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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Hardware Design Engineer - **Company:** Leonardo UK - **Location:** Luton, UK - **Experience:** Expert - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Board Bringup, Analog Electronics, Computer Engineering, Software Debugging, Digital Electronics, Microprocessors, Ethernet, Firmware, Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Hardware Design, MATLAB, PCI Express, Schematic Capture, Signal Integrity, Software Requirements Analysis, Model-Driven Development - **Published:** July 2, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.totaljobs.com/job/hardware-design-engineer/leonardo-uk-ltd-job107624396 ## About the Role * Proven industry experience as a Senior, Principal or Lead Hardware Engineer. * Strong background in one or more of: + High-speed digital electronics + Mixed-signal or high-performance analogue design + Power electronics / low-noise power architectures * Hands-on experience designing high-speed PCBs, including schematic capture, layout oversight and simulation. * Experience with: + FPGA, SoC or microprocessor-based designs + High-speed serial links and protocols (e.g. PCIe, Ethernet, JESD-class interfaces) * Practical expertise in hardware bring-up, debug, test and verification. * Ability to interpret and derive hardware designs from system-level requirements. * Strong understanding of Design for EMC/EMI in demanding environments. * Experience integrating hardware, firmware and software into working platforms. * Comfortable working within a structured hardware development lifecycle and configuration-controlled environment. Valuable (but not essential): * Experience in EW, radar, sensors or other complex defence systems. * Background in automotive, medical, aerospace or high-reliability industrial electronics. * Experience with low-noise analogue design, power supplies or signal integrity. * Use of model-driven engineering approaches (e.g. MATLAB / Simulink). ## Description What would you work on if you could shape the electronics at the heart of next-generation Electronic Warfare and advanced sensing systems? At Leonardo, our EW and FCA programmes demand hardware that performs at the edge of what's physically possible - high-speed, low-noise, highly integrated and ultra-reliable. Based primarily at our Luton and Bristol sites, you'll work on mission-critical electronics that operate in some of the most challenging environments imaginable. Hybrid working is supported, though on-site presence (typically 3-4 days per week) may flex with programme needs. What you will do as a Hardware Engineer working on EW and FCA programmes: * Own and influence hardware designs across the full lifecycle - from system requirements and architecture through detailed design, test, integration and customer delivery. * Design and develop complex, high-performance electronics including: + High-speed digital and mixed-signal PCBs + FPGA, SoC and microprocessor-based architectures + High-speed serial interfaces and interconnects * Translate system-level requirements into robust, producible hardware solutions. * Lead or significantly contribute to design reviews, trade studies and technical decision-making. * Integrate in-house designs with COTS modules (power, compute, RF and high-speed interfaces). * Drive debug, test and verification activities at board and system level. * For Principal and Lead engineers: + Provide technical leadership and mentoring within the team + Shape hardware strategy, standards and best practice across programmes * Collaborate daily within multi-disciplinary teams spanning systems, firmware, software, RF and manufacturing., * Senior engineers are trusted to own complex designs end-to-end, solving hard technical problems with minimal oversight and becoming go-to experts within the programme. * As experience and influence grow, engineers naturally move into Principal or Lead roles, shaping system and hardware architecture, setting technical direction and guiding design standards. * Those at Principal / Lead level play a visible role in mentoring and developing others, influencing programme decisions and representing hardware engineering at a system level. Whether you want to deepen your expertise, broaden into system-level authority, or take ownership of technically critical areas, this role gives you the space and responsibility to do it. ## Related Videos - [Building a hypercar from scratch](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/607-building-a-hypercar-from-scratch) - [More efficient software for more efficient microchips](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1164-more-efficient-software-for-more-efficient-microchips) - [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) - [The Gashlycrumb Tinies of AI Networking You Must Know (or Languish!)](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2067-the-gashlycrumb-tinies-of-ai-networking-you-must-know-or-languish) - [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) ## Related Articles - [Data Engineer Salary UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/253-data-engineer-salary-uk) - [Software Engineer Salary London](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/252-software-engineer-salary-london) - [The 12 Best Jobs for Software Engineers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/401-the-12-best-jobs-for-software-engineers) - [Fully Remote Software Engineer Jobs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/447-fully-remote-software-engineer-jobs) - [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)