FPGA System Design Engineer
- Pay
- $118,900 – $172,200 per year
- Location
- San Jose, CA · On-site
- Job type
- Full-time
- Level
- Senior
- Experience
- 3+ years
- Education
- Bachelor's degree
- Listed
- 20 days ago
Skills & highlights for this role
- Security clearance eligibility
- FPGA design
- Verilog
- VHDL
- C/C++
- digital logic design
Also useful
- MATLAB
- Simulink
- Quartus Prime
- ModelSim
- RTOS
About the role
Altera is seeking a highly motivated FPGA System Design Engineer to join our Aerospace, Defense, and Government (ADG) solutions team. In this role, you will work directly with strategic customers to architect, implement, optimize, and benchmark advanced signal processing and embedded computing solutions on Altera FPGA platforms.
You will collaborate with industry experts, customer engineering teams, and internal FPGA tool development organizations to accelerate customer success, demonstrate the value of Altera technology, and influence future product and software capabilities. This position provides an exciting opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies including FPGA-based DSP, embedded systems, AI inference, high-speed data converters, and advanced RF signal processing applications.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and implement FPGA-based solutions using RTL, DSP Builder, and embedded processor technologies for defense and aerospace applications.
- Partner directly with strategic customers to deploy and optimize DSP, communications, AI, and signal processing algorithms on Altera FPGA devices.
- Develop benchmarks, proof-of-concept demonstrations, reference designs, and complete system solutions that showcase FPGA performance and value.
- Collaborate closely with FPGA software and tools teams to identify customer needs, drive tool enhancements, and influence future product features.
- Analyze system-level performance and optimize FPGA implementations for throughput, latency, power, and resource utilization.
- Support customer design activities including architecture reviews, debugging, performance tuning, and technical enablement.
- Contribute technical collateral including design documentation, application notes, training materials, and best-practice guides.
Pay and benefits
The pay range below is for Bay Area California only. Actual salary may vary based on a number of factors including job location, job-related knowledge, skills, experiences, trainings, etc. We also offer incentive opportunities that reward employees based on individual and company performance.
$118.9K - $172.2K USD
We use artificial intelligence to screen, assess, or select applicants for the position. Applicants must be eligible for any required U.S. export authorizations.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline. - 3+ years of experience in FPGA design and algorithm implementation. - 2+ years of software development experience using C/C++. - 1+ year of FPGA development experience using Verilog or VHDL.
- Strong understanding of digital logic design and FPGA development methodologies.
- Experience debugging and validating complex hardware/software systems.
- Excellent analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Security Clearance Requirement
This position may involve work on U.S. Government contracts that require access to controlled or classified information. Accordingly, all applicants must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance as a condition of employment. Failure to obtain or maintain the required security clearance may result in the withdrawal of an employment offer or termination of employment, consistent with applicable law.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
- Hands-on experience with:
- MATLAB and Simulink
- C/C++ and CUDA
- Verilog and/or VHDL FPGA design
- Quartus® Prime and ModelSim™/Questa™ simulation tools
- Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS)
- Background in one or more of the following:
- Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
- Signal and Image Processing
- Wireless and Communication Systems
- Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning
- High-speed ADC/DAC architectures
- RF and Software Defined Radio (SDR) systems
- Experience with FPGA SoCs, embedded processors, and heterogeneous computing architectures.
- Demonstrated ability to learn new technologies quickly and work independently in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong collaboration, presentation, and customer-facing communication skills.
- Job Type: Regular
- Shift: Shift 1 (United States of America)
- Primary Location: San Jose, California, United States
Equal opportunity and legal notices
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by local law, regulation, or ordinance.
From Altera's careers page, first listed on Rolev.ai on October 20, 2026. Rolev.ai is not the employer.
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Common questions
What is the salary for the FPGA System Design Engineer role at Altera?
The FPGA System Design Engineer posting at Altera states compensation of $118,900 – $172,200 per year. It is listed as a full-time position. Final pay may depend on location, experience, and interview evaluation on Altera's official career site.
Where is the FPGA System Design Engineer job at Altera located?
This FPGA System Design Engineer position at Altera is located in San Jose, CA (On-site). Always check Altera's application page for specific state eligibility or relocation policies.
What qualifications are required for FPGA System Design Engineer at Altera?
For the FPGA System Design Engineer role, Altera highlights 3+ years of relevant experience; a bachelor's degree; experience with FPGA design, Verilog, VHDL, C/C++, digital logic design. Rolev.ai can score your existing resume against these requirements and show any skill gaps before you apply.
How do I apply for the FPGA System Design Engineer position at Altera?
This listing links directly to Altera's Workday application page. You can apply directly on Altera's site, or use Rolev.ai to check your resume fit, generate a zero-hallucination tailored resume and cover letter for this posting, and autofill the Workday application form in 1 click with the Rolev.ai Chrome extension. You always review the form and press Submit yourself.