FPGA Design - Lead Research Engineer "CLEARANCE REQUIRED"

About the Role

As a Lead FPGA Research Engineer within GE Vernova Advanced Research, you will architect and develop state-of-the-art embedded systems for real-time controls and industrial communication applications. You will play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and industrial reality, working on projects that support GE Vernova's mission across Renewables, Gas Power, and Grid Solutions. In this role, you will lead R&D initiatives, often in partnership with U.S. Government Agencies (DOE, DOD), national labs, and academic institutions, to drive the energy transition toward a sustainable, zero-carbon future.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of FPGA solutions for embedded systems and industrial control systems (ICS)
• Leverage FPGA design tools to develop, simulate, test, and optimize real-time embedded systems
• Shape and pursue external opportunities with U.S. government agencies such as the DOE and DOD
• Partner with GE businesses to transition real-time embedded controls and communication systems from early-stage lab demonstrations to fieldable prototypes
• Collaborate with universities, industrial consortiums, and commercial partners to advance the state of the art in embedded systems
• Publish technical papers, file patents, and contribute to open-source communities
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineers on FPGA design best practices

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, with at least 1-3 years of industry experience OR Bachelor or Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, with at least 3-5 years of industry experience
• A minimum of 3-5 years of professional experience in FPGA and embedded systems design
• 3+ years of experience with Xilinx and/or Intel (Altera) FPGA devices, tools, and ecosystems (e.g., ModelSim, Intel Quartus, Xilinx Vivado)
• 3+ years of experience with digital logic design, including FSMs, pipelining, and resource optimization
• 3+ years of experience with at least one of the high-speed and standard interfaces (UART or SPI or I²C or Ethernet or PCIe, DDR)
• 3+ years of experience developing testbenches and performing functional verification
• 3+ years of experience with clock domain crossing (CDC) techniques and metastability mitigation
• 3+ years of experience with FPGA or ASIC design using Verilog, System Verilog, or VHDL
• 3+ years of experience in FPGA design flow including simulation, synthesis, place & route, static timing analysis, timing closure

Desired Qualifications

• Active security clearance desired
• Experience with Linux build systems (e.g., Yocto, Buildroot)
• Working knowledge of real-time operating systems (e.g., QNX, RTLinux, VxWorks)
• Working knowledge of Linux driver and/or kernel development
• Experience writing firmware and low-level programming (e.g., microcontrollers)
• Familiarity with virtualization technologies such as hypervisors and Docker containers
• Familiar with on-chip debugging tools (e.g., ILA or SignalTap)
• Familiar with reading and interpret schematics, timing diagrams, and hardware datasheets
• Experience developing real-time embedded applications on microcontrollers, FPGAs, x86, and/or ARM processors
• Experience with writing embedded programming software (e.g., C/C++, C#, Python)
• Experience with high-level synthesis (HLS) tools and algorithm-to-hardware workflows, including Vitis HLS and integration with MathWorks MATLAB/Simulink for model-based design and verification
• Experience using version control systems (Git preferred)
• Experience with CI/CD technologies (e.g., GitLab, Jenkins)
• Familiar experience with microcontrollers, microprocessors, or SoC-based platforms and associated hardware interfaces (e.g., SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, Ethernet)
• Familiar with industrial communication protocols (e.g., Modbus, DNP3, OPC UA, IEC 61850, MQTT, BACnet) and familiarity with data serialization formats (Protocol Buffers, JSON)
• Ability to integrate existing real-time analytics, anomaly detection, and secure data pipelines into edge and embedded applications
• Experience developing for Linux systems or Real-time operating systems
• Experience with the full embedded systems development lifecycle, including requirements, design, implementation, testing, and debugging

Pay & Benefits

• Pay range: $98,400.00 – $164,000.00
• Geographic differential of 110%, 120%, or 130% of salary in certain areas
• Discretionary annual bonus eligibility
• Medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage
• Access to Health Coach from GE Vernova (24/7 nurse-based resource)
• Employee Assistance Program (24/7 confidential assessment, counseling, and referral services)
• GE Vernova Retirement Savings Plan with company matching contributions and company retirement contributions
• Access to Fidelity resources and financial planning consultants
• Tuition assistance, adoption assistance, paid parental leave, disability benefits, life insurance
• 12 paid holidays and permissive time off

Schedule & Location

This position is located in Niskayuna, NY. Relocation assistance is provided.