Senior Electronic Design and Firmware Engineer

Systems Engineering & Assessment Ltd; Radstock; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health cash plan

Group pension 8%

Cycle to work

Wellbeing centre

Employee discounts

Life assurance

LinkedIn learning

EV charging

Onsite parking

Hybrid working

Annual leave 25 days

Job summary

Systems Engineering & Assessment Ltd is seeking a Senior Electronic Design & Firmware Engineer to lead complex FPGA and firmware designs at our UK sites. You will mentor engineers, own the full lifecycle from requirements to sign-off, and collaborate on PCB layout using Altium.

The role allows flexible working; salary up to £80k depending on experience, with opportunities for development and cross-site collaboration across Barnstaple, Bristol, or Beckington.

Qualifications

• Expert in VHDL/Verilog and FPGA toolchains (Intel Quartus, AMD Vivado).
• Strong understanding of digital electronics and embedded systems.
• Versatile in other programming languages and simulation tools (MATLAB, C, Python).
• Knowledge of communication protocols and real-time systems.
• Contribute to analogue and digital circuit design.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and verify FPGA firmware using VHDL/Verilog.
• Develop and optimize embedded code for high-performance systems.
• Own the full lifecycle: requirements, architecture, coding, simulation, and integration.
• Collaborate on schematic capture and PCB design using Altium.
• Support component selection and signal integrity analysis.
• Provide technical support to a multi-disciplinary team of Engineers.

Skills

VHDL/Verilog

Digital electronics

Embedded systems

MATLAB

Python

C language

Real-time systems

PCB design

Schematic capture

Tools

Intel Quartus

AMD Vivado

Altium

Job description

Benefits

Program Health Cash Plan All Staff Bonus Group Pension Plan of up to 8% employer contributionCycle to work schemeWellbeing CentreSports & Social activitiesEmployee Discounts portal - online and in-store discounts, travel savingsLife assurance policyPublication and recruitment bonus rewardsDevelopment opportunities, including LinkedIn learningFacilities & resourcesElectric vehicle charging points at all sites Private seated lunch areas Onsite bistro (Barnstaple office) and free hot and cold beverages Onsite showers and toiletries provision Free onsite parking

The skills you need

• Expert in VHDL/Verilog and FPGA toolchains (Intel Quartus, AMD Vivado)
• Strong understanding of digital electronics and embedded systems
• Be versatile to provide input in other programming languages and simulation tools such as MATLAB, C and Python is desired but not essential
• Knowledge of communication protocols and real-time systems
• Contribute to the, design and development of Analogue and Digital Electronic Circuits
• Understanding of PCB design from Schematic capture to PCB layout
• Ability to follow a methodical/systematic approach to analyse and solve problems, identifying key facts and breaking down complex information to components parts
• Full lifecycle experience from requirements decomposition to acceptance and user sign off on multi-disciplinary programmes
• Experience of requirements capture, analysis, V&V and configuration management
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Able to produce clear and concise technical documentation
• Demonstrable ability to plan and execute technical assignments

Join us and be part of something smaller - with 500 people in the UK and Canada - doing something bigger: protecting what matters.

About The Role

Engineered to Protect, that's our promise, we protect what matters - our nations, our waters, our land, our cities, our people, our environment, our world. Taking responsibility for the development of advanced firmware solutions for FPGA-based systems, strengthening departmental capability in VHDL design and integration. This role will own complex designs, mentor engineers, and ensure robust electronic and firmware solutions. Senior Electronic Design & Firmware Engineer will be based at either our Barnstaple, Bristol or Beckington site. This role allows for flexible working. The salary for this role is up to 80k, depending on experience.

What you’ll be doing

• Design, implement, and verify FPGA firmware using VHDL/Verilog
• Develop and optimize embedded code for high-performance systems
• Own the full lifecycle: requirements, architecture, coding, simulation, and integration
• Collaborate on schematic capture and PCB design using Altium
• Support component selection and signal integrity analysis
• Provide technical support to a small multi-disciplinary team of Engineers on specific projects
• Seek and share good practice and knowledge locally to continuously improve own practices
• Provide support to the learning and development of other Engineers within SEA through mentorship and expert advice
• Support and facilitate reviews and approvals of electronic designs in accordance with business and industry standards
• Provide input to Company standards pertaining to Electronic Engineering including calculations, CAD models, manufacturing drawings & schematics and technical reports
• Support SEA products through manufacturing, assembly, installation and service life
• Support the preparation and submission of bids and proposals, including interfacing with customers and suppliers and generating engineering estimates

About our company

At SEA, we develop and deliver advanced solutions to make our world safer, cleaner and more efficient. We provide state-of-the-art applications for naval ship and fleet protection, and undersea surveillance systems. In-service across the globe, our systems deliver a rapid response to threats and system effectiveness and interoperation. Our systems support an ever-growing number of navies across the world, and we continue to bolster our already specialist, on-the-ground knowledge of key overseas markets.

What we offer

At our core, we encourage innovation, flexibility and out-of-the-box thinking to solve problems, so we're always looking for talented, flexible, and creative people to bring their best to SEA. In return we offer generous rewards, a fantastic work/life balance, and excellent career and training opportunities for everyone who joins. Have a look at the benefits we offer:

• Work life balance
• Hybrid/flexible working arrangements
• 25 days' annual leave, plus buy and sell
• Up to 16 days flexi leave accrual
• Half day Fridays
• Reservists in the Armed Forces receive special paid leave
• Family & wellbeing
• Private medical health insurance & Employee Assistance

Locations

Any site (Barnstaple, Bristol, or Beckington) with hybrid working