Senior FGPA Engineer

Anson Mccade; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Anson Mccade is seeking a Senior FPGA Engineer to design and deliver complex FPGA‑based systems for high‑security environments. You will contribute from blank‑sheet design through delivery and in‑service support, collaborating with software, hardware, and systems engineers to build reliable, high‑bandwidth appliances.

The role requires hands‑on FPGA firmware development in VHDL, experience with high‑speed interfaces, and familiarity with secure environments.

Qualifications

• Strong hands-on experience developing FPGA solutions using VHDL.
• Experience with high-bandwidth data processing in FPGA-based systems.
• Familiarity with high-speed interfaces such as networking and DRAM.
• Experience designing FPGA-based solutions within secure or regulated environments.
• Working knowledge of hardware design principles.
• Experience with at least one modern FPGA toolchain (Altera, Xilinx, Achronix, or similar).
• Willingness to work onsite in a secure engineering environment.
• Eligibility for UK Security Clearance and compliance with nationality requirements.

Responsibilities

• Develop FPGA firmware in VHDL for high‑bandwidth data processing applications.
• Design and implement high‑speed FPGA interfaces including networking and DRAM.
• Contribute to system‑level design of secure hardware appliances.
• Support integration across FPGA firmware, embedded software, and custom hardware.
• Participate in verification, test, and in‑service support activities.
• Work within export‑controlled and security‑sensitive engineering environments.
• Contribute to technical decision‑making and engineering best practices.

Skills

VHDL

FPGA design

High-bandwidth data processing

Secure environments

Hardware-software collaboration

Tools

Altera toolchain

Xilinx toolchain

Achronix toolchain

Job description

Senior FPGA Engineer (High‑Performance & Secure Systems)

Our client is a specialist technology organisation developing high‑performance hardware appliances for use in highly secure and demanding environments. As a Senior FPGA Engineer, you will work on the design and delivery of complex FPGA‑based systems, contributing to full‑stack hardware solutions used within defensive cyber and secure communications domains.

Based onsite in Manchester, this is a hands‑on role offering full lifecycle involvement, from blank‑sheet design through to delivery and in‑service support. You will work closely with software, hardware, and systems engineers to develop reliable, maintainable, and high‑bandwidth solutions where security is a primary design consideration.

You’ll have the opportunity to:

• Design and develop FPGA firmware for high‑performance security appliances
• Work across full product lifecycles, from concept and architecture through delivery and support
• Develop VHDL‑based FPGA solutions for high‑bandwidth data processing
• Work with modern FPGA platforms and toolchains (Altera preferred, others considered)
• Collaborate with embedded software, hardware, and systems engineering teams
• Contribute to the design of complete appliances including FPGA, software, and hardware elements
• Solve complex technical challenges in secure, real‑world deployment environments

Your Responsibilities

• Develop FPGA firmware in VHDL for high‑bandwidth data processing applications
• Design and implement high‑speed FPGA interfaces including networking and DRAM
• Contribute to system‑level design of secure hardware appliances
• Support integration across FPGA firmware, embedded software, and custom hardware
• Participate in verification, test, and in‑service support activities
• Work within export‑controlled and security‑sensitive engineering environments
• Contribute to technical decision‑making and engineering best practices

Key Requirements

• Strong hands‑on experience developing FPGA solutions using VHDL
• Experience with high‑bandwidth data processing in FPGA‑based systems
• Familiarity with high‑speed interfaces such as networking and DRAM
• Experience designing FPGA‑based solutions within secure or regulated environments
• Working knowledge of hardware design principles
• Experience with at least one modern FPGA toolchain (Altera, Xilinx, Achronix, or similar)
• Willingness to work onsite in a secure engineering environment
• Eligibility for UK Security Clearance and compliance with nationality requirements

You will gain exposure with:

• FPGA‑centric system design for defensive cyber and secure technology applications
• Full‑stack appliance development spanning FPGA, embedded software, and custom hardware
• High‑performance, security‑led engineering environments

You will operate in an environment that combines:

• Blank‑sheet product development
• High‑bandwidth, high‑reliability system design
• Long‑term ownership of delivered engineering solutions

Why Join?

• Work on challenging FPGA designs with real‑world security impact
• Own FPGA development across full product lifecycles
• Operate in a technically deep, onsite engineering environment
• Competitive salary range £60,000 – £75,000 depending on experience
• Stable programmes focused on long‑term technical capability