Senior FPGA Developer

Company: Lockheed Martin
Location: Severn
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

The mission matters. So do the people behind it. With advancing defense technology at our core, what sets us apart is a culture of collaboration, purpose, and impact. What is the mission? Space is a critical domain, connecting our technologies, our security and our humanity. While others view space as a destination, we see it as a realm of possibilities, where we can do more— we can innovate, invest, inspire and integrate our capabilities to transform the future. At Lockheed Martin Space, we aim to harness the full potential of space to cultivate innovation, reduce costs, and push the boundaries of what technology can achieve. We’re creating future-ready solutions, focusing on resiliency and urgency through our 21st Century Security® vision. We’re erasing boundaries and forming partnerships across industries and around the world. We’re advancing spacecraft and the workforce to fuel the next generation. And we’re reimagining how space can connect us, ensuring security and prosperity. By bringing together people that use their passion for purposeful innovation, at Lockheed Martin we keep people safe and solve the world's most complex challenges. Our people are some of the greatest minds in the industry and truly make Lockheed Martin a great place to work. With our employees as our priority, we provide diverse career opportunities designed to propel development and boost agility. Our flexible schedules, competitive pay, and comprehensive benefits enable our employees to live a healthy, fulfilling life at and outside of work. At Lockheed Martin, we place an emphasis on empowering our employees by fostering innovation, integrity, and exemplifying the epitome of corporate responsibility. Your Mission is Ours. Join us in shaping a new era in space and find a career that's built for you. What does this role look like? As a Senior FPGA Developer, you will be dedicated to the design, development, and production of high speed digital back ends that ingest, process, and forward data for aerospace and orbital payloads. This position will focus on: • FPGA architecture • RTL coding • High level synthesis • Firmware/RTOS development • High speed PCB integration • Compliance with aerospace, and security standards. • Mentorship of mid-level and junior FPGA/firmware developers. • The creation of solutions that operate reliably in the space environment—temperature extremes, radiation, vacuum, and vibration. Basic Qualifications • Associates or Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering, FPGA Development Engineering, or a closely related field. • Hands on FPGA & Embedded Software experience in High Speed Radar & Communications Data Processing. • Demonstrated development of embedded firmware/RTOS for real time DSP. • HDL & HLS Knowledge: Strong RTL coding (Verilog, VHDL) and proficiency with development tools like Vivado, Lattice Diamond, Libero, plus Vitis HLS or equivalent. • Excellent written and verbal communication, strong problem solving mindset, and ability to work cross functionally with RF, mechanical, firmware, and test teams. • Ability to obtain & maintain an active TS/SCI clearance. Desired skills • M.S. or Ph.D. Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering or STEM related curriculum. • 15 years of hands on FPGA & Embedded Software experience in High Speed Radar & Communications Data Processing. • Emerging FPGA Technologies: o RFSoC / Integrated RF Data Converters – designing tightly coupled RF front ends and processing pipelines. o 3 D Stacked or Heterogeneous FPGAs – leveraging silicon interposer or multi die packages for ultra-high bandwidth. o High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) Integration – managing large data sets in system. o Secure Boot & Silicon Level Security – implementing authentication, bit stream encryption, and anti-tamper mechanisms. o Model Based Design & Hardware in the Loop (HIL) – using Simulink, LabVIEW, or Python based co-simulation to verify system behavior early. Testing Experience: Hands on with high speed test equipment (BERT, high bandwidth oscilloscopes, jitter analyzers). • FPGA Platforms: Expertise with Xilinx, Lattice, and Microchip families • Certifications: Xilinx Certified FPGA Engineer, Lattice Certified Designer, Microchip Certified Engineer, or IEEE EE/RF certifications. • Radiation Hardening: Experience with rad hard FPGAs (e.g., Xilinx Virtex 5QV, Microchip RTG 4 rad hard) and mitigation techniques (TMR, ECC). • AI/ML Acceleration: Development of FPGA based inference engines for on board data processing. • Embedded Software: Advanced C/C++ development for bare metal or RTOS environments; familiarity with MISRA C or similar safety critical standards. • Security & Compliance: Proven ability to work in a Top Secret environment, handling classified data per DoD/National Security regulations. Lockheed Martin is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified candidates will be considered without regard to legally protected characteristics. The application window will close in 90 days; applicants are encouraged to apply within 5 - 30 days of the requisition posting date in order to receive optimal consideration. * At Lockheed Martin, we use our passion for purposeful innovation to help keep people safe and solve the world's most complex challenges. Our people are some of the greatest minds in the industry and truly make Lockheed Martin a great place to work. With our employees as our priority, we provide diverse career opportunities designed to propel, develop, and boost agility. Our flexible schedules, competitive pay, and comprehensive benefits enable our employees to live a healthy, fulfilling life at and outside of work. We place an emphasis on empowering our employees by fostering an inclusive environment built upon integrity and corporate responsibility. If this sounds like a culture you connect with, you’re invited to apply for this role. Or, if you are unsure whether your experience aligns with the requirements of this position, we encourage you to search on Lockheed Martin Jobs , and apply for roles that align with your qualifications. Other Important Information By applying to this job, you are expressing interest in this position and could be considered for other career opportunities where similar skills and requirements have been identified as a match. Should this match be identified you may be contacted for this and future openings. Ability to work remotely Onsite Full-time: The work associated with this position will be performed onsite at a designated Lockheed Martin facility. Work Schedule Information Lockheed Martin supports a variety of alternate work schedules that provide additional flexibility to our employees. Schedules range from standard 40 hours over a five day work week while others may be condensed. These condensed schedules provide employees with additional time away from the office and are in addition to our Paid Time off benefits. Security Clearance Information This position requires a government security clearance, you must be a US Citizen for consideration. Pay Rate: The annual base salary range for this position in California, Massachusetts, and New York (excluding most major metropolitan areas), Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont, Washington or Washington DC is $122,900 - $216,660. For states not referenced above, the salary range for this position will reflect the candidate’s final work location. Please note that the salary information is a general guideline only. Lockheed Martin considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/ training, key skills as well as market and business considerations when extending an offer. Benefits offered: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, EAP, Education Assistance, Parental Leave, Paid time off, and Holidays. (Washington state applicants only) Non-represented full-time employees: accrue at least 10 hours per month of Paid Time Off (PTO) to be used for incidental absences and other reasons; receive at least 90 hours for holidays. Represented full time employees accrue 6.67 hours of Vacation per month; accrue up to 52 hours of sick leave annually; receive at least 96 hours for holidays. PTO, Vacation, sick leave, and holiday hours are prorated based on start date during the calendar year. This position is incentive plan eligible. Pay Rate: The annual base salary range for this position in most major metropolitan areas in California, Massachusetts, and New York is $141,300 - $244,835. For states not referenced above, the salary range for this position will reflect the candidate’s final work location. Please note that the salary information is a general guideline only. Lockheed Martin considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/ training, key skills as well as market and business considerations when extending an offer. Benefits offered: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, EAP, Education Assistance, Parental Leave, Paid time off, and Holidays. This position is incentive plan eligible.

Keywords: Lockheed Martin, Washington DC , Senior FPGA Developer, Engineering , Severn, DC