FPGA Manager

* Competitive compensation with a robust equity plan to share in our success.

* Comprehensive coverage for health, dental, and vision insurance—including dependents.

* Unlimited vacation, supportive parental leave policy, and company-wide holiday shutdown.

* Semi-annual company-wide parties and frequent in-office team events.

* Relocation packages available for approved roles.

* $1,500 annual professional development fund to support your growth.

* Fully stocked Toronto office kitchen with snacks, drinks, games and top-notch kitchen appliances.

* Town Halls, Celebration Calls, and Company-wide events to stay connected and engaged.

* We’re a certified Great Place to Work®, five years in a row!

Kepler is seeking an experienced FPGA Manager to lead the design, development, and deployment of FPGA-based systems that power Kepler’s satellite payloads and ground infrastructure. You’ll balance leadership, technical oversight, and team development while contributing to the execution of mission-critical programs. You will play a critical role in delivering high-reliability, radiation-tolerant, and performance-optimized digital systems for space applications.

Expected Time Breakdown

• 50 percent, team leadership and execution oversight

• 25 percent, technical guidance and design input

• 15 percent, recruiting and on-boarding

• 10 percent, administrative and reporting

• Lead, mentor, and maintain a high-performing, geographically diverse FPGA team, fostering a collaborative culture that exemplifies Kepler’s Values

  • Ensure the team has the tools, training, and support needed to deliver high-quality RTL designs

  • Provide ongoing coaching, technical guidance, and career development through regular 1:1s and structured performance reviews

  • Monitor day-to-day execution across multiple projects, ensuring alignment with program goals and timelines

  • Support hiring plans, lead interviews, and onboard new team members

  • Own the FPGA development across the full lifecycle: architecture, design, verification, bring-up, debugging, and deployment

    • Partner with program and product leads to define scope, resourcing, and delivery milestones

    • Support vendor selection for tools and IP, and guide make/buy decisions

    • Own and drive adoption of the FPGA engineering design process, establishing and championing best practices for RTL design, simulation, verification, and CI/CD

    • Manage project timelines, resource allocation, and long-term technical strategy

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field

• 5+ years of experience in FPGA/RTL design and development

  • 3+ years of which were leading or managing engineering teams

  • Track record of building healthy team culture and driving performance through clear expectations and feedback

  • Strong communication skills and the ability to work cross-functionally

    • Proven ability to manage shifting priorities and drive execution through ambiguity via agile development practices

    • Proven ability to deliver complex hardware systems from concept to production

    • Proven ability to collaborate effectively with other teams both within and beyond the Engineering department

    • Strong technical fundamentals in FPGA/RTL design

      • Experience in SystemVerilog/Verilog or VHDL

      • Experience with FPGA toolchains (e.g., Vivado, Quartus, Libero)

      • Background in digital design fundamentals such as timing closure, high-speed interfaces (e.g., SERDES, PCIe, Ethernet), I/O planning, power management

      • Experience with simulation and verification methodologies (e.g., UVM, testbenches, formal verification) and tools (e.g. Questa, VUnit, ALint Pro, Verilator, Verible, GHDL, IcarusVerilog)

• Experience with space-grade or radiation-tolerant FPGA design

• Experience with high-speed data pipelines and networking protocols

• Background in satellite communications, SDR, or DSP algorithms

• Familiarity with heterogeneous compute systems (e.g. MPSoC UltraScale+, Versal ACAP)

• Experience with CI/CD pipelines for FPGA development

• Knowledge of scripting languages (Python, TCL, Bash) for automation

• Experience working in fast-paced startup or aerospace environments

• Familiarity with or certification in automotive/aerospace safety processes/standards

• Work on cutting-edge space infrastructure and satellite technology

• Be part of a rapidly growing company shaping the future of space communications

• Collaborate with a highly skilled, mission-driven team

• Competitive compensation, equity, and benefits

• Opportunities for growth and leadership in a scaling organization