National AI Awards 2025Discover AI's trailblazers! Join us to celebrate innovation and nominate industry leaders.

Nominate & Attend

Senior / Principal Firmware Engineer

Granton
4 days ago
Create job alert

Senior / Principal Firmware Engineer

Our client, a global leader in the Defence Industry is looking for a Senior / Principal Firmware Engineer working on avionics systems.

Role Overview:

The Senior / Principal firmware engineer would be responsible for design and development of Firmware designs using VHDL and verifying designs using VHDL or System Verilog.

Job Responsibilities:

The firmware engineer would work closely with Systems, Hardware and Software teams to provide firmware solutions and solve integration problems on complex systems.

Creating innovative and robust VHDL-based designs
Documenting and recording deliverables
Verifying firmware designs
Ensuring configuration management/keeping designs under revision control
Providing progress reports 

Skills, Qualifications and Experience required:

Mandatory

Proven expertise of developing firmware using VHDL or Verilog
Experienced with Mentor Graphics FPGA development tools including HDL Designer, ModelSim / Questa and Precision
Familiar with Xilinx / Intel (Altera) / Microsemi (Actel) design flows (ISE, Vivado, Quartus) and third-party synthesis tools
Experience in specifying timing and area constraints for efficient FPGA Place and Route.
Ability to analyse system and / or hardware level requirements and derive detailed Firmware requirements
Independent verification using VHDL
Experience of firmware requirements capture and requirements management tools
De-bugging firmware designs and supporting integration & verification at hardware
and system level
A good understanding of firmware version control and revision control software
Experience of making technical decisions and mitigating technical risk for Firmware design activities.
Experience with High-Speed Serial protocols and implementations
Ability to coordinate day to day technical activities, liaising closely with the Project Engineering Lead / Lead firmware engineer & other disciplines
Excellent communication (oral & written) & interpersonal skills
Linux and scripting experience
Experience in writing technical reports/ documentationDesirable

Development of real-time, embedded, safety-critical firmware, preferably in accordance with RTCA/DO-254 DAL D
Independent verification using SystemVerilog / UVM
Relevant experience in the Aerospace or Defence industry
Experience of embedded processor cores (e.g. ARM) in FPGA designs
Familiarity with latest FPGA device families 

Qualifications

Honours degree or equivalent in Electronics Engineering or another STEM-based subjectThis role could be based in Luton or Edinburgh

Due to security requirements this role is open to SOLE UK NATIONALS ONLY

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Senior Digital Hardware Engineer

Principal Naval Architect

RF/Microwave Engineer

Senior/Lead Systems Engineers - Defence or Aerospace

Senior Engineer

Senior RF Engineer

National AI Awards 2025

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.

Top 10 Mistakes Candidates Make When Applying for Space-Industry Jobs—And How to Avoid Them

UK space hiring is accelerating—but so are application mistakes. Learn the ten biggest errors candidates make, with practical fixes, expert tips and live resources that will help you launch your next space-industry role. Introduction From nanosatellite start-ups in Glasgow to deep-space mission teams in Harwell and propulsion testbeds in Cornwall, the UK space sector is expanding at orbital velocity. A quick scan of LinkedIn and niche boards like SpaceCareers.uk shows hundreds of open roles spanning RF systems, orbital dynamics, on-board software and space sustainability. Yet recruiters still reject a majority of CVs long before interview—usually for slip-ups that take minutes to fix. To keep your application from burning up on re-entry, we analysed recent space-industry adverts, spoke with hiring managers across the UK “space cluster”, and gathered feedback from career advisers. Below is a definitive list of the ten most expensive mistakes we see—each linked to a trusted, working resource so you can dive deeper. Bookmark this checklist before you hit Apply.

How to Write a Winning Cover Letter for Space Sector Jobs: Proven 4-Paragraph Structure

Learn how to craft the perfect cover letter for space sector jobs with this proven 4-paragraph structure. Ideal for entry-level candidates, career switchers, and professionals looking to advance in the space industry. When applying for a job in the space sector, your cover letter is a crucial part of your application. The space industry is an exciting and rapidly evolving field, offering opportunities in satellite technology, space exploration, and related research. Your cover letter provides an opportunity to showcase your passion for space, your technical expertise, and your understanding of how you can contribute to cutting-edge advancements in space technologies. Whether you're new to the space sector, transitioning from another field, or looking to advance your career in this exciting industry, this article will guide you through a proven four-paragraph structure. We’ll provide sample lines and practical tips to help you create a compelling cover letter that stands out in the competitive space sector job market.