Principal FPGA Design Engineer

Principal FPGA Design Engineer
North London
Rate up to £75 per hour

An established engineering organisation within the defence and advanced technology sector is seeking a Principal FPGA Design Engineer to support a key programme on a long-term contract basis. The client will remain anonymous at this stage due to project sensitivity.

This role is responsible for translating high-level system requirements into robust, implementable FPGA architectures and delivering complete FPGA solutions from specification through to verified operation on target hardware. You will also provide technical leadership and mentoring within the FPGA design function.

Key Responsibilities:

• Define and decompose system level requirements into FPGA architectures and detailed designs.
• Design, implement and debug VHDL-based FPGA solutions.
• Develop test benches and test vectors to verify FPGA functionality.
• Produce clear technical documentation including requirements, test specifications and functional descriptions.
• Take ownership of multiple work packages, including task scoping, resource planning and progress reporting.
• Support and enhance existing firmware to meet evolving commercial and technical needs.
• Conduct and participate in design and code reviews.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide constructive feedback.
• Contribute to system-level design and product definition activities.
• Perform bench testing using oscilloscopes, spectrum analysers, signal generators and related equipment.
• Support firmware release processes and documentation.
• Act as a technical point of contact with internal and external stakeholders.
• Occasional UK travel may be required.

Essential Experience

• Minimum 10 years experience in FPGA design.
• Experience working on systems containing multiple FPGAs.
• Strong track record of converting high-level requirements into practical FPGA implementations.
• Proven ability to deliver designs on time and within budget.
• Experience within radar or closely related DSP applications.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.

This is a senior contractor opportunity offering both technical depth and leadership responsibility within a complex engineering environment.

For further details or to discuss in confidence, please get in touch.