Principal FPGA Engineer

Freeform builds AI-native manufacturing systems that unify software, hardware, and physics to produce industrial-scale parts at the speed of human ideation. By treating manufacturing as a single integrated system, we unlock a new era of innovation where complex hardware is designed, built, and scaled without limits. 

As a Principal FPGA Engineer at Freeform, you will architect and lead development of our next-generation compute platform, a distributed system of hundreds of FPGAs orchestrating many dozens of high-power lasers in real time. This is not a standard FPGA role. You will be pushing the boundaries of what’s physically possible with reconfigurable compute: processing hundreds of thousands of frames per second through a real-time ML inference pipeline, with latency budgets that leave no margin for error. You will leverage cutting-edge silicon including the Xilinx Zynq Ultrascale+ MPSoC, and tightly couple FPGA fabric with state-of-the-art GPUs to build one of the most demanding heterogeneous computing platforms in existence. 

We are pioneering the use of FPGAs for real-time machine learning in an industrial manufacturing context, a space where almost no prior art exists. This is core IP work at the frontier of what FPGA-based computing can do, and it sits at the heart of what makes Freeform’s technology unlike anything else in the world. 

3D printing experience is not required to be successful here - rather we look for smart, motivated, collaborative engineers who love solving hard problems and creating amazing technology! 

Responsibilities:

• Architect a massively parallel, ultra-low latency FPGA pipeline capable of processing hundreds of thousands of frames per second across a fleet of hundreds of FPGAs 
• Lead cross-disciplinary engineering efforts spanning software, electrical, and process engineering to co-develop and continuously advance FPGA capabilities at the system level 
• Design and implement real-time ML inference capability directly on FPGA fabric, one of the most demanding and least-explored frontiers in reconfigurable computing 
• Develop novel RTL components and IP blocks that push the limits of timing closure, resource utilization, and deterministic latency 
• Implement high-performance signal processing algorithms on FPGA, including custom arithmetic, filtering, and feature extraction at line rate 
• Design deterministic, microsecond-precision controllers for high-power laser systems operating under strict real-time constraints 

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, or related field  
• 15+ years of FPGA development experience in SystemVerilog or VHDL  
• Familiarity with Xilinx Vivado/Vitis toolchain development environment  
• Experience with high-speed IO, board bring up, and similar hardware-centric FPGA development domains 

Nice to Have:

• Master’s degree in computer engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, or related field  
• Experience with image processing or DSP 
• Experience with Xilinx Zynq Ultrascale+ MPSoC  
• Experience with embedded software development including embedded Linux and System on Chip (SoC)-based architectures  
• Experience implementing math/advanced computations on FPGAs  
• Experience with heterogeneous computing platforms and high-speed data acquisition systems  
• Familiarity with C/C++ or other high-level programming languages  
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills  
• Creative thinker able to apply first-principles reasoning to solve complex problems  

Location:

• Based in Hawthorne, our vertically integrated facility brings technology development, R&D, and production together under one roof. We operate at the center of LA’s deep tech ecosystem, surrounded by some of the most ambitious hardware innovation happening anywhere in the country. 
• Our fast-paced, cross-functional environment is built on close collaboration, and as such, this role requires full-time onsite presence (five days a week), with very limited exceptions. 

What We Offer:

• We have an inclusive and diverse culture that values collaboration, learning, and making deliberate data-driven decisions. 
• We offer a unique opportunity to be an early and integral member of a rapidly growing company that is scaling a world-changing technology. 
• Benefits  
  • Significant stock option packages 
  • 100% employer-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance (premium PPO and HMO options) 
  • Life insurance 
  • Traditional and Roth 401(k) 
  • Relocation assistance provided 
  • Paid vacation, sick leave, and company holidays 
  • Generous Paid Parental Leave and extended transition back to work for the birthing parent 
  • Free daily catered lunch and dinner, and fully stocked kitchenette 
  • Casual dress, flexible work hours, and regular catered team building events 
• Compensation    
  • As a growing company, the salary range is intentionally wide as we determine the most appropriate package for each individual taking into consideration years of experience, educational background, and unique skills and abilities as demonstrated throughout the interview process. Our intent is to offer a salary that is commensurate for the company’s current stage of development and allows the employee to grow and develop within a role.   
  • In addition to the significant stock option package, the estimated salary range for this role is $250,000-$350,000/year. The upper end of the range is reserved for individuals who demonstrate exceptional experience, deep domain mastery, and a proven history of high performance and impact. 
• Freeform is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values diversity; employment with Freeform is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.