DSP Designer

Fidus is a global high-tech design firm headquartered in Ottawa, with additional design centres in Kitchener-Waterloo and San Jose. We specialize in leading-edge electronic product development, with hardware, embedded software, FPGA/ASIC, and signal integrity teams working together to design and deliver next-generation products for clients in emerging technology markets.
Position Overview/Mandate:

The DSP Designer plays a key role in developing and delivering complex signal processing algorithms for Fidus clients, from concept through simulation, fixed-point implementation, and hardware bring-up. You will work directly with customers and internal Fidus FPGA/hardware teams to design algorithms, perform quantization and bit-width analysis, and translate DSP concepts into feasible hardware architectures.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys moving between application domains (communications, radar/sensing, industrial, medical), is comfortable working across the algorithm-to-hardware boundary, and takes pride in producing well-documented, bit-true designs.
Make an Impact with US:

At Fidus, you'll work on high-speed, high-complexity electronic systems, often using emerging technologies before they reach the broader market. You'll collaborate across FPGA/DSP, hardware, embedded software, verification, SI/PI, PCB layout, and mechanical/thermal design as part of cross-functional teams delivering real products for our clients.

In practice, that means contributing to projects across communications, Aerospace & Defense, Space & Satellite, Industrial Automation, Automotive, Medical Devices, and Semiconductor engagements. You won't be limited to a single product or industry—your work will follow the technology, not just one roadmap.
What You'll Be Doing:

- Develop and simulate DSP algorithms (equalization, filtering, estimation, detection) in MATLAB/Simulink and/or Python, from concept through fixed-point validation

- Perform quantization/bit-width analysis and produce bit-true fixed-point models suitable for HDL implementation

- Collaborate with FPGA/HDL and hardware teams to translate algorithms into feasible hardware architectures (pipelining, MAC/resource budgeting, timing closure)

- Support HDL verification through golden-model test vectors and co-simulation

- Support lab bring-up, characterization, and tuning of DSP-based hardware against real-world channel/sensor behavior

- Adapt existing DSP toolkits to new client domains and standards across multiple engagements (e.g., communications, Aerospace & Defense, Space & Satellite, Industrial Automation, Automotive, Medical Devices, and Semiconductor)

- Document algorithm design decisions, trade-offs, and validation results for client and internal reference

Who You are:

- BS/MS/PhD in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or related field

- Strong foundation in signals and systems: Fourier/Z-transform, digital filter design (FIR/IIR), sampling theory

- Practical experience with estimation/detection theory (e.g., matched filtering, MMSE, Kalman filtering) or adaptive filtering (LMS/RLS)

- Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink and/or Python for algorithm design and simulation

- Experience with fixed-point conversion and quantization trade-off analysis

- Demonstrated ability to work across the algorithm-to-hardware boundary (collaborating directly with HDL/FPGA teams)

- Strong verbal and written communication skills - ability to explain algorithm trade-offs to non-DSP stakeholders

- Embraces AI as part of a modern engineering toolkit

Nice to Have:

- Experience in one or more of: optical/wireless communications, radar/sensing, motor control, biomedical signal processing, semiconductor test

- Experience with high-speed SerDes and PAM4 signaling (e.g., PCIe Gen6, 400G/800G Ethernet electrical) - equalization (FFE/CTLE/DFE), link training, and FEC awareness

- Familiarity with AMD's Adaptive Computing portfolio (Versal, Alveo) or embedded x86 product lines

- Familia