Senior FPGA Security Architect– Aerospace, Defense & Government

Job Details:

Job Description: We are seeking a Senior FPGA Security Architect to lead customer-facing security engagements focused on programmable logic and adaptive compute platforms in the Aerospace, Defense and Government (ADG) market implementing mission-critical and long-life systems. This customer-facing role focuses on helping defense contractors and aerospace partners implement robust FPGA security architectures that address anti-tamper, IP protection, supply chain assurance, and long-term lifecycle management.

As a trusted technical advisor, you will guide customers through secure FPGA design and deployment, translate program requirements into practical security architectures, and support complex engagements in highly regulated environments. This role works closely with Sales, Field Applications Engineers, and Product Planning teams to enable secure design wins while influencing internal FPGA security features and strategy based on real-world customer needs and evolving threat landscapes.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Security Advisor (ADG Focus) Act as a trusted FPGA security advisor to aerospace and defense customers

Lead customer discussions on FPGA security architecture, threat modeling, and risk tradeoffs

Translate customer use cases, mission requirements, regulatory requirements, and threat models into clear FPGA security recommendations

Support engagements involving sensitive or controlled program constraints

Engage with senior technical and business stakeholders, including architects, security teams, and executives

FPGA Security Architecture Advise on secure FPGA design and deployment, including: Bitstream encryption, authentication, and IP protection

Key management, secure provisioning, and device identity

Protection against cloning, reverse engineering, and IP theft

Secure boot and chain-of-trust for FPGA-based systems

Side-channel and fault-injection awareness and mitigations

Device identity, secure provisioning, and lifecycle control

Secure sustainment, re-keying, and field updates over extended lifetimes

Pre-Sales & Program Support Partner with Sales and FAEs and Product teams to support complex ADG customer engagements and design wins

Deliver security-focused presentations, architecture reviews, and technical workshops

Represent Altera in customer briefings, industry forums, and security-focused events

Support RFIs, RFPs, and customer security assessments

Contribute to program-level security planning and technical alignment

Clearly articulate security value, differentiation, and risk reduction in customer-facing engagements

Cross-Functional Collaboration Provide customer-driven feedback into Altera’s FPGA product security roadmaps

Share ADG market insights, regulatory requirements, emerging threats, industry best practices, and program requirements with internal teams

Collaborate with internal security, engineering, and product stakeholders

Salary Range

The pay range below is for Bay Area California only. Actual salary may vary based on a number of factors including job location, job-related knowledge, skills, experiences, trainings , etc. We also offer incentive opportunities that reward employees based on individual and company performance. $ 200.4K - $ 290.1K USD

We use artificial intelligence to screen, assess, or select applicants for the position. Applicants must be eligible for any required U.S. export authorizations .

Qualifications

• Required Qualifications Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field (Master’s preferred)

• 10+ years of experience in FPGA design, SoC architecture, or hardware security

• Strong understanding of FPGA architectures, configuration flows, and development tools

• Experience with FPGA security features such as bitstream encryption, secure boot, key management, and device authentication

• Ability to communicate complex security topics clearly to technical and program stakeholders

• Experience supporting aerospace, defense, or government programs

• Experience working directly with customers in a technical or advisory capacity

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with SoC FPGAs and embedded processors (e.g., ARM-based FPGA platforms)

• Familiarity with anti-tamper, IP protection, physically unclonable functions (PUFs) and long-term sustainment requirements

• Knowledge of cryptographic implementations and key management in constrained hardware environments

• Knowledge of hardware security standards or frameworks relevant to ADG programs

• Exposure to supply chain security, trusted manufacturing, and device provenance

• Job Type: Regular

• Shift: Shift 1 (United States of America)

• Primary Location: San Jose, California, United States

• Additional Locations:

Posting Statement: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by local law, regulation, or ordinance.