Sr. DSP Engineer at SpaceX
Hawthorne, CA, United States
SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.
SR. DSP ENGINEER
The Avionics DSP and FPGA team designs and implements modems required for Starship and lunar missions to redefine the future of deep space communications. In the senior DSP engineer role, you will work alongside FPGA and RF engineers to architect, develop, and test the next generation of modems and sensors at SpaceX. Join our mission to take humans back to the lunar surface, ultimately enabling us to establish permanent communities on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Design and maintain extreme ownership of SpaceX modem designs
Drive an aggressive cycle of DSP system architecting, modeling, FPGA implementation, test, and release
Create floating and fixed-point models, characterize modem performance, and work alongside FPGA developers to ensure equivalence in register-transfer level (RTL) implementation
Develop new approaches to data collection and design verification. Work with test engineers to characterize and iterate on designs
Collaborate with RF Systems Engineers to understand link characteristics and mission requirements, and guide teams in balancing performance and complexity
Develop libraries of DSP models and associated tooling in conjunction with FPGA counterparts
Compile system requirements, specifications, and test procedures; support compatibility testing events
Develop DSP solutions for advanced navigation and life support sensors
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, mathematics, or STEM field
5+ years of experience designing digital communications systems
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
Expertise in developing signal processing algorithms in Matlab, Python, or C/C++
Experience designing algorithms to be implemented efficiently in FPGA fabric. Ability to partition designs for easing verification between models and RTL
Experience modeling RF and channel impairments such as multipath, phase noise, group delay, fading and nonlinear distortion
Experience characterizing communication system performance (BER, SNR, doppler effects, etc)
Experience emulating channel effects on hardware testbeds
Familiarity with RF test equipment (spectrum analyzers, signal generators, power meters, etc) and common components used in testing (hybrid couplers, mixers, attenuators, etc)
Understanding of link budgets and RF system noise analysis
Understanding of RF concepts such as AGCs, noise figure, power amplifiers, phase noise, PLLs, oscillators/mixers
Familiarity with CCSDS standards for space communications or experience designing civilian wireless communication systems (LTE, DVB-*, WIFI, etc)
Experience in digital demodulation of waveforms such as PSK, QAM, and CPM variants, including spread spectrum
Experience in trading and designing with modern FEC schemes (LDPC, BCH, Turbo codes, etc)
Familiarity with git version control and continuous Integration (CI) environments
Excellent documentation skills and ability to collaborate in multidisciplinary environments
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
ITAR REQUIREMENTS:
SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX 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.
Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX's Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should notify the Human Resources Department at (310) 363-6000
