Principal FPGA Engineer

Copello Global Ltd; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Copello Global Ltd is seeking a Senior/Principal FPGA Engineer in Bristol with hybrid work flexibility. You will own FPGA design for advanced gimbal payload systems, spanning video capture, sensor interfaces and real-time control.

The role emphasizes in-house hardware development from prototype to production, with collaboration across hardware, software and systems teams. The ideal candidate has ~10+ years in FPGA development, strong VHDL/SystemVerilog, and experience with imaging pipelines and

Qualifications

• Approximately 10+ years FPGA development experience.
• Strong VHDL or SystemVerilog skills.
• Experience with hardware-based video/imaging pipelines and sensor interfaces.
• Experience with programmable logic and embedded processors, including register maps and boot processes.
• Practical hardware debugging with scopes/analysers/protocol tools.
• Experience interpreting electronic schematics in Altium.
• Methodical verification focus with measurable performance.
• Ability to collaborate across hardware, software and systems teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead FPGA and SoC design for payload video and control systems, including RTL design, simulation, synthesis, timing closure and hardware bring-up.
• Develop video processing pipelines covering sensor capture, image correction, stabilisation, overlays, video output and metadata.
• Implement real-time interfaces for pointing and stabilisation systems, working with cross-functional teams.
• Take internally developed boards from prototype through to qualified production.
• Develop verification strategies, including testbenches, coverage, hardware-in-the-loop testing and fault investigation.
• Review hardware schematics, pin assignments, clocking and timing constraints in Altium.
• Establish and maintain design standards, coding practices, configuration control and review processes.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to other engineers.

Skills

FPGA development

RTL design

VHDL

SystemVerilog

Digital design

Hardware debugging

Testbenches/verification

Schematic review

Mentorship

Verifications/quality

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electronic Engineering or related field

Tools

Altium

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

Protocol analyzers

Vendor FPGA toolchains

Job description

Senior/Principal FPGA Engineer- Bristol (Hybrid)- Permanent- circa £80,000 -£90,000

About the Company

Join an innovative, technology-led organisation operating at the forefront of unmanned systems, defence, security and aerospace technology.

Working across a range of complex engineering challenges, the business combines advanced technology, artificial intelligence, systems engineering and aerospace expertise to develop solutions that support critical decision-making and protect people and infrastructure worldwide.

This is an opportunity to join a multidisciplinary engineering team where innovation, collaboration and technical excellence are central to everything they do.

The Role

We are looking for an experienced Senior FPGA Engineer to take technical ownership of FPGA and programmable logic design within advanced gimbal payload systems.

You will work across video capture and processing, sensor and high-speed serial interfaces, real-time pointing and stabilisation control, and interfaces with mission computing systems.

A key focus will be developing in-house electronic solutions, taking designs from prototype through to production and reducing reliance on externally sourced hardware. With short development cycles and direct ownership of the technology, you will see your engineering work progress from concept to deployment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead FPGA and system-on-chip design for payload video and control systems, including RTL design, simulation, synthesis, timing closure and hardware bring-up.
• Develop video processing pipelines covering sensor capture, image correction, stabilisation, overlays, video output and metadata.
• Implement real-time interfaces for pointing and stabilisation systems, working closely with software, control and mechanical engineering teams.
• Take internally developed image processing and position control boards from prototype through to qualified production.
• Develop verification strategies, including testbenches, coverage, hardware-in-the-loop testing and fault investigation.
• Review hardware schematics, pin assignments, clocking and timing constraints in Altium.
• Establish and maintain design standards, coding practices, configuration control and review processes.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to other engineers.

About You

You will be an experienced FPGA engineer with a strong background in digital design and a practical, hands-on approach to hardware development.

Ideally, you will have:

• A degree in Electronic Engineering or a related discipline, with approximately 10 years or more of FPGA development experience.
• Strong VHDL or SystemVerilog skills and experience with major FPGA vendor toolchains.
• Experience developing hardware-based video or imaging pipelines, including camera and serial sensor interfaces.
• Experience with systems combining programmable logic and embedded processors, including register maps, drivers and boot processes.
• Practical hardware debugging skills, using oscilloscopes, logic analysers and protocol analysis tools.
• Experience interpreting and reviewing electronic schematics using Altium.
• A methodical approach to verification, with a focus on measurable performance, reliability and quality.
• The ability to work collaboratively across hardware, software and systems engineering teams in a fast-paced environment.

Experience in defence, aerospace or airborne systems would be advantageous but is not essential.