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Quest Defense Systems & Solutions is seeking an FPGA Design Engineer to support the development of safety-critical digital systems for aerospace applications. This role will involve VHDL design, simulation, synthesis, place and route support, timing analysis, troubleshooting, and the development of DO-254 related documentation.

The selected engineer will contribute to requirements-based FPGA design activities, including design specifications, requirements updates, traceability documentation, design descriptions, and verification support. This is a highly collaborative role, but it also requires someone who is self-motivated, proactive, and able to work through technical challenges independently.

This opportunity is remote with travel up to 20% as needed to Cedar Rapids, IA. The project is expected to run approximately 5 months with the possibility of extension. U.S. citizenship or U.S. Permanent Resident is required.

This is a temporary hourly position with the potential for extension or conversion to a regular full-time salaried position based on business needs, performance, and available opportunities. Conversion is not guaranteed.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and support FPGA designs using VHDL for safety-critical aerospace applications.
• Implement and modify RTL designs supporting communication protocols, memory interfaces, data management, processor interfaces, and related digital functions.
• Perform FPGA design activities including simulation, synthesis, place and route support, timing closure, pin-out definition, and design constraint development.
• Troubleshoot RTL design issues using simulation environments, debug tools, and structured root cause analysis.
• Support I/O timing analysis and resolve timing-related design challenges.
• Develop and maintain DO-254 related documentation, including requirements, design descriptions, design specifications, traceability documentation, and supporting verification artifacts.
• Collaborate with systems, hardware, verification, and project engineering teams to ensure design intent, requirements, and implementation remain aligned.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
• 5+ years of relevant FPGA design experience in aerospace, defense, avionics, or another safety-critical engineering environment.
• Strong hands-on experience developing FPGA designs using VHDL.
• Experience with RTL design, simulation, synthesis, implementation, place and route, and timing closure.
• Ability to implement and support FPGA functions related to communication protocols, memory interfaces, data management, processor interfaces, or similar digital design applications.
• Experience developing and applying FPGA design constraints, pin-out assignments, routing considerations, and I/O timing analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot RTL design flaws using simulation environments and structured debug/root cause analysis methods.
• Working knowledge of digital systems, FPGA design methodologies, testing practices, and hardware/software or system-level integration.
• Prior experience working within a DO-254 development environment.
• Experience developing or supporting DO-254 documentation, including requirements, design descriptions, design specifications, and traceability documentation.
• Familiarity with requirements-based design practices in safety-critical or regulated development environments.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience developing FPGA designs for avionics, aerospace, defense, or other safety-critical applications.
• Familiarity with DAL-A design practices, certification expectations, and requirements-based design methodology.
• Working knowledge of FAA AC 20-152A guidance or similar safety-critical compliance standards.
• Experience supporting design reviews, documentation audits, or certification-related engineering activities.
• Experience with FPGA design for communication protocols, memory interfaces, processor interfaces, or data management functions.
• Strong understanding of timing closure, I/O timing analysis, design constraints, and FPGA implementation challenges.
• Experience collaborating with distributed or remote engineering teams.
• Ability to quickly come up to speed on an existing design, identify issues, and contribute solutions within a short-term project environment.
• Experience in the adoption and/or integration of emerging technologies (e.g., generative AI, automation platforms, digital assistants) into day-to-day operations for continuous improvement.

The QDSS Advantage:

At QDSS, our advantage is purpose-driven work, collaborative teams, and complex challenges that push boundaries and build lasting impact. You'll grow your career while contributing to mission-critical programs that demand excellence and shape the future.

What You'll Find Here

• Work That Matters – Next-generation, safety- and mission-critical projects where your contributions have real-world impact.
• Growth That's Supported – Competitive compensation, employer-matched 401(k), certification assistance, and clear opportunities for advancement.
• A Culture That Works – A flexible, collaborative, and people-first environment where teamwork, innovation, and balance are valued.

Benefits Include

• Competitive pay, comprehensive medical/dental/life and disability coverage, 401(k) with employer match, professional development support, and a flexible, friendly workplace.

• Abstract and consolidate core functions into reusable libraries and frameworks
• Extract existing functionality from application code and refactor for shared use
• Design and implement an I/O framework supporting multiple protocols and data interfaces
• Define and maintain data dictionaries and I/O level specifications
• Collaborate with system architects to ensure ARINC-653 partitioning integrity
• Support certification activities through HLR/LLR documentation and DAL compliance
• Contribute to long-term strategy for scalable, maintainable software infrastructure

Required Qualifications:

• 4+ years of experience in embedded software development and/or testing.
• Proven expertise in C++ and object-oriented design for embedded systems
• Working knowledge of I/O architecture, protocol handling, and data management
• Background in developing certifiable software (DO-178 DAL A preferred)
• Proficiency in HLR/LLR generation, review, and traceability
• Quick learner with strong initiative and drive

Desired Skills:

• Strong experience with ARINC-653 partitioning and low-level application design
• Hands-on experience with VxWorks RTOS
• Familiarity with toolchains and CI/CD environments supporting configuration management and verification (Atlassian Suite, Jama, Coverity, Rapita, etc)
• Designed and implemented non-volatile data storage systems (e.g., EEPROM, flash, or NVRAM) for configuration or state retention
• Experience with persistent and transient log storage, including rollover and data retention policies
• Familiarity with log transport mechanisms (e.g., shared memory, I/O channels, or network-based telemetry)
• Experience developing or integrating ARINC 661 Cockpit Display Systems (CDS) and User Applications (UA)
• Familiarity with avionics data buses and communication protocols (e.g., ARINC-429, MIL-STD-1553, AFDX, CAN, SPI, UART, etc)
• Strategic systems thinker able to plan scalable, reusable frameworks
• Previous FMS Experience is a bonus but not required.

Ideal Candidate:

Technically strong software engineer who can balance deep systems knowledge with strategic foresight. One who understands how to design reusable building blocks for complex, safety-critical systems—and thrives in a fast-moving environment where architecture, certification, and execution come together.

The QDSS Advantage:

At QDSS, our advantage is purpose-driven work, collaborative teams, and complex challenges that push boundaries and build lasting impact. You'll grow your career while contributing to mission-critical programs that demand excellence and shape the future.

What You'll Find Here

• Work That Matters – Next-generation, safety- and mission-critical projects where your contributions have real-world impact.
• Growth That's Supported – Competitive compensation, employer-matched 401(k), certification assistance, and clear opportunities for advancement.
• A Culture That Works – A flexible, collaborative, and people-first environment where teamwork, innovation, and balance are valued.

Benefits Include

• Competitive pay, comprehensive medical/dental/life and disability coverage, 401(k) with employer match, professional development support, and a flexible, friendly workplace.