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# Lead Firmware/FPGA Engineer

- **Company:** Leonardo UK
- **Location:** Livingston, UK
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Salary:** £84,995.0
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Digital Technology, Firmware, Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), System on a Chip, VHSIC Hardware Description Language (VHDL), SC Clearance, Physical Design
- **Published:** October 13, 2026
- **Apply:** https://www.apply4u.co.uk/jobs/lead-firmwarefpga-engineer/51598401

## About the Role

Ability to analyse system level requirements and capture/ derive detailed firmware requirements.

Ability to prepare documentation for other engineers and design reviews.

Experience in firmware design techniques and tools, from VHDL to place-and-route.

Experience FPGA architectures such as system-on-chip (e.g. Xilinx Versal).

Experience in specifying timing and area constraints for efficient FPGA place and route.

Good verbal and written communication skills.

Experience of working in mixed discipline teams.

Degree (BSc, BEng, MEng, MSc, PhD) in Electrical & Electronic Engineering or similar engineering/science course.

Due to the nature of our work, any candidate must have 5 years UK residency and be capable of achieving full SC security clearance.

Personal attributes and values are just as important to us as technical ability, so we are looking for engineers with a willingness to learn, progress and develop through our devoted technical career path. If you are passionate in what you do and can deliver a pragmatic approach to problem solving, we would like to hear from you.

## Description

Salary: Engineer: £60,00 to £84,995

Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Your Impact
An opportunity has arisen within Leonardo Edinburgh for a Lead Firmware/FPGA Engineer to work on the Global Combat Air System Programme (GCAP). This exciting role will play a significant part in maturing and delivering a mission critical component that will be installed onto the GCAP core platform.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to play a fundamental role in a defence programme of critical national importance, and to shape the future of Combat Air capability in the UK.

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., As a Lead Firmware/FPGA Engineer, 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. Your role may even take you across the UK or abroad for technical reviews. You will use or develop team leading experience to support the delivery of work from several engineers. Your expertise will also be key to enhance processes and ways of working across UK wide FPGA/Firmware delivery teams.