Senior / Principal Firmware Engineer
Role Overview
The Senior / Principal Firmware Engineer will be responsible for the design, development, and verification of FPGA firmware using VHDL, with additional verification tasks in VHDL or SystemVerilog.
Key Responsibilities
* Designing and implementing innovative, reliable VHDL-based firmware solutions
* Documenting and maintaining detailed design deliverables
* Verifying firmware designs using simulation and test methodologies
* Managing configuration control and maintaining version traceability
* Providing progress updates and supporting project reporting activities
Essential Skills and Experience
* Minimum of 5 years’ experience developing firmware using VHDL or Verilog
* Proficiency with FPGA development tools such as HDL Designer, ModelSim/Questa, and Precision
* Familiarity with FPGA toolchains from Xilinx, Intel (Altera), or Microsemi (Actel)
* Ability to interpret system or hardware-level requirements and derive detailed firmware specifications
* Strong debugging skills for firmware and integration at both hardware and system levels
* Understanding of firmware configuration management and revision control practices
* Ability to coordinate day-to-day technical tasks, collaborating effectively with engineering leads and cross-discipline teams
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills
* Experience with Linux environments and scripting languages
* Proficiency in producing technical documentation and reports
Desirable Skills and Experience
* Experience developing real-time or safety-critical firmware, ideally to RTCA/DO-254 DAL A or B standards
* Familiarity with requirements capture and management tools
* Prior experience in Aerospace, Defence, or similar high-reliability industries
* Knowledge of embedded processor cores (e.g. ARM) within FPGA designs
* Experience with independent verification using VHDL or SystemVerilog/UVM
* Awareness of modern FPGA device families and architectures
* Understanding of high-speed serial communication protocols and implementation techniques
Qualifications and Security Requirements
* Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Electronics Engineering or a related STEM discipline
* UK citizenship is required to obtain security clearance (SC)
* Existing SC clearance is advantageous
Seniority level
Mid-Senior level
Employment type
Full-time
Job function
Defense and Space Manufacturing
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