Be at the heart of actionFly remote-controlled drones into enemy territory to gather vital information.

Apply Now

FPGA Design Engineer

Saffron Walden
1 year ago
Applications closed

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Design Engineer FPGA / VHDL

VHDL Design Engineer

Electronics Design Engineer - Space Systems

Digital IC Design Engineer

Avionics Engineer

Avionics Engineer

FPGA Design Engineer

Saffron Walden, UK | Permanent | £50k - £70k D.O.E

The company

Our client is an electronics and technology SME operating in the field of aerospace, defence and government, involved in the design and sale of electronic-scanning ground radar systems.

The Role

You will be supporting a major product update to extend the company’s existing offering of radars, as they introduce enhanced performance and new capabilities that includes updates to FPGAs and other programmable logic across their entire radar family.

Key responsibilities:

• Take the lead on DSP system design and architecture.

• Design, develop and verify FPGA code (VHDL or Verilog), using Xilinx design tools.

• Design software for test and verification of FPGA code.

• Take the lead on field trials of signal processing performance.

• Generate design documentation for communication and dissemination across the engineering team.

Qualifications, experience and skills

• Engineering or other technical degree (or equivalent combination of experience and education).

• Development experience using Xilinx design tools such as Vivado, targeted at Zynq MPSoC or similar.

• Experience of implementing signal processing algorithms with high-speed I/O in FPGA.

• Understanding of the design of high-speed digital circuits for real-time systems.

• Experience of design verification by both simulation (SystemVerilog or similar) and hardware testing.

• Experience of software design using C/C++, Python, or Rust.

• Proficient using test equipment such as oscilloscopes, spectrum analysers, signal generators, etc.

• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills to allow efficient hybrid office/home collaborative working.

Additional desirable requirements

• Knowledge of radar, sonar, or similar sensor systems.

• Understanding of radar signal processing techniques.

• Embedded Linux C/C++ development.

• Familiarity with Yocto and/or Petalinux build systems.

• Familiarity with Xilinx HLS

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Space Industry Recruitment Trends 2025 (UK): What Job Seekers Need To Know About Today’s Hiring Process

Summary: UK space‑sector hiring has shifted from pedigree‑first screening to capability‑driven evaluation across the full stack—spacecraft systems, payload/RF, flight software, GNC/ADCS, propulsion, structures/thermal, AIT (assembly–integration–test), mission/ground operations, reliability/radiation, and compliance (ECSS, export control). Employers want proof you can build, test, operate and scale space systems safely and economically. This guide explains what’s changed, what to expect in interviews & how to prepare—especially for satellite/spacecraft engineers, payload & RF/MM‑wave, flight & ground software, GNC/ADCS, power/thermal, AIT/test, mission ops, data/EO, and space product/TPM roles. Who this is for: Systems engineers, payload/RF engineers, flight software & FDIR, GNC/ADCS, power/thermal/structures, propulsion, AIT/test, reliability/radiation, QA/compliance, ground segment/cloud, mission operations, EO/data processing, and product/programme managers targeting roles in the UK space ecosystem.

Why Space Careers in the UK Are Becoming More Multidisciplinary

The UK’s space sector is growing fast — from satellite systems and Earth observation to satellite communications, space robotics, propulsion, space data analytics, and mission operations. But the nature of space work is changing. Projects involving satellites, launch systems, space robotics and ground infrastructure are now embedded in regulation, public perception, human interaction and cross-disciplinary design. Space careers in the UK used to be dominated by engineers, astrophysicists, systems analysts and telemetry experts. Today, they increasingly demand fluency not only in aerospace, software, electronics & data, but also in law, ethics, psychology, linguistics & design. After all, space systems operate under treaties, privacy constraints, public scrutiny, international collaborations and human interfaces. In this article, we explore why space careers in the UK are becoming more multidisciplinary, how those allied fields intersect with space work, and what job-seekers & employers must do to thrive in this evolving cosmos.

UK Space Team Structures Explained: Who Does What in a Modern Space Department

The UK space sector is rapidly expanding. With growth in satellite design, Earth observation, communications, launch systems, space science, downstream applications, and regulatory and operational services, there’s rising demand for skilled professionals across many disciplines. Building a high-impact space organisation requires well-defined team structures, clear roles, strong collaboration, and alignment across engineering, science, operations, regulation, and commercial functions. If you are applying for roles via UKSpaceJobs.co.uk or hiring into your company, this guide will help you understand the principal roles you’ll find in a space team, how they interact during mission lifecycles, what skills UK employers expect, salary norms, common challenges, and best practice for structuring space teams that succeed.