VHDL FPGA Firmware Engineer

Leonardo; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 61,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Time to Recharge

Pension scheme

Mental health support

4000+ online courses

Job summary

Leonardo UK is seeking a FPGA Firmware Engineer to develop embedded VHDL firmware for complex aircraft sensor and communication systems, based in Southampton or Bristol.

You will work across projects from concept through early life production, using high-speed FPGAs and SoCs, and collaborate with hardware, software, and test teams.

Qualifications

• Experience with FPGA technologies from Xilinx, Microsemi/Actel or Lattice.
• Advanced verification using VHDL or SystemVerilog/UVM.
• Define timing and area constraints for FPGA place-and-route.
• Analyze system requirements to derive firmware requirements.
• Follow structured firmware processes such as RTCA DO-254.

Responsibilities

• Capture and manage firmware requirements.
• Design and analyse FPGA logic.
• Produce documentation for design reviews.
• Develop FPGA test plans and integration plans.
• Coordinate system integration with PCB and embedded software teams.
• Support firmware through the company process with training.
• Modify existing firmware and test benches.

Skills

FPGA technologies

VHDL

SystemVerilog

UVM

timing constraints

requirement analysis

firmware lifecycle

DO-254

IEC 61508 (adv)

debugging firmware

communication with hardware teams

Siemens EDA tools

Education

Degrees not specified

Tools

HDL Designer

ModelSim

Questa

Job description

Job Description

Salary Ranges

Engineer: £38k - £53k

Senior: £45k - £61k

Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Where this vacancy is being recruited across more than one grade, the successful candidate will be appointed to a specific assessed grade, and the applicable salary range will be that associated with the grade of appointment.

Leonardo offers an additional allowances for some roles - for more information please contact [e-mail]

Your Impact

This FPGA Firmware Engineer vacancy presents an exciting opportunity for an ambitious individual to develop their skills and knowledge within a thriving electronics organisation.

In this broad VHDL firmware engineering role, you will work across a range of projects throughout various stages of the product lifecycle from initial concept development through to early life production. You will work with some of the latest high-speed FPGA’s and System-on-Chips (SoC’s) to help shape our future products.

The role shall be based in either Southampton or Bristol with a primary focus on the design and development of embedded VHDL firmware for complex aircraft sensor and communication systems.

You will be part of the Leonardo Airborne Communications product development group within the Integrated Sensing & Protection line of business, interacting with partner organisations, sub-contractors and potential customers.

What You Will Do

• Firmware requirements capture and management.
• FPGA design and analysis.
• Production of documentation for other engineers and evidence for design reviews.
• Development of FPGA test and FPGA integration plans.
• Perform system integration work with PCB designers and embedded software engineers.
• Support all firmware designs through the company firmware process - training will be given.
• Modification of existing firmware designs and test benches.

What You’ll Bring

• Experience using FPGA technologies especially from either Xilinx, Microsemi (Actel) or Lattice and their tools.
• Advanced verification techniques using either VHDL or System Verilog / UVM.
• Specifying complex timing and area constraints for efficient FPGA place and route.
• Ability to analyse system level requirements and derive detailed Firmware requirements.
• A methodical approach to the full firmware design lifecycle, working to a structured firmware process such as RTCA DO-254 or similar.
• Experience of working on safety related firmware to IEC 61508 would be advantageous.
• De-bugging firmware designs and supporting verification and integration at hardware and system level alongside Software and Hardware Engineers.
• Making technical decisions and mitigating technical risk for Firmware design activities.
• Ability to communicate effectively across different disciplines both verbally and in written form.
• Familiarity with Siemens EDA FPGA development tools including HDL Designer and ModelSim / Questa is an advantage.

It Would Be Nice If You Had

• Awareness of Safety, Security and other legislative constraints
• Engineering experience with radio-based communication systems.
• Experience of mentoring more junior members of the team.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government's Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work-life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team - they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Primary Location:

GB - Southampton

Additional Locations:

GB - Bristol - Coldharbour Lane

Contract Type

Permanent

Hybrid Working

Hybrid