Senior FPGA Engineer

Senior FPGA Engineer | Space | Chelmsford | Hybrid | Competitive salary & strong package.

We’re looking for a Principal FPGA Engineer to lead the design and development of advanced Front End Electronics (FEE) for cutting-edge space applications. You'll join a collaborative, multi-disciplinary team developing complete systems that include CMOS detectors, FPGA designs in VHDL, microcontrollers, and more—all destined for space missions lasting 5 years or longer.

If you're passionate about high-reliability FPGA design and want to build technology that is literally “out of this world”, we want to hear from you.

Responsibilities:

• Take ownership of end-to-end FPGA development for our space-grade FEE systems.
• Design with VHDL using Microchip Libero and Xilinx Vivado platforms.
• Work closely with embedded software, electronics, and systems engineers to architect robust, space-ready solutions.
• Perform functional and timing verification and develop self-checking test benches and simulations.
• Contribute to bids and technical proposals, including trade-off studies and effort estimates.
• Document every stage—from specifications to user manuals—with clarity and precision.

Skills and experience:

• 3+ years of industrial FPGA design experience using VHDL.
• Hands-on experience with Microchip Libero and/or Xilinx Vivado.
• Confidence using lab test equipment (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers).
• Strong grasp of functional verification, timing constraints, and simulation techniques.
• A passion for developing mission-critical systems that meet the challenges of space.
• Space, Aerospace, or Defence-grade FPGA design.
• ECSS-compliant development environments.
• High-speed (Gigabit) transceivers and radiation-tolerant design techniques.
• Space communication protocols such as SpaceWire, RMAP, or CCSDS.
• UVVM methodology, DDR3/4 memory, AXI interfaces, or image processing.
• Working knowledge of SVN for configuration control.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary.
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays as standard – with the opportunity to purchase up to 5 days additional leave.
• Additional time of in the period between Christmas and New Years.
• 37-hour week with flexible start and finish times, core hours between 9:00am and 15:30.
• Competitive pension scheme with up to 6% company contribution.
• Life Assurance - 4x Salary.
• Medicash healthcare plan.
• Free on-site parking.
• Electric Car scheme.
• Season ticket discountson Greater Anglia Trains.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Numerous discountswith major retailers.
• Free tea and coffee from vending machines on site.
• Support your professional developmentwith a paid membership to a relevant professional body.
• Access to mentors and trainingfor professional development.