FPGA / Digital Design Engineer

🔒 Confidential Employer
Posted 21 March 2026
LOCATION
Reading
TYPE
Full-time
LEVEL
Mid-Senior level
SALARY
£70,000 / year
CATEGORY
Engineering
This role is not offered with visa sponsorship, though the employer is a licensed UK sponsor

SKILLS

VHDL Verilog SystemVerilog FPGA tool flows High-speed interfaces Digital design fundamentals Lab/hardware debugging skills

FULL DESCRIPTION

Job Title: FPGA / Digital Design Engineer

Location: Reading area (hybrid / remote working permitted)

Salary: £60,000 to £70,000 per annum

Employment Type: Permanent, full-time

Visa sponsorship: *Not available* (UK rights to work required)

What You’ll Do

As an FPGA / Digital Design Engineer, you will:

  • Architect, design, implement, verify, and integrate digital logic (RTL) for FPGA / SoC platforms
  • Work on signal processing, communications, data pipelines, digital beamforming, or related SDR blocks
  • Develop testbench environments, simulations, and formal/verifiable test strategies
  • Perform timing closure, clock domain crossing, resource balancing, power optimisation
  • Define interfaces and protocols (e.g. high-speed serial links, memory, buses)
  • Assist with board bring-up, hardware bring-up, debugging on lab benches
  • Work closely with software / firmware teams to co-design hardware/software interfaces
  • Provide support for integration, validation, and performance characterisation
  • Contribute to architecture trade studies, partitioning, and technology evaluation
  • Document design decisions, reviews, and maintain version control & release flows

You will likely be involved across the full design cycle—from requirements to flight qualification.

Key Skills & Experience

Essential:

  • Degree in Electronic / Electrical / Computer Engineering (or equivalent)
  • Strong experience in digital design with VHDL and/or Verilog / SystemVerilog
  • Proven track record performing synthesis, timing closure, and static timing analysis
  • Experience with FPGA tool flows (e.g. Xilinx Vivado, Intel/Altera tools, or similar)
  • Familiarity with simulation / verification tools (ModelSim, Questa, VCS, etc.)
  • Experience working with high-speed interfaces (e.g. multi-gigabit serializers, DDR, memory, LVDS, SERDES)
  • Good understanding of digital design fundamentals: clock domains, reset schemes, pipelining, CDC, floorplanning
  • Lab/hardware debugging skills (oscilloscopes, logic analysers, signal integrity experience)
  • Strong problem-solving skills and desire to get “hands-on” with both code and hardware
  • Good communication skills, able to work in cross-disciplinary teams

Desirable (but not required):

  • Prior experience in SpaceWire / space communication protocols
  • Exposure to SDR or digital signal processing FPGA implementation
  • Experience with ASIC flows or FPGA-ASIC migration
  • Familiarity with standards / quality in the aerospace / space domain (e.g. radiation mitigation, reliability)
  • Experience with scripting (Python, Tcl, Bash, etc.) for automation and flow integration
  • Knowledge of formal verification, constraint generation, or static analysis tools
  • Experience working in remote / hybrid settings, distributed teams

What We Offer

  • Competitive salary (market-aligned)
  • Hybrid / remote flexible working (with occasional on-site work near Reading as needed)
  • Opportunity to work on space / satellite technologies and cutting-edge SDR systems
  • Exposure to full design lifecycle and close collaboration with domain experts
  • Professional growth: mentoring, technical breadth, and stretch responsibilities
  • A technically rich, supportive environment where engineers make real impact

Candidate Profile

We’re looking for candidates who are:

  • Passionate about FPGA / digital systems and enjoy low-level detail
  • Self-motivated and able to independently drive modules from spec → delivery
  • Comfortable working in a fast-moving R&D / development environment
  • Interested in space / satellite communication systems
  • UK-based or willing to relocate within reasonable commuting distance (or remote)
  • Legally permitted to work in the UK (no visa sponsorship available)

How to Apply

If you are excited by FPGA design and want to contribute to SDR / space systems, please apply with your CV and a brief cover note highlighting relevant FPGA / digital projects.

We will review applications promptly, interview qualified candidates (remote or in-person), and move quickly.

Please send all applications or questions to: [contact hidden]

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