FPGA Design & Validation Engineer - 4G/5G Radio

FPGA Design & Validation Engineer – 4G/5G Radio Units

Location: Kanata, Ottawa, Ontario — Innovation Drive

Work Arrangement: Minimum 3 days onsite per week required; no exceptions

Contract Term: 12 months, with a potential additional 12-month extension

Hours: 8 hours per day

Start Date: ASAP

About the Role

We are seeking an FPGA Design Engineer to support the design, development, verification and validation of 4G/5G Radio Units (RUs), with a focus on the datapath .

You will develop FPGA IP architecture, implement complex RTL blocks and validate integrated systems. The role requires strong knowledge of wireless signal processing, radio architecture and high-speed interfaces , along with the ability to solve complex engineering problems independently and guide engineering teams.

Key Responsibilities

FPGA Design and Architecture

• Develop FPGA IP architecture for 4G/5G Radio Units .
• Contribute to system-level designs aligned with 3GPP and O-RAN Alliance specifications .
• Define system requirements and functional specifications with limited direction.
• Evaluate design approaches, industry trends and competing solutions to inform product development and long-term technical planning.

RTL Development and Implementation

• Develop complex RTL blocks using Verilog, SystemVerilog or VHDL and integrate them into larger systems.
• Optimize FPGA resource utilization and achieve timing closure .
• Establish technical standards and make design, component and supplier choices that support performance and product cost targets.
• Contribute technical research and evaluations to project plans, budgets, new products and product updates.

Verification and Validation

• Define and execute verification plans using UVM and advanced verification techniques .
• Perform simulations and system-level FPGA validation .
• Identify and resolve complex design, integration and validation issues.

Collaboration and Technical Leadership

• Collaborate with Radio Unit development teams to support system integration.
• Work with software engineers to ensure hardware-software interoperability .
• Provide technical guidance, mentor junior engineers and participate in design reviews.
• Lead technical work on critical projects and communicate progress, risks and recommendations to senior management.
• Incorporate customer input and help resolve internal and external technical issues.

Required Qualifications

• Proven experience in FPGA design and RTL development .
• Expertise in NR, LTE, eCPRI, CPRI and PTP protocols , along with signal processing.
• Strong understanding of 4G/5G Radio architecture and the O-RAN ecosystem .
• Familiarity with JESD204B/C, Ethernet, PCIe, AXI and high-speed SERDES .
• Experience with Quartus, Vivado, MATLAB/Simulink and HDL Coder .
• Knowledge of UVM and verification methodologies .
• Experience with Git/GitHub and version control workflows .
• Ability to work independently, solve complex engineering problems and provide technical leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• 7+ years of FPGA design experience in wireless or high-speed systems.
• Experience developing high-volume wireless products and FPGA IP .
• Contributions to standards bodies or technical forums, including O-RAN and 3GPP .