Work ScheduleStandard (Mon-Fri)
Environmental ConditionsLaboratory Setting, Office
Job DescriptionSr FPGA EngineerR-01343840 San Jose, CA (Site Based Position)Thermo Fisher Scientific's Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Division (LSMS) is seeking an Embedded Engineer to lead the architecture, development, and lifecycle ownership of high-performance FPGA-based systems used in advanced mass spectrometry instrumentation.
This is a highly visible role responsible for defining FPGA architecture strategy, driving new product development, and ensuring robust production support for mission-critical scientific instrumentation. The successful candidate will serve as a technical authority within the organization and play a key role in enabling next-generation analytical platforms. This is a full-time, permanent R&D position.
Technical Leadership & Architecture- Define and lead FPGA architecture for high-performance data acquisition and control systems.
- Drive system-level design decisions in collaboration with electrical, firmware, software, mechanical, and systems engineering teams.
- Lead complex FPGA development from concept through production release.
- Own timing closure, resource optimization, power management, and performance tuning.
Design & Development- Develop FPGA logic using VHDL, Verilog, and/or System Verilog.
- Perform high-level modeling and simulation.
- Execute synthesis, place & route, constraint development, and timing analysis.
- Implement high-speed interfaces (PCIe, DDR, LVDS, Ethernet, SPI, I2C, etc.).
- Integrate SoC FPGA architectures when applicable.
Verification & Validation- Define and execute FPGA verification strategies.
- Develop simulation environments and regression frameworks.
- Lead board bring-up, hardware integration, and system validation.
- Ensure compliance with product performance, reliability, and manufacturability requirements.
Production & Sustaining Engineering- Provide expert-level troubleshooting for FPGA-related production or field issues.
- Perform root-cause analysis and corrective design actions.
- Support continuous improvement in FPGA design standards and tool flows.
Organizational Impact- Mentor and guide junior engineers.
- Establish best practices in coding standards, documentation, and verification methodologies.
- Contribute to long-term FPGA technology roadmaps within LSMS.
Education:- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field (Master's preferred).
Experience:- 10+ years of FPGA design experience in complex embedded systems.
- Expert proficiency in VHDL and/or Verilog/SystemVerilog.
- Deep experience with FPGA toolchains (Quartus and/or Xilinx).
- Strong expertise in timing closure, constraint management, and system integration.
- Proven experience integrating FPGA designs into hardware platforms.
- Experience supporting products through NPI, production release, and sustaining phases.
- Strong analytical, debugging, and root-cause analysis skills.
- Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience in scientific instrumentation, analytical equipment, or precision measurement systems.
- Experience with MATLAB/Simulink (HDL Coder/System Generator) or High-Level Synthesis (HLS).
- Experience with high-speed data acquisition systems.
- Familiarity with FPGA-based signal processing pipelines.
Compensation and BenefitsThe salary range estimated for this position based in California is $163,100.00-$244,625.00.
This position may also be eligible to receive a variable annual bonus based on company, team, and/or individual performance results in accordance with company policy. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package that our U.S. colleagues and their families can count on, which includes:
- A choice of national medical and dental plans, and a national vision plan, including health incentive programs
- Employee assistance and family support programs, including commuter benefits and tuition reimbursement
- At least 120 hours paid time off (PTO), 10 paid holidays annually, paid parental leave (3 weeks for bonding and 8 weeks for caregiver leave), accident and life insurance, and short- and long-term disability in accordance with company policy
- Retirement and savings programs, such as our competitive 401(k) U.S. retirement savings plan
- Employees' Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) offers eligible colleagues the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount
For more information on our benefits, please visit:
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