FPGA Engineer

Copello; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Copello is seeking an experienced Senior FPGA Engineer to take technical ownership of FPGA and programmable logic design within advanced gimbal payload systems in Bristol. You will work on video capture, sensor interfaces, real-time pointing and stabilization, and in-house electronics from prototype to production.

Ideal candidates have 10+ years FPGA experience with VHDL or SystemVerilog, and hands-on debugging skills.

Qualifications

• Degree in Electronic Engineering or related discipline.
• 10+ years FPGA development experience.
• Strong VHDL or SystemVerilog skills with major FPGA vendor toolchains.
• Experience with video/imaging pipelines and camera interfaces.
• Experience with systems combining programmable logic and embedded processors.
• Practical hardware debugging skills (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers).
• Ability to review schematics in Altium and ensure timing and RTL quality.

Responsibilities

• Lead FPGA and SoC design for payload video and control systems, including RTL design, simulation, synthesis, timing closure and hardware bring-up.
• Develop video processing pipelines covering sensor capture, image correction, stabilisation, overlays, video output and metadata.
• Implement real-time interfaces for pointing and stabilisation systems in cross-functional teams.
• Take in-house boards from prototype to production.
• Develop verification strategies including testbenches, coverage, hardware-in-the-loop testing and fault investigations.
• Review hardware schematics, clocking, and timing constraints in Altium; establish design standards and review processes.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to other engineers.

Skills

FPGA design

VHDL

SystemVerilog

Video/imaging pipelines

Embedded processors interface

Hardware debugging

Altium

Verification methodologies

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electronic Engineering or related

Tools

Altium

Job description

Senior FPGA Engineer- Bristol (Hybrid)- Permanent- circa £80,000 -£90,000

About the Company

Join an innovative, technology-led organisation operating at the forefront of unmanned systems, defence, security and aerospace technology.

Working across a range of complex engineering challenges, the business combines advanced technology, artificial intelligence, systems engineering and aerospace expertise to develop solutions that support critical decision‑making and protect people and infrastructure worldwide.

This is an opportunity to join a multidisciplinary engineering team where innovation, collaboration and technical excellence are central to everything they do.

The Role

We are looking for an experienced Senior FPGA Engineer to take technical ownership of FPGA and programmable logic design within advanced gimbal payload systems.

You will work across video capture and processing, sensor and high-speed serial interfaces, real‑time pointing and stabilisation control, and interfaces with mission computing systems.

A key focus will be developing in‑house electronic solutions, taking designs from prototype through to production and reducing reliance on externally sourced hardware. With short development cycles and direct ownership of the technology, you will see your engineering work progress from concept to deployment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead FPGA and system-on-chip design for payload video and control systems, including RTL design, simulation, synthesis, timing closure and hardware bring-up.
• Develop video processing pipelines covering sensor capture, image correction, stabilisation, overlays, video output and metadata.
• Implement real‑time interfaces for pointing and stabilisation systems, working closely with software, control and mechanical engineering teams.
• Take internally developed image processing and position control boards from prototype through to qualified production.
• Develop verification strategies, including testbenches, coverage, hardware‑in‑the‑loop testing and fault investigation.
• Review hardware schematics, pin assignments, clocking and timing constraints in Altium.
• Establish and maintain design standards, coding practices, configuration control and review processes.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to other engineers.

About You

You will be an experienced FPGA engineer with a strong background in digital design and a practical, hands‑on approach to hardware development.

Ideally, you will have:

• A degree in Electronic Engineering or a related discipline, with approximately 10 years or more of FPGA development experience.
• Strong VHDL or SystemVerilog skills and experience with major FPGA vendor toolchains.
• Experience developing hardware‑based video or imaging pipelines, including camera and serial sensor interfaces.
• Experience with systems combining programmable logic and embedded processors, including register maps, drivers and boot processes.
• Practical hardware debugging skills, using oscilloscopes, logic analysers and protocol analysis tools.
• Experience interpreting and reviewing electronic schematics using Altium.
• A methodical approach to verification, with a focus on measurable performance, reliability and quality.
• The ability to work collaboratively across hardware, software and systems engineering teams in a fast‑paced environment.

Experience in defence, aerospace or airborne systems would be advantageous but is not essential.

Interested?

If you're an experienced FPGA engineer looking for an opportunity to take ownership of advanced engineering projects and see your designs progress from development through to deployment, we'd love to hear from you