Principal FPGA Engineer

Mass Consultants Ltd; Lincoln; On-site; GBP 63,000 - 77,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave including Christmas shut‑down

Private Medical Insurance

Annual Wellbeing allowance

Job summary

Mass Consultants Ltd is seeking a Principal FPGA Engineer to join their team in Lincoln. This hybrid role involves defining and implementing FPGA architectures for advanced signal processing systems, contributing to mission-critical environments.

The successful candidate will work closely with cross-functional teams, utilizing tools like VHDL, SystemVerilog, and MATLAB. Comprehensive benefits include private medical insurance, pension schemes, and a wellbeing allowance.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in delivering FPGA designs for real-time systems.
• Proficiency in VHDL, SystemVerilog, and embedded C.
• Experience with MATLAB/Simulink and HDL Coder.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement FPGA architectures for RF signal processing.
• Develop for Xilinx RFSoCs and Intel FPGAs.
• Lead design implementation using VHDL and SystemVerilog.

Skills

FPGA design

Signal processing systems

VHDL

SystemVerilog

Embedded C

Education

Relevant engineering degree

Tools

Vivado

Quartus

ModelSim

Job description

Principal FPGA Engineer – North Hykeham (LN6) – Permanent – Hybrid

Up to £70,000 depending on experience

• 25 days annual leave inclusive of up to 3 days Christmas shut‑down
• Buy or sell up to 5 days’ annual leave
• Annual Wellbeing allowance
• Two pension schemes to choose from
• Private Medical Insurance + discounts for additional family members
• Life Assurance scheme up to 4 x salary
• Share Save scheme
• Electric/Hybrid Car leasing scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Retail discounts
• Career development support

We’re growing our Electronic Warfare Operations Support Group (EWOS), a team of over 60 specialists from a wide range of backgrounds. Our engineers, scientists, and ex‑military personnel work together to help our customers achieve the true operational potential and help keep their people and platforms safe.

About the role

As part of this growth, MASS is looking for a Principal FPGA Engineer to join our modelling team in Lincoln, supporting the delivery of technical excellence on a large, cutting‑edge System‑of‑Systems programme.

This is a collaborative, hands‑on role, suited to someone with strong experience in FPGA design and a passion for developing signal processing systems for complex, real‑world challenges. You’ll work closely with cross‑functional teams, acting as a technical lead in the design and delivery of systems that include RF signal chains, high‑speed digital interfaces, and real‑time DSP. Your work will influence key architectural decisions, address integration challenges, and help shape the development of reconfigurable hardware platforms for use in mission‑critical environments.

Key responsibilities

• Define and implement advanced FPGA architectures for RF signal processing, high‑throughput data handling, and real‑time logic.
• Develop for AMD/Xilinx RFSoCs (e.g. Zynq UltraScale+) and Intel FPGAs (e.g. Agilex), including integration with high‑speed ADCs/DACs.
• Collaborate with systems, RF, embedded software, and verification engineers to ensure end‑to‑end performance and compliance.
• Support test and lab evaluation using signal generators, spectrum analysers, and oscilloscopes.
• Lead or contribute to the implementation of designs using VHDL, SystemVerilog, and MATLAB/Simulink HDL Coder.
• Develop low‑level C software for FPGA bring‑up, test, and integration.
• Use industry‑standard tools such as Vivado, Quartus, and ModelSim for simulation, synthesis, and implementation.
• Drive design verification, unit testing, and documentation to ensure high‑reliability deployment.
• Act as a technical expert in reviews, solution development, and internal consultation across teams.

Essential Experience

• Proven track record in delivering FPGA designs for real‑time, high‑speed, or RF‑centric systems.
• Proficiency in VHDL, SystemVerilog, and embedded C for FPGA‑host integration, control, and testing.
• Experience with MATLAB/Simulink and HDL Coder for algorithm‑to‑hardware workflows.
• Proven ability to develop and deploy on Xilinx RFSoC (e.g. Zynq UltraScale+) and/or Intel Agilex/Stratix platforms.
• Expertise with Vivado, Quartus, constraint management, simulation, and timing closure for multi‑clock, high‑throughput designs.

Desirable Experience

• Experience working with embedded Linux, bare‑metal C drivers, or FPGA‑based system integration.
• Familiarity with AXI interfaces, memory interfaces, JESD204B/C, or high‑speed ADC/DAC integration.
• Experience designing streaming architectures using AXI4‑Stream, DMA, and memory buffers (e.g. BRAM, URAM).
• Exposure to real‑time signal playback/recording systems, or hardware‑in‑the‑loop (HIL) test environments.
• Knowledge of bitstream encryption, secure boot, or anti‑tamper features in FPGA‑based systems.
• Knowledge of data framing, tagging, and high‑throughput IQ data handling.
• Experience working with synthetic electromagnetic environments and their associated software and hardware requirements and limitations.

Wellbeing

Wellbeing is at the core to our culture, allowing employees to flourish and to achieve their full potential. Our people are important to us, and we take pride in our wellbeing programmes and policies that support individuals, including mental health first aiders and readily available support through our extensive employee assistance programme.

Our non‑negotiables

• A UK National and eligible to work in the UK.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain a UK Government SC‑level security clearance.