Principal and Lead FPGA Engineers

Leonardo; Bristol; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology company in Bristol seeks Principal and Lead FPGA Engineers to deliver complex firmware for self-protection systems. The candidates should have engineering degrees and experience with FPGA design tools. This role involves collaboration with various stakeholders and may require travel for technical reviews. A comprehensive benefits package is offered, including competitive salary, pension scheme, and flexible working options.

Benefits

Company-funded benefits package

Pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution

Free access to mental health support

Bonus scheme for eligible employees

Free online courses access

Flexible working options

Tailored perks including healthcare and gym memberships

Qualifications

• Experience leading FPGA teams or delivering complex embedded solutions.
• Strong understanding of FPGA architectures like Xilinx, Altera.
• Experience with fast interfaces such as PCIe and Ethernet.

Responsibilities

• Capture and manage firmware requirements.
• Develop FPGA test and integration plans.
• Modify existing firmware designs and test benches.

Skills

FPGA design

Firmware management

Document production for design reviews

System integration with PCB designers

Cryptography techniques

Communication skills

Education

HNC/HND or Undergraduate Degree in relevant engineering fields

Tools

Xilinx

Verilog

TCL

System Verilog

Job description

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Principal and Lead FPGA Engineers, Bristol

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Client:

Leonardo

Location:

Bristol, United Kingdom

Job Category:

Other

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EU work permit required:

Yes

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Job Reference:

5e82e940ca9a

Job Views:

6

Posted:

12.08.2025

Expiry Date:

26.09.2025

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Job Description:

Job Description:

Your impact

Would you like to deliver the complexFirmwarethat forms part of our self-protection systems installed on fast jet, UAV, land and naval platforms? Do you have experience leadingFirmwareteams or delivering highly complexembeddedsolutions

Leonardo is looking for Lead and Principal FPGA/FirmwareEngineers to join our growing Luton or Bristol based teams.

As an experienced FPGA/Firmwareengineer you will work with experts in their field, using world-class facilities to deliverFirmwarefor complexdigital systemsthat meet challenging future customer requirements.

Your role may even take you across the UK or abroad for technical reviews. You will use or develop team leading experience to support the delivery of work from several engineers. Your expertise will also be key to enhance processes and ways of working across UK wideFPGA/Firmwaredelivery teams

What you will do:

• Firmware requirements capture and management;
• FPGA design and analysis;
• Production of documentation for other engineers and evidence for design reviews;
• Development of FPGA test and FPGA integration plans;
• Perform system integration work with PCB designers
• Support all firmware designs through the company firmware process – training will be given
• Modification of existing firmware designs and test benches

What you’ll bring

• An HNC/HND or Undergraduate Degree (Electronic Engineering, Computer Science, AI, Games Programming, Physics, orApplied Physics) or you may just have lots of skills and experience gained through your hard work.
• Design tools such as Xilinx,TCL,Verilog,System Verilogand UVM
• FPGAarchitectures such as Xilinx 7. Xilinx UltraScale; Intel (Altera) or Microsemi (Actel).
• Fast interfaces such as PCIe, Ethernet, and JESD is also required.
• Derivation of detailedFPGA/Firmwarerequirements and architecture fromsystem requirements
• A structured approach toFPGA/firmware design(RTCA DO-254 or similar)
• Cryptography and anti-tamper techniques
• Artificial Intelligenceincludingmachine learningand genetic algorithms
• Electronicstest methods and equipment
• Good verbal andwritten communication skills

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:

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.