Hardware Design Engineer, SoC

Renaissance Semiconductor Ltd.; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

Competitive salary

Collaborative engineering environment

Job summary

A technology-focused engineering company is seeking a Hardware Design Engineer to implement and verify advanced electronic systems. The role involves hands-on work spanning hardware bring-up, FPGA/ASIC validation, and embedded software development. Candidates should have a BSc or higher in related fields and 10+ years of relevant experience. This company offers a competitive salary, flexible working arrangements, and the opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum BSc and 10+ years of experience required.
• Strong hands-on experience with electronic hardware testing.
• Solid understanding of analogue and digital hardware principles.

Responsibilities

• Support implementation and testing of analogue and digital hardware.
• Develop FPGA/ASIC-based test environments.
• Create embedded software for hardware control.

Skills

Electronic hardware bring-up

FPGA/ASIC systems

Embedded software development

Technical communication

Troubleshooting

Education

BSc, MSc, or PhD in Electronic Engineering or related

Tools

Python

Qt

MATLAB

Job description

Renaissance Semiconductor Ltd (RENSEMI) is a technology-focused engineering company working on the design, implementation, and validation of advanced electronic and semiconductor-based systems. The company specialises in system-level design, hardware development, and practical engineering solutions that bridge the gap between concept, implementation, and real-world operation.

RENSEMI’s work spans analogue, digital, and mixed-signal domains, with a strong emphasis on robust system architecture, hands‑on validation, and high-quality technical delivery. The company operates with a small, highly skilled engineering team and focuses on delivering technically sound, well-tested solutions for complex engineering challenges.

Location: UK (Remote)
Team: Digital Design Team
Employment Type: Full-time (12-month initial contract, extension possible)

Role Overview

Renaissance Semiconductor Ltd (RENSEMI) is seeking a Hardware Design Engineer to play a central role in the implementation, verification, and bring‑up of advanced electronic and semiconductor-focused systems. This role is highly hands‑on and cross‑disciplinary, spanning analogue hardware, FPGA/ASIC platforms, embedded software, and system‑level test environments.

The Hardware Design Engineer will act as a key integration and verification engineer, ensuring that designs developed across the team are correctly implemented, thoroughly tested, and brought to life on real hardware. This role touches almost every part of the system and is critical to delivering reliable, high-quality engineering outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Hardware Implementation and Testing

• Support the implementation and bring‑up of analogue, digital, and mixed‑signal hardware.
• Perform hands‑on laboratory testing, debugging, and validation of prototype hardware.
• Use laboratory equipment to measure performance, identify issues, and support design iteration.
• Support board‑level and system‑level bring‑up activities.

FPGA / ASIC Test and Validation

• Develop FPGA- or ASIC‑based test environments to exercise and validate hardware designs.
• Create test firmware, control logic, or hardware test frameworks to support verification.
• Work closely with design engineers to validate functionality, performance, and robustness.
• Support FPGA, ASIC, or system validation activities where applicable.

Embedded Software and Control

• Develop embedded software (RISC‑V ) to configure, control, and test hardware systems.
• Interface with hardware using memory‑mapped registers and standard communication protocols (e.g. SPI, I²C, UART).
• Support hardware/software co‑design activities to optimise system behaviour.
• Assist with debugging issues that span hardware and software boundaries.

System Tools and GUIs

• Develop simple graphical user interfaces (GUIs) or software tools to support system control, testing, and data visualisation.
• Create scripts or applications to automate testing, capture results, and support debugging.
• Improve the usability and efficiency of internal engineering tools and workflows.

System Integration and Verification

• Support system‑level integration of analogue, digital, and software components.
• Execute verification and validation activities to ensure system requirements are met.
• Identify, document, and support resolution of system‑level issues.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of test and validation processes.

Documentation and Collaboration

• Document test setups, procedures, results, and observed system behaviour.
• Work closely with the Senior System Design Engineer and other team members to ensure technical alignment.
• Contribute to internal documentation, design notes, and knowledge sharing.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

BSc, MSc, or PhD in Electronic Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Digital or Mixed‑Signal Electronics, Digital Signal Processing, or equivalent practical industry experience.

• Minimum BSc and 10+ years of experience
• Strong hands‑on experience with electronic hardware bring‑up, testing, and debugging.
• Solid understanding of analogue and digital hardware principles.
• Experience working with FPGA and/or ASIC‑based systems in a test, validation, or integration context.
• Practical experience developing embedded software for hardware control and testing.
• Understanding of hardware/software co‑design principles.
• Ability to work across system boundaries and troubleshoot complex, multi‑domain issues.
• Good technical communication and documentation skills.
• Experience creating FPGA- or ASIC‑based test environments or validation frameworks.
• Experience developing engineering GUIs or test tools (e.g. Python, Qt, MATLAB, or similar).
• Exposure to fixed‑point and floating‑point DSP or AI/ML algorithm implementation on FPGA and/or ASIC platforms.
• Familiarity with laboratory test equipment and automated test setups.
• Background in R&D, advanced technology development, or system validation roles.
• A technically challenging, hands‑on role with exposure to the full system lifecycle, from early bring‑up to validated hardware.
• Opportunity to work on advanced electronic and semiconductor‑focused systems, spanning analogue, digital, FPGA/ASIC, and embedded software domains.
• A collaborative engineering environment where practical problem‑solving and system‑level understanding are valued.
• High degree of technical ownership and responsibility, with direct impact on real hardware and delivered systems.
• Flexible working arrangements and a competitive salary aligned with experience and responsibility.