Electrical Engineer - Digital Hardware

Key Responsibilities

• Execute digital hardware and high-speed PCB designs following the CCA design lifecycle: requirements generation, preliminary design, peer reviews, detailed design, test plan generation, and integration and test.
• Design mixed-signal circuit card assemblies (CCAs) incorporating processors, microcontrollers, FPGA/CPLD, and volatile/non-volatile memory (DDRx, SRAM, ROM, Flash).
• Support FPGA/SoC board layout, backplane interface implementation, and compute module integration, including high-speed memory interfaces (DDRx) and board technologies such as HDI and back-drilled vias.
• Utilize schematic capture, constraint-driven layout, simulation, and timing analysis tools to generate and verify circuit card designs.
• Support timing analysis, SI/PI simulation, and worst-case circuit analysis (WCA) for digital hardware designs, including thermal, EMI/EMC, and component derating considerations.
• Support board bring-up, debug, and signal/power integrity verification alongside embedded software engineers, using lab instrumentation (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, signal generators, DC power supplies) to troubleshoot at the component and board level.
• Assist with component selection and qualification for digital hardware, including evaluating component tolerances for design margin.
• Work independently to generate digital CCA design solutions.

Basic Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience: 5+ years of experience in digital hardware design, FPGA-based systems, or high-speed digital PCB design.
• Experience designing with processors, microcontrollers, FPGA/CPLD, and memory devices (DDRx, SRAM, ROM, Flash).
• Familiarity with FPGA/SoC platforms and associated design toolchains.
• Working knowledge of SI/PI simulation and timing analysis tools (e.g., HyperLynx, Ansys, or equivalent).
• Exposure to backplane-based architectures (e.g., VPX, SpaceVPX, CompactPCI Serial, or similar).
• Exposure to radiation-tolerant digital design practices.
• Familiarity with spacecraft data bus standards (e.g., SpaceWire, CCSDS).
• Experience with Altium Designer or equivalent EDA tools.
• Exposure to worst-case circuit analysis (WCA) and part derating practices.
• Experience with high-speed memory interface design (DDRx) and board technologies such as HDI or back drilling.
• Exposure to high-speed digital or optical interfaces and protocols (e.g., Ethernet, PCIe).
• MATLAB, Python, or similar programming experience for analysis or test automation.
• Help us deploy and scale space infrastructure that will drive our utilization of space forward! We offer a highly competitive benefits package including access to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) retirement plan, life insurance, and paid parental leave, in addition to other benefits.
• Star Catcher is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Star Catcher is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
• All offers of employment at Star Catcher are contingent upon results of a thorough background check and your ability to provide proof of eligibility to work in the US.
• To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
• 5+ years of experience in digital hardware design, FPGA-based systems, or high-speed digital PCB design.

Desired Skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Desired Skills