Senior/Lead Firmware Engineer

Alpha Data | FPGA; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Employee-owned

Flat structure

Job summary

Alpha Data in the United Kingdom is seeking a Senior/Lead Firmware Engineer to drive the software and firmware strategy for its FPGA platforms. You will mentor engineers, lead design efforts, and collaborate with hardware and systems teams on challenging projects.

The role combines hands-on development with technical leadership, offering influence over product direction in a flat, employee-owned organization. Hybrid work and close collaboration with expert FPGA specialists are key features.

Qualifications

• BSc/BEng in Electronics/Software Engineering or higher.
• Minimum of 6 years’ relevant industry experience.
• Experience with AMD/Xilinx FPGAs/SoCs and Vivado Design Suite.
• Understanding of Clock Domain Crossing (CDC).
• Proficiency in C/C++ for firmware and software development.
• Experience with Embedded Linux (Yocto) or other Embedded OS programming.
• Experience in device driver development across Linux/Embedded Linux, Windows, or VxWorks.
• Knowledge of FPGA timing analysis.
• Experience with Java and JDK/JRE applications.
• Experience with Test/Verification Design.
• CI/CD and automation (Jenkins).
• Software project management using JIRA.
• Ethernet protocol knowledge (layers 1-4).
• PCIe interfacing with FPGA/processor.
• Experience with I/O protocols like JESDC, Coaxpress, Camera Link, TSN.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development of firmware and software for Alpha Data FPGA platforms.
• Develop and maintain APIs, SDKs, and device drivers.
• Create and maintain firmware for FPGAs, microcontrollers, and embedded processors.
• Design, implement, and maintain software components and tools for customer apps.
• Debug, test, and validate software/firmware for reliability and performance.
• Resolve customer software/firmware issues and support escalations.
• Collaborate with hardware and systems engineers for integration.
• Mentor and develop other engineers; drive high-quality engineering practices.
• Contribute to documentation, code reviews, and development standards.
• Support example designs and reference implementations for customers.
• Lead customer technical discussions and interactions.

Skills

C/C++

Embedded Linux

Yocto

Device drivers

PCIe

Vivado

Ethernet

Jenkins CI/CD

Git / code reviews

Education

BSc/BEng Electronics or Software

Tools

AMD/Xilinx FPGAs/SoCs

Vivado Design Suite

Job description

Influence technical direction while remaining hands-on with cutting-edge technology.

If you're the kind of engineer who enjoys solving difficult problems and wants more influence over how products are designed and delivered, this could be an excellent next step.

Alpha Data is seeking a Senior/Lead Firmware Engineer to play a key role in the development of next-generation FPGA computing platforms used in some of the world's most demanding applications.

You’ll help shape technical direction, mentor other engineers and work alongside highly experienced FPGA, hardware and software specialists on genuinely challenging projects.

As an employee-owned company with a flat organisational structure, Alpha Data empowers engineers to contribute ideas, influence products and make a visible impact without layers of bureaucracy getting in the way.

The Opportunity

You’ll lead the design and development of software and firmware solutions for Alpha Data’s FPGA platforms, combining hands-on technical work with technical leadership and mentoring responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Development and maintenance of APIs, SDK and device drivers for Alpha Data’s range of FPGA/SoC products.
• Develop and maintain firmware for FPGAs, microcontrollers, and embedded processors.
• Design, implement, and maintain software components, including device drivers and supporting tools for customer applications.
• Debug, test, and validate software and firmware to ensure reliability and performance.
• Respond to and resolve customer support requests relating to software and firmware issues.
• Collaborate with hardware and systems engineers to ensure effective integration of software and electronic systems.
• Mentor and develope other engineers.
• Innovate and lead high-quality engineering practices.
• Contribute to code quality through documentation, code reviews, and adherence to development standards.
• Support the development of example designs and reference implementations for customers.
• Lead customer technical discussion and interactions.

What We’re Looking For

• BSc/BEng in Electronics/Software Engineering (or higher).
• Minimum of 6 years’ relevant industry experience
• AMD/Xilinx FPGAs/SoCs and Vivado Design Suite
• Understanding and practice in Clock Domain Crossing (CDC)
• C/C++
• Embedded Linux (Yocto) or other Embedded OS application programming
• Experience in device driver programming: In Linux, Embedded Linux (Yocto), Windows, or VxWorks
• FPGA timing analysis
• Java, JDK/JRE based applications
• Test/Verification Design
• CI/CD, (Jenkins). (automation of build and test)
• Software project management (JIRA)
• Ethernet protocol knowledge (level 1-4)
• PCIe (architecture and processor/FPGA interfacing)
• Experience with other I/O interface protocols, JESDC, Coaxpress, Camera Link, TSN, etc

Why Join Alpha Data?

• Employee-owned business with shared success
• Flat organisational structure and genuine technical influence
• Opportunity to shape products and engineering direction
• Work with recognised FPGA specialists
• Challenging projects with real-world impact
• Hybrid working and competitive benefits package