Industrial Placement Firmware Engineer

Leonardo SpA; England; Hybrid; GBP 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global technology company in the UK is seeking Firmware Engineering Industrial Placement Students to work on embedded systems. Successful candidates will gain hands-on experience, engaging in design and testing while collaborating with expert engineers. This placement offers a competitive salary, professional support, and the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to innovative projects.

Benefits

Generous leave with flexi-days

Award-winning pension scheme

Free mental health support

Flexible benefits allowance

Qualifications

• Currently studying for a degree in a relevant subject.
• Basic understanding of firmware/FPGA principles.
• Willingness to grow in a dynamic engineering environment.

Responsibilities

• Design firmware using VHDL/Verilog for FPGA-based systems.
• Integrate firmware with mixed-signal systems.
• Test and validate designs in laboratory environments.
• Document design and testing processes.

Skills

Curiosity

Proactivity

Collaborative mindset

Education

Degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering

Degree in Computer Science

Degree in Cyber Security

Job description

Your impact

Are you ready to make an impact and gain hands-on experience working on real-world projects from day one?

At Leonardo, we're looking for industrial placement students who want to be part of something bigger—shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

Our placements are designed to help you apply your studies in a practical setting, develop your technical skills, and gain valuable insight into how our business operates.

Our Industrial Placement Programme offers you the chance to spend a year with us, working on meaningful projects alongside subject matter experts, within multidisciplinary teams, and across the product lifecycle. You'll receive a salary of £25,000, with coaching and support from a dedicated team to help you achieve both your placement objectives and personal development goals.

Successful completion of an Industrial Placement with Leonardo may also lead to an offer on our Graduate Development Programme.

During your placement, we encourage you to spend at least three days each week on site to integrate with your team and maximise your learning experience.

What you'll do as a Firmware Engineering Industrial Placement Student

You'll work alongside expert engineers to design, test, and integrate firmware solutions for embedded systems. This is a unique opportunity to build practical skills and contribute to meaningful projects.

Key responsibilities include:

• Designing firmware using VHDL/Verilog for FPGA-based systems.
• Integrating firmware with mixed-signal systems in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams.
• Testing and validating designs in laboratory environments.
• Using industry-standard tools and methodologies to support development.
• Documenting design and testing processes and contributing to technical reviews.

What you'll bring

We're looking for students who are curious, proactive, and eager to learn. You'll need:

• To be currently studying for a degree in a relevant subject such as:
  • Electrical/Electronic Engineering.
  • Computer Science, Robotics, AI & Cybernetics.
  • Communications, Space, or Information Engineering.
  • Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Physics.
  • Cyber Security, Ethical Hacking, Computer Networks.
• A basic understanding of firmware/FPGA principles (prior experience not required).
• A collaborative mindset and willingness to grow in a dynamic engineering environment.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government's Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) will apply, this will include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work-life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we're here to help you thrive.

• 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).
• 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 our website: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/company-benefits

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo 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 and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Be part of something bigger - apply now!

Primary Location: GB - Luton - Cap. Green 300

Contract Type: Fixed term

Hybrid Working: Hybrid