Principal FPGA Engineer in Slough, Berkshire

Principal FPGA Engineer

Location: Berkshire
Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience
Bonus: Annual bonus scheme
Working pattern: Full time, primarily onsite

We are looking for an experienced Principal FPGA Engineer to join a specialist engineering team developing highly secure technology for demanding defence and security applications.

This is a senior technical position for an engineer who can take ownership of FPGA and firmware development across the full engineering lifecycle, while providing technical leadership and guidance to other engineers.

You will work across requirements, architecture, design, implementation, integration, verification and validation, helping to deliver robust FPGA based solutions within a multidisciplinary engineering environment.

The role

As a Principal FPGA Engineer, you will:

• Lead the architecture, design, development, integration and verification of FPGA and firmware systems

• Translate systems and user requirements into clear, robust firmware requirements

• Develop FPGA designs using VHDL

• Provide technical leadership to a team of FPGA and firmware engineers

• Lead and contribute to design reviews, technical reviews and engineering activities

• Produce technical documentation including specifications, design documentation, reports and proposals

• Develop and maintain requirements traceability and verification methodologies

• Estimate engineering work and support predictable technical delivery

• Identify and implement improvements to FPGA development processes and engineering practices

• Provide specialist FPGA and firmware knowledge across the wider engineering team

• Mentor and support less experienced engineers

• Work closely with systems, hardware, software and project engineering teams

• Take responsibility for technical delivery with limited supervision

• Undertake the role of Firmware Lead when required, providing technical direction to a team of firmware engineers

Essential experience

We are looking for an experienced FPGA engineer with:

• Proven experience across the full FPGA or firmware development lifecycle

• Strong commercial experience developing FPGA designs using VHDL

• Experience working with Xilinx, Lattice, Altera or Microsemi FPGAs

• Experience with FPGA development tools and EDA toolchains

• Strong understanding of FPGA verification and test

• Experience applying structured engineering development methodologies such as the V Model

• Experience designing synchronous and asynchronous digital systems

• Ability to provide technical leadership to FPGA or firmware engineers

• Experience with communications interfaces and protocols including UART, USART, SPI, I2C, TCP/IP or UDP

• Ability to read and interpret hardware schematics

• Experience with version control, configuration management and defect tracking systems

• Strong understanding of requirements, design, integration, verification and validation

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to technical and non technical stakeholders

• Strong organisation and self management skills, with the ability to manage multiple engineering activities simultaneously

Desirable experience

The following would be advantageous:

• Previous experience within defence, aerospace or security

• Experience developing cryptographic, secure communications or high assurance systems

• Experience working on military or defence related equipment

• Digital electronics and digital logic design experience

• Experience with continuous integration and automated testing

• Experience with DOORS or Enterprise Architect

• Familiarity with engineering standards and development practices used within defence, aerospace or safety critical environments

Senior FPGA Engineers considered

We are also open to exceptionally strong Senior FPGA Engineers who are ready to take the next step into a Principal position.

If you have strong VHDL and FPGA experience, have already taken technical ownership of projects or supported and mentored other engineers, we would be interested in speaking with you.

Security clearance

Due to the nature of the work, candidates must be willing and able to obtain and maintain DV security clearance.

Candidates will also need to meet the relevant UK security and requirements for DV clearance.

Benefits

• Annual bonus scheme

• Private medical cover

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase additional leave

• Pension contribution

• Life assurance

• Flexible benefits

• Flexible working arrangements where appropriate

• Security clearance allowance where applicable

This is an opportunity to work on technically challenging FPGA and firmware projects where engineering quality, security and reliability are critical.

If you are an experienced FPGA Engineer, Principal FPGA Engineer, FPGA Design Engineer, Firmware Engineer or Digital Design Engineer with strong VHDL experience, we would be interested in hearing from you