Senior Engineer, Firmware

Prattwhitney; Monkspath; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Hybrid working

Private Health Insurance

Pension plan with 2:1 match up to 10%

Life Insurance

25 days annual leave

Job summary

Collins Aerospace Electronic Controls and Motor Systems in Solihull is seeking a Firmware Engineer with extensive VHDL experience to help design high‑performance motor drive systems for aircraft propulsion. You will own RTL design, FPGA implementation, and testing within a multidisciplinary firmware team.

The role emphasizes DO-254 compliant FPGA delivery, simulation, and collaboration with engineers across disciplines to ensure robust, safe aerospace solutions.

Qualifications

• Degree in engineering or equivalent.
• Experience with FPGA tools and VHDL verification.
• Proven experience in DO254 compliant FPGAs.
• Ability to collaborate with other engineering disciplines.
• Proven track record delivering complex work packages.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop high‑performance motor drive systems for aircraft propulsion.
• Write VHDL code for motor control and firmware/FPGA integration.
• Own RTL design, FPGA implementation, and support testing of the digital controller.
• Collaborate within a multidisciplinary project team to ensure robust design practices.

Skills

VHDL

FPGA design

Simulation

MATLAB/Simulink

DO-254

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

ModelSim

Xilinx FPGA toolchain

Microchip

Job description

We are seeking a Firmware Engineer with extensive VHDL experience to join our team at Collins Aerospace Electronic Controls and Motor Systems in Solihull.

What You Will Do

• Work collaboratively on the design and development of high‑performance motor drive systems for aircraft electric and hybrid propulsion.
• Write VHDL code for the control of electric motors, drawing on extensive firmware/FPGA experience.
• Work within the firmware team as part of a larger multidisciplinary project development team, applying best engineering standards and developing robust design practices.
• Own the RTL design, the FPGA implementation (synthesis, place & route), and support testing of the overall digital controller inside the power converter.

What You Will Learn

• Collaborate with framers and customers to understand technology progression that enables future electric flight.
• Learn aerospace‑specific design considerations for safety and robust design.

Qualifications – You Must Have

• Degree or equivalent in engineering.
• Experience with FPGA tools and technologies (e.g., Microchip, Xilinx, SoC, Modelsim, MATLAB, Simulink).
• Demonstrable practical experience of FPGA design and verification (VHDL) including requirements capture, simulation, code coverage, synthesis, place & route, and timing analysis & closure.
• Ability to collaborate closely with other engineering disciplines.
• Proven track record in delivering complex work packages.
• Demonstrated technical experience in design and verification.
• Experience delivering DO254 compliant FPGAs.
• Innovative approach to problem solving, design implementation, process development and quality.

Qualifications – We Prefer

• Understanding of Agile methodologies (particularly SCRUM & Kanban).
• Understanding of Model Based System Engineering (MBSE) and SysML.
• Understanding of communication protocols, DSP and FPGA implementation of maths functions.
• Experience with System on Chip (SoC) design targeting FPGA or ASIC.
• Experience applying closed‑loop control laws within FPGA applications.
• Knowledge of motor control systems and sensing components (e.g., LVDT, resolvers).
• Experience with military or aerospace designs compliant to RTCA/DO‑254.

Benefits

• Competitive salary.
• Flexible working, hybrid working and a family‑friendly approach.
• State‑of‑the‑art facilities and laboratories centrally located.
• Life insurance.
• Excellent corporate pension plan with a 2:1 matched contribution up to 10%.
• Private Health Insurance.
• 25days annual leave plus the ability to buy/sell up to 5 days.
• Career development.
• Half‑day working on Fridays.
• And so much more.

Potential candidates will be subject to Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) and background checks.

RTX adheres to the principles of equal employment. All qualified applications will be given careful consideration without regard to ethnicity, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.