Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Engineer - ICL

The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).Founded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,900 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $940 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry.GTRI's renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.

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The Information and Communications Laboratory (ICL) Communications Systems and Spectrum Division (CSSD) is looking for FPGA Engineer to support the research and development of innovative solutions for communications and spectrum sensing systems and is looking for a dynamic and challenging work environment. The Division's projects focus on advanced signal processing, adaptive communications technologies, advanced algorithms, and artificial intelligence and machine learning applied to communications, spectrum sensing, electronic warfare, and next generation cellular network technologies. Key research areas include future generations of adaptive communication systems, intelligent spectrum sensing systems, adaptive and learning algorithms, advanced waveforms for communications and sensing, and physics-based propagation modeling.

The Division supports work across many branches of the Department of War (DoW), including the Army, Navy, and Office of the Secretary of War for Research and Engineering. Programs span the range from applied research through prototype developments that are fielded for experimentation and capability demonstrations.

The ideal candidate will be an inquisitive and resourceful researcher with embedded software skills and an interest in signal processing, mathematics, and technical algorithms that can be applied to communication systems and spectrum sensing. Candidates should have a strong desire to collaborate with other team members while designing, implementing, testing and fielding innovative communications platforms to provide solutions for communications and spectrum sensing problems of interest to the DoW. As a researcher, the candidate will develop innovative concepts to investigate, advance, and create understanding of emerging problems and solution opportunities in communications technology and applications domains.

The Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Engineer supports the design, development, and implementation of complex firmware components in programmable hardware using the latest high-speed/high-density FPGAs and System-on-Chips (SoC) technologies. The FPGA Engineer is responsible for developing novel firmware algorithms into solutions that encompass high-speed digital logic design, real-time digital signal processing, custom interface development, system security, and other sponsor application areas. The FPGA Engineer is typically proficient in Hardware Description Languages (e.g. VHDL, Verilog) and/or High-Level Synthesis toolchains. The FPGA Engineer's responsibilities typically include requirements capture, trade-space analysis, design, simulation, deployment, verification, and documentation of programmable logic solutions.

• Develop FPGA solutions using Hardware Description Languages (e.g. VHDL, Verilog) and/or High-Level Synthesis languages.
• Support program teams through individual technical tasking to achieve project milestones
• Support testbench development, simulation, and integration of system components
• Support equipment validation in a laboratory setting
• Contribute to technical reports and presentations
• Additional Responsibilities
• Participate in the execution of projects, including attending technical meetings, completing assigned technical tasks, collaborating with colleagues, and presenting their research to the technical team and team leads.
• Tasking will be assigned to leverage and expand the existing skills of the candidate, including system and application architecture and design, software/VHDL development and test, and system analysis
• Contribute to the development of innovative concepts and programs of research to investigate, advance, and create understanding of emerging problems and solution opportunities in communications technology, systems, and applications domains
• Investigate, develop, and document technology approaches and solutions that produce valuable objective findings and outcomes for internal and sponsored research programs
• Recognize, communicate, and report on objective findings and their implications and value.
• Conduct solution and system design synthesis translating objectives into requirements, and requirements into physical architectures and solutions for systems of high complexity
• Work with team members to develop AI/ML methods for controlling and optimizing the performance of communications and sensing systems
• Develop expertise in software development, FGPA engineering, infrastructure, techniques, and tools
• Support development of technical reports/presentations for projects of moderate/high complexity
• Contribute to white papers and proposals with supporting background or data analysis
• Contribute to technical reports/presentations of projects, journal articles, and conference presentations

• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or related field
• Candidates currently enrolled in an accredited degree program relevant to this position will be considered.
• The candidate must have a graduation date of no later than Dec 2026.
• The candidate should be familiar with software development concepts such as source control, agile development, and good coding practices
• Experience developing on embedded platforms and/or FPGAs
• Experience with other software programming languages such as C, C++, and Python
• Experience using GIT or another distributed version control systems
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work individually and as part of a team
• Ability to work in a research environment where there are many unknowns and undiscovered paths
• Ability to operate effectively, maintain productivity, and make well-reasoned decisions despite incomplete information and requirements, while elucidating objectives and target outcomes
• Ability to be granted Secret Clearance

• Active Secret Clearance
• 2 years experience or more of relevant professional experience
• MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or related field
• Experience in developing advanced communication systems, implementing or designing waveforms, and integrating communication implementations on SDR platforms
• Strong background in electromagnetics, signal processing, mathematics, machine learning / artificial intelligence, or scientific algorithm development
• Experience with electronic warfare threat systems
• Experience with Linux operating systems
• Experience with cellular communications systems, technologies, and specifications, including ORAN
• Experience with SOSA and/or CMOSS open architectures and platforms
• Demonstrated recent experience in applied research and development

<10% travel

This position vacancy is an open-rank announcement. The final job offer will be dependent on candidate qualifications in alignment with Research Faculty Extension Professional ranks as outlined in section 3.2.1 of the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook

• 0 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, or other related science or engineering fields

Due to our research contracts with the U.S. federal government, candidates for this position must be U.S. Citizens.

Candidates must be able to obtain and maintain an active security clearance.

Comprehensive information on currently offered GTRI benefits, including Health & Welfare, Retirement Plans, Tuition Reimbursement, Time Off, and Professional Development, can be found through this link: https://benefits.hr.gatech.edu/.

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