Lead Hardware Engineer – High-Speed FPGA/SoC (SC Cleared)

Winsearch; Caddington; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Winsearch is recruiting a Lead Hardware Engineer for a defence engineering programme in Luton, working four days onsite per week on a 12-month contract. You will design and develop high‑speed digital and mixed-signal electronics for demanding platforms, collaborating with systems, firmware, software and RF teams.

You will translate requirements into robust hardware solutions, define architectures for FPGA/SoC, create schematics, support PCB layouts, and contribute to integration, verification

Qualifications

• Essential: Strong background in FPGA and SoC-based hardware architectures.
• Essential: Experience designing complex multilayer PCB assemblies.
• Essential: Knowledge of high-speed serial interfaces, processors and memory subsystems.
• Essential: Experience with tools such as Altium Designer, OrCAD, Xpedition or equivalent.
• Essential: Hardware debugging and fault-finding with industry-standard test equipment.
• Essential: Understanding of signal integrity, power integrity and timing.
• Essential: Experience integrating hardware, firmware and software within embedded systems.
• Essential: Ability to translate system requirements into hardware solutions.
• Essential: Experience supporting verification, validation and qualification activities.
• Active SC Clearance required.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop advanced digital and mixed-signal hardware.
• Define hardware architectures for FPGA, SoC and processor-based systems.
• Create schematics and support PCB layout activities for high-speed designs.
• Develop and verify interfaces including DDR memory, PCIe and Ethernet.
• Integrate hardware, firmware and software into complete system solutions.
• Perform simulation, verification and validation activities.
• Support board-level bring-up, debugging and fault investigation.
• Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams across the product lifecycle.
• Support environmental, EMC and qualification testing.
• Produce technical documentation and engineering evidence to support programme delivery.
• Support customer demonstrations, trials and acceptance activities.

Skills

FPGA/SoC design

PCB design

High-speed interfaces

Hardware debugging

Signal integrity

Embedded systems

Requirements translation

Team collaboration

Electronic warfare

Do-254/DEF STAN knowledge

Tools

Altium Designer

OrCAD

Xpedition

Job description

Winsearch is recruiting a Lead Hardware Engineer for a defence engineering programme in Luton, working four days onsite per week on a 12-month contract. You will design and develop high‑speed digital and mixed-signal electronics for demanding platforms, collaborating with systems, firmware, software and RF teams.

You will translate requirements into robust hardware solutions, define architectures for FPGA/SoC, create schematics, support PCB layouts, and contribute to integration, verification