Lead Firmware / FPGA Specialist

Lead Firmware / FPGA Specialist – Next Generation Surveillance Radar Systems

Edinburgh | Hybrid Working | Competitive Salary + Excellent Benefits

Are you an experienced Firmware or FPGA Engineer looking to shape the future of advanced surveillance technology?

We're seeking a Lead Firmware / FPGA Specialist for our client to play a pivotal role in the development of cutting‑edge surveillance radar systems used across air, land, and maritime domains. This is an exceptional opportunity to influence the architecture, design, and delivery of next‑generation radar solutions from concept through to deployment.

Why Join?

You’ll be joining a highly skilled engineering team working on mission‑critical technology where innovation, performance, and reliability are paramount. As new programmes launch from the ground up, you’ll have the opportunity to make a genuine impact on future defence and surveillance capabilities.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading the development of complex FPGA and firmware solutions for advanced radar systems
• Capturing and deriving firmware requirements from system‑level specifications
• Defining architectures and driving design maturity throughout the development lifecycle
• Supporting integration, verification, qualification, and system‑level debugging
• Collaborating closely with hardware, software, and systems engineering teams
• Driving best practices across FPGA/Firmware delivery teams
• Mentoring and developing junior engineers

What We're Looking For

• Degree qualified in Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline
• Strong experience across the full FPGA/Firmware development lifecycle
• Expertise in VHDL design and FPGA implementation
• Experience with modern FPGA architectures, including System‑on‑Chip platforms such as Xilinx Versal
• Knowledge of timing closure, area optimisation, and FPGA place‑and‑route techniques
• Proven experience integrating and debugging complex hardware/software systems
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary engineering teams

Desirable Experience

• MATLAB & Simulink model‑based design
• Verilog, SystemVerilog, and UVM
• Siemens HDL Designer and QuestaSim
• DOORS and ReqTracer
• Defence, aerospace, radar, or other safety‑critical industries

Location & Security Requirements

This role is based in Edinburgh with hybrid working available. Candidates should be prepared to attend site as programme requirements dictate, typically around 3 days per week, increasing during key project phases.

Due to the nature of the work, applicants must have a minimum of 5 years UK residency and be eligible to obtain SC Security Clearance.

If you’re passionate about FPGA technology and want to help develop world‑class surveillance systems that make a real‑world impact, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today or contact us directly for a confidential discussion.