About the job Distinguished Hardware Architect (Defense Systems | FPGA | High-Speed Digital)
Distinguished Hardware Architect (Defense Systems | FPGA | High-Speed Digital)
Location: Canonsburg, PA (100% Onsite)
Relocation: Available for top talent
Clearance: Secret (or ability to obtain)
Compensation: $180K–$200K Base
Build What Others Can't. Lead What Others Won't.
This is not a typical engineering role.
We're partnered with a top-tier defense technology innovator working at the forefront of undersea systems, advanced electronics, and next-generation mission platforms. Their work directly supports national security across some of the most complex and classified environments in existence.
They are seeking a Distinguished Engineer-level Hardware Architect to lead the design and evolution of advanced systems where performance, precision, and reliability are non-negotiable.
If you've ever wanted to operate at the highest level of engineering influence, this is that role.
What You'll Own:
- Architect complex hardware systems across digital, analog, and power domains
- Lead FPGA-based system design and high-speed digital architectures
- Drive board-level design, integration, and system optimization
- Conduct trade studies and define next-gen platform strategies
- Guide cross-functional teams across electrical, mechanical, firmware, and systems engineering
- Solve problems where failure is not an option
Core Technical Environment:
You'll be working deep in:
- FPGA / CPLD / SoC architectures
- High-speed digital design (5+ Gbps, DDR4, PCIe, etc.)
- Power electronics (DC/DC, AC/DC)
- OpenVPX / high-density embedded systems
- Signal integrity, modeling & simulation
- Advanced circuit design (schematic layout BOM)
What We're Looking For:
- 10+ years in electrical or hardware engineering
- Proven experience architecting complex embedded or defense systems
-
Deep expertise in:
- FPGA + high-speed digital systems
- Board-level circuit design
- Power electronics
- Experience in defense, aerospace, or mission-critical systems
- Ability to lead technically without needing a formal management title
What Sets This Opportunity Apart:
- Architect-level ownership not execution, but direction
- Mission-critical impact your work directly supports national security
- Advanced tech stack work on systems most engineers never touch
- Elite engineering environment collaborate with some of the best minds in defense
- Relocation supported access a highly specialized program environment
Why This Role is Different (AI + Systems Future)
This organization is actively integrating:
- AI-enabled system optimization
- Advanced modeling & simulation
- Next-gen compute architectures within embedded systems
You won't just build hardware—you'll shape how intelligent systems operate at the edge.
Let's Talk
If you're operating at the Principal / Distinguished Engineer level and want to work on high-impact, highly complex systems, this is a rare opportunity to step into a role with real technical authority.
Keywords for Fit (self-check)
FPGA | OpenVPX | DDR4 | High-Speed Digital | Board Design | Power Electronics | Defense Systems | Embedded Hardware | Signal Integrity
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