---
title: 'Firmware Engineer at ICEYE US'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/firmware-engineer-iceye-us-irvine-fe5cqzzwkgtq'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-07'
---

# Firmware Engineer at ICEYE US

- **Company:** ICEYE US
- **Location:** Irvine, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-07-13
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/iceye-us-jobs/ad5a6a10-7f94-47ac-a82e-de6876214872

## Job description

Third-party recruiters: Please do not contact us about this role.

Firmware Engineer

At ICEYE, we design, build and operate the largest fleet of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites in the world. Using advanced technology, our constellation collects topographical data about any location on Earth, day or night, through any weather conditions.

Headquartered in Southern California, our customers are society’s heroes – intelligence professionals, warfighters, first responders, and scientific researchers. As a trusted mission partner, the United States and its allies depend on us for critical information when it matters most.

## Role Description

The Firmware Engineer will be a core member of the Space Systems engineering team, responsible for designing, developing, and verifying firmware for radar and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) payload electronics. This role directly supports product iterations by owning the FPGA architecture for signal generation, digital signal processing, and hardware-software interfaces within the payload avionics chain. The engineer will work closely with RF, systems, embedded software, and AIT engineers to deliver flight-quality firmware.

## Responsibilities

- Design, implement, and verify FPGA firmware for radar signal generation, digital beamforming, and SAR data processing pipelines
- Develop and maintain RTL (VHDL/Verilog) targeting Xilinx RFSoC and UltraScale+ platforms
- Architect a modular, reusable FPGA framework that supports multiple product configurations and minimizes NRE for future payload variants
- Integrate FPGA firmware with embedded software (Linux/bare-metal) running on SoC processing systems (ARM cores)
- Define and implement high-speed digital interfaces between FPGA fabric and RF/analog front-end hardware.
- Perform timing closure, resource optimization, and power analysis for flight-grade FPGA builds
- Develop and execute FPGA verification strategies including simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and integration with flat-sat and EGSE test environments
- Collaborate with RF and systems engineers to translate radar waveform and signal processing requirements into FPGA design specifications
- Support AIT activities by providing firmware builds, diagnostic modes, and debug support during payload integration and test campaigns
- Create and maintain configuration-managed firmware baselines, release documentation, and design descriptions aligned with gated review processes (PDR/CDR/TRR)
- Participate in design reviews, trade studies, and technical risk assessments related to FPGA and digital subsystem architecture

Required Qualifications

- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field (Master's preferred)
- 5+ years of professional experience designing FPGA firmware in VHDL and/or Verilog
- 3+ years of experience with Xilinx (AMD) development tools (Vivado, Vitis, Vivado HLS)
- 3+ years demonstrated experience with digital signal processing implementation in FPGA fabric (filtering, FFTs, digital down-conversion, waveform generation)
- 3+ years hands-on experience developing firmware for System-on-Chip (SoC) architectures, including PS–PL integration on Zynq or Zynq UltraScale+ platforms
- Working knowledge of high-speed serial interfaces and standard bus protocols

## Preferred Qualifications

- Experience with Xilinx RFSoC devices (ZU27DR, ZU47DR, or similar), including direct RF sampling ADC/DAC integration
- Background in radar or SAR signal processing (pulse compression, range/Doppler processing, beamforming algorithms)
- Familiarity with radar waveform design and RF system-level concepts (noise figure, dynamic range, spurious analysis)
- Experience in aerospace, defense, or space-qualified hardware development environments
- Exposure to formal verification methodologies (UVM, constrained-random testbenches, code coverage analysis)
- Experience with embedded Linux and bare-metal firmware development on ARM Cortex-A/R processors within SoC platforms
- Familiarity with configuration management practices and version-controlled FPGA release workflows (Git, CI/CD for HDL)
- Knowledge of environmental qualification and reliability considerations for FPGA designs (radiation effects, thermal derating, FMEA contributions)
- Experience supporting hardware integration and test campaigns, including bench-level debug with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and spectrum analyzers

Pay Range and Compensation Package

- The estimated base salary range for this role is $145 - $175K depending on experience
- Other benefits include health coverage, flexible PTO, a friendly work environment, plus extra fun perks!

Physical Requirements

This position primarily works in an office environment. It requires the ability to sit or stand for long periods of time and frequent walking. Daily use of a computer, phone, office equipment and other computing and digital devices is required. Some travel may be necessary – the ability to travel by car, plane, train, bus, vessel, or metro, operate a motor vehicle and maintain a valid Driver’s License and/or effectively navigate public transportation is required.

