Location: London
Company: Timebeat.app
Reports to: Head of Engineering / CTO
About Timebeat
Timebeat is building next-generation infrastructure for precise, verifiable time and frequency synchronization across distributed systems. Our technology sits at the intersection of hardware, FPGA design, and large-scale systems, enabling customers to measure, guarantee, and reason about time in ways that were not previously possible.
As we scale, we are looking for an FPGA engineer who wants to own major technical initiatives, help shape architecture decisions, and grow into a people- and project-leadership role.
The Role
This role is ideal for a strong FPGA engineer who is ready to take the next step in their career—moving beyond individual contribution into technical leadership, mentoring, and project ownership.
You will remain hands-on with FPGA design while also:
* Leading FPGA-centric projects end-to-end
* Acting as a technical point of contact across hardware, firmware, and software teams
* Supporting and mentoring other engineers
* Helping define best practices, processes, and technical direction for FPGA development at Timebeat
Key Responsibilities
Technical Leadership & Delivery
* Own the architecture, design, and delivery of FPGA solutions used in production systems
* Translate system-level requirements into FPGA designs and implementation plans
* Drive design reviews, technical decision-making, and trade-off discussions
* Ensure designs meet performance, reliability, and maintainability requirements
Hands-On FPGA Engineering
* Design, implement, and verify FPGA logic using VHDL and/or Verilog/SystemVerilog
* Work with high-speed interfaces, clocks, timing closure, and synchronization logic
* Integrate FPGA designs with embedded software, drivers, and system-level components
* Support bring-up, debugging, and validation on real hardware
Team Growth & Mentorship
* Mentor junior and mid-level engineers through code reviews and technical guidance
* Contribute to hiring and onboarding as the FPGA team grows
* Help define engineering standards, documentation, and development workflows
Cross-Functional Collaboration
* Work closely with software, systems, and product teams to deliver customer-facing features
* Communicate complex technical topics clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
* Support customer or partner engagements where deep FPGA expertise is required
Required Skills & Experience
* Strong experience in FPGA design and development in a production environment
* Proficiency in VHDL and/or Verilog/SystemVerilog
* Experience with FPGA toolchains (e.g. Xilinx / AMD, Intel / Altera)
* Solid understanding of:
* Clocking and timing constraints
* CDC, synchronization, and deterministic timing
* Debugging FPGA designs on hardware
* Experience owning significant technical components or projects
* Comfortable reviewing others’ work and providing constructive feedback
Nice to Have
* Prior experience leading small teams or acting as a technical lead
* Experience with time-sensitive systems, networking, or high-precision timing
* Exposure to embedded Linux, drivers, or low-level software interfaces
* Familiarity with formal verification, simulation frameworks, or CI for FPGA
* Interest in growing into an engineering management or hybrid lead role
What We're Looking For
* An engineer who enjoys both building and leading
* Someone excited by ownership, responsibility, and seeing projects through to production
* A collaborative communicator who raises the bar for those around them
* A pragmatic problem-solver who balances technical excellence with delivery
Why Join Timebeat
* Work on deep technical problems with real-world impact
* Influence the technical direction of FPGA development from an early stage
* Grow into a leadership role at a fast-moving, highly technical company
* Competitive compensation, flexible working, and strong engineering culture