Senior FPGA Reverse Engineer

STR’s Cyber Division is hiring a Senior FPGA Reverse Engineer who will leverage their digital hardware design background to work within a multi-disciplinary team solving unique problems surrounding FPGA reverse engineering.

We are seeking a candidate to execute FPGA reverse engineering tasks and support software development to improve and automate the process. Candidates will study gate-level layouts of FPGA applications and draw on their digital design expertise to craft a behavioral understanding of the design through a combination of logic circuit analysis and characterization through register transfer level (RTL) simulations. Tool development involves writing software leveraging existing frameworks and insight based on the FPGA reverse engineering process to improve STR’s capability in this emerging field. A FPGA reverse engineer should be prepared to brief the internal team and STR’s customers on RE findings and provide updates on tool development.

What you will do:

• Perform FPGA reverse engineering work within a team to identify behavioral details of an application


• Model, test, and document RE findings using hardware modeling and simulation platforms


• Prepare reports and presentations for STR’s customers and collaborators detailing FPGA RE findings


• Work with the FPGA RE team to identify new areas for tool development and capability research


• Develop software supporting STR’s FPGA reverse engineering capabilities


• Participate in design reviews and testing for FPGA RE tools

Who you are:

• This position requires the ability to obtain a Top Secret (TS) security clearance, for which U.S. citizenship is needed by the U.S. Government


• Bachelors Degree in Computer Engineering/Electrical & Computer Engineering with at least 5 years of relevant experience


• Strong problem solving skills and ability to apply a technical background to non-traditional problems


• Familiarity with hardware description languages (i.e., Verilog, SystemVerilog, VHDL)


• Familiarity with the design process and development path for FPGAs


• Comfortable with digital design and logic concepts


• Software development experience ideally using Python and/or C/C++


• Ability to prepare and present technical material to customers and internal staff

Nice to have:

• Active Top Secret (TS) Security Clearance


• Experience writing applications using hardware description languages


• Experience applying the design process and development path for FPGAs


• In depth knowledge and experience using industry standard FPGAs (Altera, Xilinx devices) and their associated platforms (Quartus, Vivado)


• Experience with RTL simulation environments and FPGA verification through in depth test bench development


• Experience using Matlab and Simulink


• Embedded systems experience including sensor interfacing with an FPGA or microcontroller


• Knowledge of signal processing implementation techniques common to FPGA implementations

STR is a growing technology company with locations near Boston, MA, Arlington, VA, near Dayton, OH, Melbourne, FL, and Carlsbad, CA. We specialize in advanced research and development for defense, intelligence, and national security in: cyber; next generation sensors, radar, sonar, communications, and electronic warfare; and artificial intelligence algorithms and analytics to make sense of the complexity that is exploding around us.

STR is committed to creating a collaborative learning environment that supports deep technical understanding and recognizes the contributions and achievements of all team members. Our work is challenging, and we go home at night knowing that we pushed the envelope of technology and made the world safer.

STR is not just any company. Our people, culture, and attitude along with their unique set of skills, experiences, and perspectives put us on a trajectory to change the world. We can't do it alone, though - we need fellow trailblazers. If you are one, join our team and help to keep our society safe! Visit us at for more info.

STR is an equal opportunity employer. We are fully dedicated to hiring the most qualified candidate regardless of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any portion of the employment process, email us at [email protected] and provide your contact info.

Pursuant to applicable federal law and regulations, positions at STR require employees to obtain national security clearances and satisfy the requirements for compliance with export control and other applicable laws.