Altera is an independent company delivering programmable solutions that power high-performance and mission-critical applications. Our FPGA technologies are widely deployed across aerospace, defense, and government systems where performance, reliability, and security are essential.
Role Overview
Altera is seeking a Customer Projects Hardware Engineer to support the Aerospace, Defense, and Government (ADG) organization. This role focuses on delivering customer-specific hardware solutions, partnering closely with defense and government customers to design, develop, and deploy FPGA-based systems for mission-critical applications.
Candidates must be located within a commutable distance of the Altera New Jersey or New Hampshire office, once the office is established.
Key Responsibilities
Design, develop, and validate hardware solutions for ADG customer projects and reference platforms
Collaborate directly with aerospace, defense, and government customers to translate system requirements into hardware architectures
Support board-level design, including schematics, layout guidance, and system integration
Lead hardware bring-up, debug, and validation in lab and customer environments
Partner with FPGA, software, and systems engineering teams to deliver end-to-end solutions
Perform signal integrity (SI), power integrity (PI), and timing analysis for high-performance, ruggedized designs
Support integration of high-speed interfaces (e.g., PCIe, Ethernet, DDR) in complex systems
Develop technical documentation, validation plans, and customer-facing design collateral
Troubleshoot system-level issues in demanding, mission-critical environments
The pay range below is for NJ or NH locations. Actual salary may vary based on a number of factors including job location, job-related knowledge, skills, experiences, trainings, etc. We also offer incentive opportunities that reward employees based on individual and company performance.
$134.8K - $195.1K USD
We use artificial intelligence to screen, assess, or select applicants for the position. Applicants must be eligible for any required U.S. export authorizations.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
6+ years of experience in hardware design, development, or system integration
RTL experience-both board level hardware design and RTL code
Experience with board-level design, schematics, and hardware bring-up/debug
Familiarity with FPGA-based systems and integration into larger platforms
Knowledge of high-speed digital design and interfaces (e.g., DDR, PCIe, Ethernet)
Hands-on lab experience using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and related tools
Security Clearance Requirement
This position may involve work on U.S. Government contracts that require access to controlled or classified information. Accordingly, all applicants must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance as a condition of employment. Failure to obtain or maintain the required security clearance may result in the withdrawal of an employment offer or termination of employment, consistent with applicable law.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience supporting aerospace, defense, or government programs
Familiarity with Altera FPGA platforms and toolchain
Experience with ruggedized or mission-critical hardware design environments
Knowledge of signal integrity (SI) and power integrity (PI) analysis
Exposure to embedded systems and HW/SW co-design
Experience working in customer-facing or applications engineering roles
Key Competencies
Strong hardware debugging and system-level problem-solving skills
Ability to translate complex mission requirements into practical engineering solutions
Comfort working in customer-facing, high-visibility environments
Effective cross-functional collaboration and communication
Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and priorities
Free forever • No spam • Leave anytime