 hours or more per week.
Paid Time Off

(Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
Full time employees earn PTO at a rate of 1.33 days per month. There are a minimum of 13 paid holidays each year for full-time employees.
Stock Option Plan
The company offers an equity incentive plan for qualified full-time employees.
EEO/ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Xplore is an equal opportunity employer; employment with Xplore is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

This employer participates in E-Verify. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. All persons hired will be required to be a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.