Lead Firmware / FPGA Specialist

Leonardo; Newcastle upon Tyne; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Time to Recharge

Pension scheme

Mental health support

Bonus scheme

Access to online courses

Job summary

Leonardo is seeking a Lead Firmware / FPGA Specialist to develop firmware for advanced surveillance radar systems and next-generation technologies. You will participate in architecture definition, implementation, and qualification across hardware and software teams.

The role requires a strong background in FPGA/firmware, system-level requirements, and a track record of delivering complex digital solutions within a security-cleared environment. Hybrid work with UK sites is offered.

Qualifications

• Degree in Electrical & Electronic Engineering or similar field.
• Analyse system-level requirements and derive FW requirements.
• Experience in firmware design techniques and tools from VHDL to place-and-route.
• Experience in FPGA architectures (e.g. Xilinx Versal).
• Experience specifying timing/area constraints for FPGA flow.
• Experience integrating and debugging firmware with hardware/software.
• Experience in mixed-discipline teams.
• 5 years UK residency and ability to obtain BPSS/SC clearance.

Responsibilities

• Develop firmware for complex digital systems meeting future requirements.
• Mentor junior team members in firmware development.
• Collaborate with hardware and software teams across UK sites.
• Contribute to architecture definition and design maturation.

Skills

System requirements analysis

Firmware design techniques

FPGA architectures

Timing/area constraints

Debugging complex systems

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

UK residency 5 years

Education

Electrical & Electronic Engineering degree

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

Verilog/SystemVerilog

UVM

HDLDesigner

QuestaSim

DOORs/ReqTracer

Job description

Job Description

Salary: £60,000 to £84,955

Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Your impact

An exciting opportunity has arisen within Leonardo for a Lead Firmware / FPGA Specialist to work within the Surveillance Sector, developing firmware, working on FPGAs, that underpins both our current proven surveillance radar systems and our next generation breakthrough technologies.

We deliver high-performance surveillance radar solutions such as Osprey and Seaspray, operating in demanding, mission-critical environments across air, land, and maritime domains. As new programmes begin from the ground up, we are offering a rare opportunity to help architect and develop the next generation of surveillance radar technology, working closely with hardware and software where performance, reliability, and innovation truly matter.

This is a unique opportunity where you will experience the full engineering lifecycle within Leonardo, involving requirement capture, architecture definition, design maturation, integration and qualification support of next generation surveillance radars.

If you have a proven track‑record and are passionate in what you do and can deliver a pragmatic approach to problem solving, we would like to hear from you.

What You’ll Bring

As a Lead Firmware / FPGA Specialist, you will work with the support of experts in their field, using world-class facilities to deliver firmware for complex digital systems that meet challenging future customer requirements. You will use your technical experience in all aspects of firmware development to support the delivery of key products. Your expertise will be key to enhance processes and ways of working across UK wide FPGA/Firmware delivery teams. You will also mentor junior members of the team to help enhance their skills and knowledge in all aspects of Firmware development.

What You Must Have

• Degree (BSc, BEng, MEng, MSc, PhD) in Electrical & Electronic Engineering or similar engineering/science course.
• Ability to analyse system level requirements and capture/ derive detailed FW requirements.
• Experience in firmware design techniques and tools, from VHDL to place-and-route.
• Experience in FPGA architectures such as system-on-chip (e.g. Xilinx Versal).
• Experience in specifying timing and area constraints for efficient FPGA place and route.
• Experience in integrating and debugging complex systems where the Firmware interacts with Hardware and Software.
• Experience of working in mixed discipline teams.
• Due to the nature of our work, any candidate must have 5 years UK residency and be capable of achieving full SC security clearance.

It Would Be Desirable If You Had

• Experience of auto-generated code using model driven engineering using MATLAB and Simulink tools.
• Experience of design tools such as Verilog, System Verilog and UVM.
• Experience in Siemens tools HDLDesigner and QuestaSim.
• Experience in using DOORs and ReqTracer.
• Experience within the defence industry.

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

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) may apply, this could 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).
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

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.

Primary Location

GB - Edinburgh

Additional Locations

GB - Newcastle

Contract Type

Permanent

Hybrid Working

Hybrid