FPGA Digital Design Engineer
About the job
- A bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent is required.
- At least five years of working experience with FPGA/RTL design is required.
- Experience with Verilog, SystemVerilog, or VHDL is required, along with willingness to learn or pivot to SystemVerilog.
- Experience with Xilinx FPGAs, specifically Zynq and UltraScale, is required.
- A solid understanding of timing principles, including clock domain crossing and timing closure, is required.
- Strong scripting skills are required, with Python, Tcl, csh, or bash given as examples.
- Experience with FPGA tools such as Vivado or Quartus, and HDL simulation tools such as ModelSim, is required.
- Develop custom IP for new features of the satellite digital payloads.
- Iterate on current DSP and interface designs to improve reliability.
- Work with IP core vendors to integrate new functionality into the designs.
- Work with lead engineers to develop communications and network architecture for the future satellite constellation.
- Participate in conceptual design studies of new spacecraft.
- Design and implement FPGA code focused on DSP algorithms to modulate and demodulate signals onboard the software-defined radio, or on embedded systems interfacing with processors and peripherals.
- Participate in all phases of the FPGA design flow, including simulation, synthesis, place and route, timing closure, and hardware testing.
- A Master of Science in Computer Engineering or Electrical Engineering, or equivalent, is a bonus qualification.
- Experience in coherent digital demodulation of waveforms such as BPSK, QPSK, or QAM.
- Experience with memory-mapped interfaces such as AXI, Wishbone, or Avalon.
- Experience with high-speed transceivers for protocols such as JESD204B, PCIe, or SATA.
- Experience with linting tools, Questa Sim, or Riviera-Pro.
- Experience with Xilinx Versal and RFSoC.
- Experience designing printed circuit boards.
- Knowledge of radio-frequency electronics design.
About the company
Kepler Communications builds and operates a space communications network. It provides real-time, continuous connectivity for space missions through The Kepler Network, which includes satellite constellations, ground stations, payload technology, and intersatellite links to improve telemetry, tracking, and command. The company offers S Band, Ku Band, and Optical communication services to extend data downlink capacity and enable on-orbit data access, while also handling regulatory filings for customers. This setup helps satellite operators, space stations, launch vehicle operators, and other space assets access space-generated data without needing to manage their own communications infrastructure. Kepler’s goal is to remove barriers in space communications and enable global access to data from space.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
Grant
Total Funding
$178.8M
Headquarters
Toronto, Canada
Founded
2015
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- August 2026 Kepler began commercial services from Tranche 1 after commissioning.
- January 2026’s ten-satellite launch added 33 satellites, expanding capacity and customer coverage.
- Canadian RADARSAT+ studies and ESA contracts diversify revenue beyond commercial telecom.
What critics are saying
- SpaceIntelReport said ISED sought deadline relief after propulsion defects on two pathfinder satellites.
- Kepler still depends on SpaceX launches and ESA procurement cycles for expansion financing.
- If the 2028 Neutron launch slips, Kepler's optical roadmap loses momentum against better-capitalized rivals.
What makes Kepler Communications unique
- Kepler became ESA HydRON prime contractor in April 2026, proving sovereign optical-network credibility.
- Its January 2026 launch created the first commercial optical data relay constellation.
- Distributed on-orbit compute with NVIDIA, announced March 2026, separates Kepler from pure bandwidth players.
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Benefits
- Hybrid Work Options