Graduate Design Engineer

AccelerComm Ltd; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Bonus up to 20%

EMI share options

Pension

Private health insurance

Southampton Science Park offices

Job summary

AccelerComm Ltd in Southampton is seeking graduates to join the Hardware Design team as Graduate Design Engineers. You will work on high-performance digital hardware IP for wireless systems, developing RTL in Verilog/SystemVerilog/VHDL for FPGA/ASIC and collaborating with cross-disciplinary engineers.

This role offers a chance to contribute to cutting-edge 5G/6G tech, with hybrid working, a structured training path, and a path to develop expertise in hardware design and wireless communications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, Communications Engineering, Physics or Mathematics.
• Exposure to RTL design using Verilog, SystemVerilog or VHDL.
• Basic scripting knowledge (Python, MATLAB, Tcl or Bash).

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, verify and deliver high-performance digital IP for wireless systems.
• Develop RTL designs using SystemVerilog, Verilog or VHDL for FPGA and ASIC.
• Support verification and architectures of communications signal processing and hardware.
• Collaborate with hardware, algorithm, software and systems engineers.
• Develop and maintain testbenches, simulation environments and verification infrastructure.
• Create automated workflows, build systems and development tools with scripting.
• Document design specs, implementation details and verification results clearly.
• Follow engineering processes, coding standards and design methodologies.
• Participate in design reviews and knowledge-sharing activities.
• Grow technical expertise across digital hardware and wireless engineering.

Skills

Digital design fundamentals

HDL: Verilog/SystemVerilog/VHDL

Scripting: Python/MATLAB/Tcl/Bash

Analytical and debugging

Communication

Detail-oriented

Education

Electronic/Computer/Communications Engineering, Physics or Mathematics (BSc/MSc)

Tools

FPGA/ASIC toolchains

Git

Job description

Graduate Design Engineer

Application Deadline: 25 September 2026

Department: Hardware

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Southampton, UK

Reporting To: Tom Hollis

AccelerComm attracts people who want to work on the cutting edge 5G/6G satellite communications that are powering global connectivity - technology that is genuinely advanced and problems that are genuinely hard.

Our engineering team combines experienced industry experts with talented graduates from leading universities. Together we are highly collaborative, innovative, delivery-focused, and committed to developing world-class IP blocks for FPGA and ASIC solutions.

We are now seeking talented and motivated Graduate Design Engineers to join our Hardware Design team. These roles offer an excellent opportunity to work alongside experienced engineers on the development of advanced digital signal processing and communications IP.

The ideal candidates will have a strong academic background in Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, Communications Engineering, or a related discipline, together with exposure to RTL design using languages such as Verilog, SystemVerilog, or VHDL. An interest in wireless communications, digital design, and hardware verification is highly desirable.

Key Responsibilities

• Contribute to the design, implementation, verification, and delivery of high-performance digital hardware IP for wireless communication systems.
• Develop RTL designs using SystemVerilog, Verilog, or VHDL, targeting FPGA and ASIC technologies.
• Support the development and verification of communications signal processing functions and hardware architectures.
• Collaborate with hardware, algorithm, software, and systems engineers to translate system requirements into efficient hardware implementations.
• Develop and maintain testbenches, simulation environments, and verification infrastructure.
• Support the creation of automated engineering workflows, build systems, and development tools using scripting languages such as Python and Bash.
• Produce clear and accurate technical documentation covering design specifications, implementation details, and verification results.
• Follow established engineering processes, coding standards, and design methodologies to ensure the delivery of high-quality IP.
• Participate in design reviews, technical discussions, and knowledge-sharing activities within the engineering team.
• Continuously develop technical expertise across multiple areas of digital hardware and wireless communications engineering.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

Essential

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, Communications Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or a related technical discipline.
• Understanding of digital design fundamentals, including combinational and sequential logic, finite state machines, timing concepts, and digital architectures.
• Exposure to hardware description languages such as Verilog, SystemVerilog, or VHDL through academic projects, placements, internships, or personal projects.
• Basic knowledge of at least one scripting language, such as Python, MATLAB, Tcl, or Bash.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and debugging skills.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly through written reports and verbal presentations.
• A structured approach to engineering tasks, with strong attention to detail and quality.
• Enthusiasm for learning and developing expertise in hardware design and wireless communications technologies.

Desirable

• Experience with FPGA or ASIC development platforms and associated toolchains.
• Understanding of RTL verification methodologies, simulation, and testbench development.
• Knowledge of programming languages such as C, or C++.
• Familiarity with version control systems, particularly Git.
• Awareness of industry-standard interfaces and protocols, such as AXI, Ethernet, JESD204, or PCIe.
• Understanding of digital signal processing concepts and their hardware implementation.
• Knowledge of modern wireless communication systems, including 4G, 5G NR, Open RAN, satellite communications, or future wireless technologies.
• Exposure to communications algorithms such as:
  • Error correction coding and decoding
  • Channel estimation
  • Equalisation
  • Beamforming
  • MIMO processing
  • Synchronisation algorithms
• Experience with FPGA AI Engines or heterogeneous computing architectures.

Personal Skills

• Engineering curiosity demonstrated through university projects, research, internships, competitions, open-source contributions, or personal development projects.
• Motivation to solve complex problems.
• Keenness to learn from experienced engineers and rapidly develop technical expertise.
• Collaborative team player who contributes positively within a multidisciplinary environment.
• Adaptability and willingness to take on new technical challenges.
• Proactive, self-motivated, and capable of working independently when required.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships across teams.
• Committed to maintaining high engineering standards and delivering quality results.

Job Benefits

• We pay competitive graduate level salaries which depend on skills and experience.
• We offer a bonus scheme which pays up to 20% of salary annually, depending on performance. This is in addition to EMI share options, issued periodically. We offer a range of good quality company benefits including pension and private health insurance.
• Our offices on Southampton Science Park provide a great working environment, with a coffee shop, bike storage, showers, plenty of free parking and EV charging points.
• We operate flexible working hours and offer hybrid working.