Senior Digital Design Engineer at Umbra in Reston, VA

Umbra is an American space technology company delivering advanced systems, from sensors to spacecraft, that empower customers worldwide with unmatched access to critical information from space. Our mission is simple and ambitious: redefine space—for people, systems, and missions in every domain. Umbra’s ecosystem operates through three business units: Remote Sensing (the data), Space Systems (the components), and Mission Solutions (the platforms). Together, our teams develop capabilities that deliver persistent access, resilient performance, and mission-ready solutions, advancing U.S. space leadership while keeping the world safe and informed.

About the Team Mission Solutions – The Platforms Mission Solutions builds on Umbra’s expertise in remote sensing and spacecraft operations to engineer platforms purpose-built for U.S. and allied defense and intelligence missions. Whether it’s a custom payload, a full-stack spacecraft, or the infrastructure behind an entire constellation, our team delivers secure, resilient systems tailored to exacting requirements and built on timelines that match the urgency of the mission.

If you want to work on cutting-edge space technology that’s redefining what’s possible in space platforms, you belong here at Umbra.

About the JobWe are seeking a Senior Digital Design Engineer to develop HDL based digital designs to support Umbra’s Mission Solutions business unit. This position will collaborate with the software and electrical engineering teams to develop, analyze, manufacture, and test microwave subsystems. This is a unique opportunity to design and implement innovative solutions to support a variety of Mission Solutions customer mission sets. Our ideal candidate is a solution-driven problem solver, an exceptional communicator, and possesses a strong systems-thinking mindset to drive innovation in spacecraft development.

This position is based on-site in our Reston, VA office.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop FPGA-based digital designs for radar, electronic warfare, and communications.
• Work with electrical and systems engineers to integrate Xilinx SoC based hardware with high-speed data converters and associated microwave transmitter and receiver chains.
• Continuously collaborate with the payload engineering team to address mechanical, thermal and power subsystems and interfaces.
• Rapidly develop prototypes and iteratively improve hardware and firmware.
• Prepare engineering documentation, reports, and test plans.
• Perform other professional duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s of Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering or equivalent.
• Knowledge of foundational electrical engineering, computer architecture and digital design concepts.
• 5-8+ years of proven, relevant experience in digital design with FPGA and SoC devices.
• Development experience with Xilinx devices and design suite, such as Vivado, SDK and Vitis.
• Expertise in VHDL and/or Verilog.
• Experience developing MCU and SoC software in Rust or C/C++.
• Working knowledge of modern FPGA architectures and external interfaces, including high speed converters, DDR RAM, and Solid-State NAND and NOR based storage.
• Familiarity with standard physical layers for digital communication (UART, SPI, LVDS).
• Comfortable working in a dynamic and fast-paced development environment.

Desired Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering or equivalent.

• 10+ years of proven, relevant experience in digital design with FPGA and SoC devices.

• Experience with high-speed data transfer and bandwidth management.

• Knowledge of digital communication systems and modulations (QPSK, 8-PSK).

• Experience developing FPGA based hardware for spacecraft systems.

• Experience with parallelizing DSP algorithms.

• Knowledge of Python and SystemVerilog.

• Experience with interfacing with vendors and customers as the technical representative.

• Active TS/SCI Clearance.

• Flexible Time Off, Sick, Family & Medical Leave

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, LTD, STD (employer funded)

• Vol Life, Critical Illness, Accidental, Hospital Indemnity, Pet Insurance (employee funded)

• 401k with 3% non-elective company contribution

• Stock Options

• Free parking

• Free lunch in office daily

Umbra is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Employment Eligibility Verification

In compliance with federal laws, all hired persons will be required to verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States by completing the required Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9 Form) upon hire.

ITAR/EAR Requirements

This position may include access to technology and/or data that is subject to U.S. export controls pursuant to ITAR and EAR. To comply with federal export controls, all persons hired must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee or asylee as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3), or must otherwise be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or U.S. Department of Commerce as applicable.

Pay Transparency This job posting may cover multiple career levels. To ensure greater transparency, we provide base salary ranges for all roles, regardless of location. Our standard pay ranges are based on the role’s function and level, benchmarked against similar growth-stage companies. Compensation may vary based on geographical location, as certain regions may have different cost-of-living factors. The final offer will also be influenced by the candidate's skills, responsibilities, and relevant experience.

Compensation Range

The Compensation Range for this role is $160,000 - $210,000 DOE.