DSP Engineer (Early Career)

About Northwood:

Northwood is on a mission to transform connectivity between earth and space and bring the benefits of space to the masses through innovations in space communications technologies. If you like building quickly and seeing your work deployed in locations around the globe with real impact, we want you at Northwood.

Job Level:

The level of this position will be determined based on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. We are open to considering candidates of varying experience levels, from early-career to experienced.

Role:

To build the ground station network of the future, Northwood needs to own the full RF stack — and engineers who understand that our ability to deliver mission-critical data ultimately rests on the waveforms and physical layer that carry it.

We are looking for a DSP Engineer to join the development of our software-defined radio systems, with a focus on physical layer algorithm design and implementation for modem and beamforming products. You will own the full lifecycle of signal processing algorithms — from initial concept and floating-point modeling through fixed-point implementation and field validation. You will work closely with FPGA engineers, contribute to RF systems analysis, and serve as the technical owner of delivering a reliable communication link to our customers.

This role is a great fit for an engineer with strong numerical and programming fundamentals who is eager to go deep in DSP and satellite communications. We care more about how you think and build than how many years you’ve been doing it.

Responsibilities:

1. Own the design, validation, and testing of physical layer algorithms for demodulation and beamforming applications

1. Develop and maintain floating- and fixed-point algorithm models in Python and Rust

1. Collaborate with FPGA engineers to validate fixed-point implementations appropriate for RTL, ensuring high fidelity between model and hardware

1. Contribute to RF systems analysis and dynamic link budgeting for phased array systems

1. Take ownership of customer waveform requirements and end-to-end delivery.

Basic Qualifications:

1. Bachelor’s degree with 2+ years of relevant experience, or Master’s degree, in a field involving numerical algorithm development

1. Strong programming skills in Python

1. Exposure to lower-level languages such as C++ or Rust

1. Solid end-to-end understanding of digital communications — modulation, pulse shaping, synchronization, and demodulation

1. Demonstrated ownership of an algorithmic outcome: you built something, deployed it, and found out if it worked

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Familiarity with SDR frameworks such as GNU Radio

1. Experience with fixed-point algorithm development

1. Knowledge of satellite communications standards such as CCSDS or DVB-S2X

1. Experience with FPGA development or close collaboration with FPGA engineers

1. Experience modeling physical systems to inform adaptive algorithm design

1. Experience building or contributing to high-performance numerical libraries or frameworks

Compensation and Benefits:

Compensation is determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a base-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, and technical capabilities. In addition to base salary, Northwood Space offers long term incentives such as company stock, stock options, and cash awards, as well as discretionary bonus for performance. Northwood Space benefits include equity, health care, unlimited vacation, retirement savings and professional development.

Additional Information:

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Northwood Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood Space 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.