Principal firmware engineer

Location: Crawley, Reading or Bristol – Hybrid

Principal Firmware Engineer

Thales Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) UK is a principal supplier of UAS, EW and Radar equipment to the UK armed forces, as well as an exporter of these capabilities worldwide. ISR is a highly complex product development environment focusing on delivering cutting‑edge products including digital radar electronic support measures (RESM) and radar electronic countermeasures (RECM).

Key Responsibilities

• Lead firmware development and deliver firmware projects to agreed time, cost and quality.
• Verify firmware using Hardware Verification Languages or Hardware Description languages.
• Design firmware using Hardware Description Languages.
• Enhance firmware‑related processes (documenting, scripting, reporting, process automation).
• Work closely with multi‑disciplinary teams.

Desired Knowledge, Qualifications and Experience

• Strong communication skills, verbally and in writing.
• Relevant degree (BEng, MEng, EngD, PhD) and membership or fellowship of a professional engineering body, preferably with or working towards chartered status.
• Experience leading firmware design/architecture.
• Verification test‑bench architecture with SystemVerilog or C++.
• Verification methodology: advanced VHDL verification or OSVVM/UVVM.
• Requirements management: IBM Rationale DOORS.
• Simulation of designs using simulator tool: Mentor Graphics ModelSim / Questasim.
• Digital electronic design in hardware development languages: VHDL and either Verilog or SystemVerilog.
• Implementation of complex designs using any vendor specific development tools.
• Technologies: PCIe, Ethernet, Serial Comms, AXI4.
• Object‑oriented design techniques.
• Image processing techniques and algorithms.
• Algorithm development using tool: MATLAB.

Security Clearance

This role requires SC clearance. It would be advantageous if currently held; otherwise the successful applicant will be required to undergo, achieve, and maintain SC clearance. To be eligible for full SC, you typically need to have resided in the UK for the last five years.

Benefits

We offer a competitive package that includes a significant bonus, a strong pension contribution, private healthcare, development‑focused targets, and relocation support where required. Additional support is available for academic and membership attainments.

At Thales, we ensure equal opportunities, pay and working conditions for all. The benefits also include private medical insurance, cycle‑to‑work schemes, employee discounts, paid volunteering days, stocks and shares, annual bonus, and more depending on the role.

If this role isn’t quite right for you, we encourage you to join our talent community for other potential opportunities.