Graduate FPGA/Firmware Engineer

Leonardo UK Ltd; Easter Howgate; Hybrid; GBP 31,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexi-days up to 12 per year

Pension with up to 15% employer contr.

Mental health support and financial/il

Annual bonus scheme

Employee Stock Ownership Plan

Flexible benefits up to £500

Job summary

Leonardo UK Ltd in Edinburgh or Newcastle runs an 18‑month Graduate Programme for FPGA/Firmware Engineers. Starting salary is £34,000 per year, plus a £1,000 welcome bonus and a £1,000 exit bonus, with potential Temporary Accommodation Allowance depending on criteria.

You will spend three to four days on site, integrating code and hardware with cross‑disciplinary teams, designing and testing firmware and FPGA solutions for avionics and sensor systems.

Qualifications

• 2:2 Bachelor’s Integrated Master’s degree or higher in Electrical Engineering or Electronics.
• Preferred degrees: Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Information and Communication Engineering, Cyber Security, Mathematics, Communications Engineering.
• Strong interest in Firmware and FPGA development with training provided.
• Excellent problem-solving and communication, collaborative teamwork.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and verify firmware and digital systems using FPGAs.
• Collaborate on high‑performance DSP solutions and real‑time systems.
• Write HDL code (VHDL) and develop test plans and simulations.
• Document design and present to stakeholders; work with Software, Electronics and Systems engineers.
• Possible travel across the UK for technical reviews.

Skills

FPGA design

Firmware development

HDL (VHDL)

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s Integrated Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Electronics

MSc or PhD in related discipline

Tools

VHDL

Job description

Job Description

Your Impact

Are you ready to launch your career and make an impact on real-world projects from day one?

At Leonardo, based on our Edinburgh or Newcastle site, we’re looking for graduates who want to be part of something bigger—shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety. Joining the Leonardo Graduate Scheme is the opportunity to be part of the next generation of our business.

You will be provided with a wealth of development opportunities in both virtual and applied working environments. On our programme you will engage with challenging and exciting project work and deliver innovative business or technical solutions as part of a team of subject matter experts. Throughout the programme you will receive coaching and support from your team to achieve your objectives as well as your personal development goals. We are committed to developing our graduates into leading technical professionals, and as such we will also support you through your preferred route for chartership.

Our 18-month Graduate Programme gives you the opportunity to work on exciting and challenging projects alongside subject matter experts. On joining, you will receive a starting salary of £34,000 per annum, plus a £1,000 welcome bonus. You’ll also be eligible for a £1,000 exit bonus upon successful completion of the programme. In addition, you may be eligible for a Temporary Accommodation Allowance (TAA), subject to specific criteria.

You will be expected to spend at least three or four days each week on site, to integrate with your team and maximise your learning experience by designing, testing and integrating code and hardware on the Edinburgh or Newcastle site.

During the programme, you will:

• Be encouraged to gain experience of all aspects of the development lifecycle, including requirements analysis, design, implementation, integration, applied research and test.
• Closely liaise with engineers from other disciplines, such as Systems, Software and Mechanical. Opportunities may also arise to interface with customers and end users.

As a Graduate FPGA/Firmware Engineer you will:

• Work on the design, development, and verification of firmware and digital systems using FPGAs, which are central to our advanced electronic systems
• Collaborate on the development of high-performance digital signal processing solutions and real-time systems for a variety of avionic sensor systems
• Learn to write efficient, reliable, and maintainable code using hardware description languages (HDLs) such as VHDL
• Gain experience in simulation, debugging, and testing your designs in laboratory environments, ensuring optimal performance in demanding environments, optimising firmware designs to improve performance, efficiency, and reliability
• Design, implement, and verify FPGA firmware for complex embedded systems, ensuring adherence to performance and safety requirements
• Document and present design solutions and progress to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Collaborate with Software, Electronics and Systems engineers to ensure smooth integration of firmware components
• Develop test plans and simulation environments to verify designs meet functional and timing requirements
• Contribute to technical reviews. Your role may even take you across the UK or abroad for technical reviews.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives for hardware design processes and methodologies

What you’ll bring : Entry Requirements

We are looking for graduates who are enthusiastic about FPGA design and eager to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

• Minimum of a 2:2 Bachelor’s Integrated Master’s degree, or higher degree (MSc or PhD) in Electrical Engineering, Electronics, or a related discipline.
• For the Graduate FPGA / Firmware Engineering role, the preferred degrees are: Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Information and Communication Engineering, Computer Communication and Networks, Cyber Security, Mathematics, Communications Engineering
• A strong interest in Firmware and FPGA development. Basic familiarity with hardware description languages (HDLs) such as VHDL is desirable but not required as training will be provided
• Strong problem-solving abilities, with excellent communication skills and a desire to work collaboratively in a team. A proactive approach to learning new technologies is crucial

Security Clearance

Many of our roles are subject to security and export control restrictions set by UK Government Security requirements and customer obligations. As a result, and in line with the UK Government Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) requirements, all successful applicants will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record declaration information and employment and/or education history verification for the previous five years.

For staff operating in more sensitive posts, there is an additional range of personnel security controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV). As part of this process, a range of factors may be considered, including an individual's background, travel history, nationality, previous nationalities held and other information relevant to the vetting assessment.

To be eligible for National Security Vetting at SC level, applicants will generally be expected to have continuously resided in the UK for the previous five years. For DV clearance, this is typically ten years. In some circumstances, time spent overseas may be accepted, with additional overseas checks. Additional vetting requirements may apply upon appointment.

For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Why join us

• Time to recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your wellbeing matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
• Rewarding performance: All employees are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Join in our success: Our annual Employee Stock Ownership Plan provides you the opportunity to own shares in Leonardo.
• Tailored perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/company-benefits

We are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people, communities and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Primary Location

GB - Edinburgh

Additional Locations

GB - Newcastle

Contract Type

Permanent

Hybrid Working

Hybrid