While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee must be able to read and respond to inter-office communications as well as effectively participate in meetings. The employee is often required to sit and use their hands or fingers, to lift up to 50 lbs., pull, push, carry, handle, or feel. The employee is required to carry, handle items, reach with arms and hands, to stoop, kneel, or crouch; talk, or hear. Mental demands may require prolonged concentration, reading comprehension, understanding and interpretation of concepts, ideas, and philosophies. The physical demands of the position described herein are essential functions of the job and employees must be able to successfully perform these tasks for extended periods. Reasonable accommodations may be made for those individuals with real or perceived disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job described unless such accommodations would cause ICEYE US an undue burden.

## EEO Statement

ICEYE US is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law

## About ICEYE US

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: ICEYE US delivers synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imagery and space systems to U.S. government agencies, allies, and commercial partners for persistent monitoring, national security, disaster response, and environmental intelligence.
- **Entity Type**: Private (US subsidiary of ICEYE Oy, a venture-backed Finnish parent company)
- **Headquarters**: Irvine, California, United States
- **Founded**: Not publicly available (parent company ICEYE founded in 2014)
- **Founders**: Not publicly available (parent company founders include Rafal Modrzewski)

## Core Business
- **Primary industries**: Defense and national security, space-based earth observation, geospatial intelligence, environmental monitoring, disaster response
- **Target customers**: U.S. government agencies (including DoD and intelligence community), allied governments, defense contractors, commercial enterprises
- **Mission statement**: “Improve life on Earth by delivering truth from space” — with a focus on “relentless readiness for national, economic, and environmental security”

## Products & Services
- **SAR Data Products**: Synthetic Aperture Radar imagery in Dwell (25 cm resolution), Spot (50 cm), Strip (3 m), and Scan (15 m) modes. Accessible through the world’s largest commercial SAR constellation, enabling day/night, all-weather imaging with rapid revisit times.
- **Space Systems**: Vertically integrated design, build, and operation of miniaturized SAR satellites; flight-proven platforms available for partner missions.
- **Solutions for National Security**: Persistent monitoring for maritime awareness, border security, counter-trafficking, infrastructure surveillance, and tactical intelligence.
- **Solutions for Economic Security**: Supply chain monitoring, port security, resource management, illegal fishing detection.
- **Solutions for Environmental Security**: Climate research, disaster response, Arctic monitoring, environmental impact assessment.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (parent company ICEYE was valued at over $1.8B in its 2024 Series D, but ICEYE US is a subsidiary)
- **Key Metric**: Headcount of 63 employees (+59.2% year-over-year as of mid-2026); parent company operates a fleet of 50+ satellites
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Parent company investors include Seraphim Space, True Ventures, and others. Key U.S. partner/customer: National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) under the Strategic Commercial Enhancements Program.
- **Growth Signals**: 207.6% yearly growth in LinkedIn followers; 400% quarterly increase in job postings; appointment of Ann Stevens as CEO (June 2026); NRO contract win

## Competitive Advantages
- Operates the **world’s largest commercial SAR satellite constellation**, providing unmatched revisit and coverage.
- **25 cm resolution** from a small satellite platform — the industry’s highest fidelity commercial SAR product.
- **All-weather, day/night** persistent monitoring capability — cloud, smoke, and darkness do not hinder data collection.
- **U.S. soil** design, build, launch, and operations (Irvine, CA) — critical for national security customers.
- **Vertical integration** of satellite production and ground systems enables rapid iteration and cost efficiency.
- **AI integration** for automated analysis and faster decision-making.

## Strategic Focus
- Deepening partnerships with U.S. defense and intelligence agencies, as evidenced by the NRO contract and CEO appointment of a national security veteran.
- Expanding the constellation to increase revisit frequency and resolution capabilities.
- Enhancing AI-driven analytics and real-time data dissemination to shorten the “observe to action” cycle.
- Growing the U.S. workforce and strengthening Southern California’s defense-tech ecosystem.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven culture**: Direct impact on national security, disaster response, and environmental resilience — “your work benefits humanity.”
- **Benefits**: 401k matching, up to 12 weeks paid parental leave, industry-leading medical/dental/vision including HSA, unlimited PTO, flexible work arrangements and commuter benefits.
- **Growth**: Rapid headcount growth (+59% YoY) and expanding contract portfolio provide career advancement opportunities.
- **Culture values**: “Act as one,” “Help others,” “Drive effective teamwork,” “Have fun” — collaborative, resourceful, and high-trust environment.
- **Work policy**: Flexible work arrangements available (hybrid likely; specific remote policy not detailed).
- **Engineering culture**: Hands-on work with advanced satellite and radar technology, software-defined architecture, and AI — pushing the boundaries of space-based monitoring.

## Sources
1. [iceye.us - Company Overview](https://iceye.us/)
2. [iceye.us - Careers page](https://iceye.us/join-us)
3. [iceye.us - Who We Are](https://iceye.us/who-we-are)
4. [iceye.us - What We Do](https://iceye.us/what-we-do)
5. [linkedin.com - ICEYE US Company Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/company/iceyeus)

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