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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Lead Firmware / FPGA Specialist - **Company:** Leonardo - **Location:** Birmingham, UK - **Experience:** Expert - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Software Debugging, Digital Technology, Firmware, Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), MATLAB, Simulink, System on a Chip, SystemVerilog, Systems Integration, Verilog, VHSIC Hardware Description Language (VHDL), Model-Driven Development, SC Clearance, Physical Design - **Published:** July 9, 2026 - **Apply:** https://find.jobs/jobs-near-me/apply/ats-redirect/?id=2866279515-2 ## About the Role * Degree (BSc, BEng, MEng, MSc, PhD) in Electrical & Electronic Engineering or similar engineering/science course. * Ability to analyse system level requirements and capture/ derive detailed FW requirements. * Experience in firmware design techniques and tools, from VHDL to place-and-route. * Experience in FPGA architectures such as system-on-chip (e.g. Xilinx Versal). * Experience in specifying timing and area constraints for efficient FPGA place and route. * Experience in integrating and debugging complex systems where the Firmware interacts with Hardware and Software. * Experience of working in mixed discipline teams. * Due to the nature of our work, any candidate must have 5 years UK residency and be capable of achieving full SC security clearance. It would be desirable if you had: * Experience of auto-generated code using model driven engineering using MATLAB and Simulink tools. * Experience of design tools such as Verilog, System Verilog and UVM. * Experience in Siemens tools HDLDesigner and QuestaSim. * Experience in using DOORs and ReqTracer. * Experience within the defence industry. This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn. ## Description An exciting opportunity has arisen within Leonardo for a Lead Firmware / FPGA Specialist to work within the Surveillance Sector, developing firmware, working on FPGAs, that underpins both our current proven surveillance radar systems and our next generation breakthrough technologies. We deliver high-performance surveillance radar solutions such as Osprey and Seaspray, operating in demanding, mission-critical environments across air, land, and maritime domains. As new programmes begin from the ground up, we are offering a rare opportunity to help architect and develop the next generation of surveillance radar technology, working closely with hardware and software where performance, reliability, and innovation truly matter. This is a unique opportunity where you will experience the full engineering lifecycle within Leonardo, involving requirement capture, architecture definition, design maturation, integration and qualification support of next generation surveillance radars. If you have a proven track-record and are passionate in what you do and can deliver a pragmatic approach to problem solving, we would like to hear from you. What you'll bring As a Lead Firmware / FPGA Specialist, you will work with the support of experts in their field, using world-class facilities to deliver firmware for complex digital systems that meet challenging future customer requirements. You will use your technical experience in all aspects of firmware development to support the delivery of key products. Your expertise will be key to enhance processes and ways of working across UK wide FPGA/Firmware delivery teams. You will also mentor junior members of the team to help enhance their skills and knowledge in all aspects of Firmware development. ## Related Videos - [Leveraging Large Language Models for Legacy Code Translation: Challenges and Solutions](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1157-leveraging-large-language-models-for-legacy-code-translation-challenges-and-solutions) - [More efficient software for more efficient microchips](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1164-more-efficient-software-for-more-efficient-microchips) - [Playing Pong on a shoulder press machine](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100140-playing-pong-on-a-shoulder-press-machine) - [Software stack under and over the hood of the fastest accelerating car in the world](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/221-software-stack-under-and-over-the-hood-of-the-fastest-accelerating-car-in-the-world) - [Building a hypercar from scratch](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/607-building-a-hypercar-from-scratch) - [Agent Smith Gets Hardware: Autonomous IoT Hacking From Debug Port to Cloud API](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100258-agent-smith-gets-hardware-autonomous-iot-hacking-from-debug-port-to-cloud-api) ## Related Articles - [Fully Remote Software Engineer Jobs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/447-fully-remote-software-engineer-jobs) - [Where to Find Entry-Level Software Engineering Jobs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/397-where-to-find-entry-level-software-engineering-jobs) - [Software Engineer Salary London](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/252-software-engineer-salary-london) - [Where To Find Software Engineering Jobs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/396-where-to-find-software-engineering-jobs) - [Is Software Engineering Hard?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/448-is-software-engineering-hard) - [Data Engineer Salary UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/253-data-engineer-salary-uk)