Principal Electro-Optics Engineer – Optical Inter-Satellite Link

About this role

You will lead electrical architecture and high-speed digital/analog design for Optical Inter-Satellite Link (OISL) terminals supporting a classified beyond LEO mission within Blue National Security. This role focuses on the electronics backbone of laser communication systems, including FPGA-based signal processing, high-speed serial interfaces, laser driver and detector readout circuits, and pointing-and-tracking and timing/synchronization architectures.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role for an engineer who can bridge RF/digital design expertise with optical communication system requirements and embedded management controllers to high-speed PCB layout and Layer 2 device integration.

Your responsibilities

• Lead electrical architecture for OISL terminal electronics, including transmitter/receiver front-ends, laser driver circuits, FPA/Quad detector readout chains, gimbal and FSM controls
• Design and implement FPGA-based signal processing for optical communication functions: forward error correction (FEC), framing/deframing, clock and data recovery (CDR), data frame recovery, LDPC, and modem control logic
• Architect high-speed digital interfaces (SerDes, JESD204B/C, LVDS, PCIe) between FPGAs, ADCs/DACs, and optical front-end electronics
• Develop timing and synchronization architectures critical for coherent detection, PAT (pointing/acquisition/tracking) control loops, and inter-satellite link coordination
• Design high-speed analog and mixed-signal circuits supporting GHz-class data rates, including transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs), laser drivers, and RF/optical mixing stages
• Support radiation-hardened/rad-tolerant electronics design appropriate for beyond LEO radiation environments (GEO, cislunar, deep space)
• Own signal integrity, power integrity, and EMI/EMC analysis for high-speed board and system-level designs
• Collaborate with optical engineers, firmware engineers, systems engineers, and flight software teams to ensure end-to-end link performance
• Lead FPGA verification and validation, including simulation (MATLAB/ModelSim/Vivado), hardware-in-the-loop testing, and on-orbit performance characterization
• Support classified design reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR) and interface directly with government customers and technical authorities
• Mentor junior/mid-level electrical and FPGA engineers; provide technical leadership across a multi-disciplinary hardware team
• Support environmental qualification (vibration, thermal vacuum, radiation testing) and anomaly resolution during I&T and on-orbit operations
• Stay current with emerging OISL technologies, standards (e.g., SDA Transport Layer, CCSDS optical communication standards), and industry best practices

Minimum qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field (Master's or PhD preferred)
• 10+ years of experience in high-speed electrical design, FPGA development, or mixed-signal circuit design, ideally within optical/RF communication systems
• Strong hands-on experience with FPGA design (VHDL or Verilog) on Xilinx/AMD or equivalent radiation-tolerant FPGA platforms
• Demonstrated expertise in high-speed digital design: SerDes, high-speed ADC/DAC interfaces, clock distribution, and signal integrity analysis
• Experience designing transimpedance amplifiers, laser driver circuits, or high-speed photodetector readout electronics
• Strong understanding of link-level communication concepts: modulation, FEC, timing recovery, synchronization
• Proficiency with PCB design tools, simulation environments (e.g., HSPICE, ADS, Vivado, ModelSim)
• Experience with space-qualified electronics design, including radiation effects mitigation (SEE, TID), particularly relevant for Beyond LEO/deep space environments
• Active TS/SCI clearance or ability to obtain one; U.S. citizenship required
• Strong communication skills and experience leading technical efforts within classified program environments

Preferred qualifications

• Direct experience with classified national security space programs (SDA, NRO, SSC, or equivalent)
• 15+ years of relevant experience
• Experience with coherent optical communication systems and associated electronics (local oscillator control, phase-locked loops, homodyne/heterodyne detection)
• Familiarity with CCSDS optical link standards and DoD interoperability requirements for Beyond LEO/GEO communication architectures
• Experience with radiation effects on electronics (SEE, TID, displacement damage) and mitigation techniques
• Experience designing electronics for space, aviation, or other high-reliability thermal-vacuum environments
• Familiarity with high-speed Ethernet switch architectures, network processors, and associated PHY technologies (optical transceivers, SerDes)
• Background in precision timing systems (GPS-disciplined oscillators, atomic clocks, or equivalent for deep-space timing)
• Background in production hardware including DFM/DFT practices, supply chain coordination, and yield optimization
• Hands-on environmental qualification testing (TVAC, vibration, EMI/EMC)

Compensation

Base pay range for Colorado applicants: $173,466.00 to $242,851.35. Other site ranges may differ.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Short and long-term disability
• 401(k) with company match up to 5%
• Education Support Program
• Stock options for all regular employees (20+ hours/week)
• Up to four weeks paid time off per year based on scheduled hours
• Up to 14 company-paid holidays

Requirements

U.S. citizenship or national, current Green Card holder, or lawfully admitted as refugee/asylee. Applicants must obtain and maintain an active TS/SCI security clearance.