Staff Engineer - FPGA Engineering

About Meridial

Meridial is a Focused Research Organisation (FRO) with a mission to bring connectomics into the living brain. We are building a platform for longitudinal, synapse‑resolution mapping of functional neural circuitry in preclinical models. Our aim is to deploy this platform for translational projects and improve drug development outcomes for disorders of the Central Nervous System.

About The Role

Meridial is seeking an entrepreneurial FPGA Engineer to join as a core technical contributor on our multi‑photon microscopy platform. This is a hands‑on role spanning FPGA architecture development and iterative system improvement. This role reports to the Director of Engineering, working in close partnership with our neuroscience and engineering teams. You will take ownership of the FPGA systems at the heart of our microscopes – maintaining and supporting current platforms, extending the existing codebase, and helping shape and build future architectures as our platform grows in capability and ambition.

The position calls for substantial practical experience with FPGA development and judgment to deeply engage with both legacy and next‑generation architectures, including porting code across devices, evaluating hardware options, and making sound design decisions across interfaces, logic, and memory subsystems. It will also involve working closely with users and collaborators to understand technical needs, debug complex issues, and implement new functionality effectively. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong FPGA engineering fundamentals and a startup‑friendly mindset that keeps development moving forward in a fast‑paced build‑and‑iterate environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development of next‑generation FPGA systems at the heart of our microscopy platform – taking ownership of the existing codebase and its future evolution.
• Evaluate hardware options and design trade‑offs across PC interfacing, device communication, logic structure, and memory subsystems.
• Port existing FPGA designs to new devices and platforms while preserving performance, reliability, and maintainability.
• Maintain, debug, and improve FPGA implementations, diagnosing issues across firmware, hardware interfaces, and system‑level behaviour.
• Collaborate closely with neuroscientists and engineers to understand system requirements and translate them into firmware solutions with clear technical specifications.
• Contribute to documentation and development practices.
• Help define and raise our technical ambitions – identifying problems we have not yet seen and proposing creative solutions.

Required Qualifications

• Degree in Electronic Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a closely related field.
• Significant hands‑on experience developing FPGA systems for complex instruments, embedded platforms, or high‑performance hardware applications.
• Very strong experience with VHDL or a similar hardware description language.
• Experience working with Xilinx FPGA devices, including development, debugging, and porting between parts or families.
• Experience with multiple FPGA vendors or device families beyond Xilinx, with the ability to adapt designs across platforms.
• Strong understanding of FPGA architecture and digital system design, including interfaces, timing closure, memory subsystems, and system‑level trade‑offs.
• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of an existing codebase, improve it, and guide its long‑term architectural direction.
• Ability to move fluidly between implementation and higher‑level architecture – making good engineering decisions while keeping development practical and forward‑looking.
• Strong debugging skills, with the ability to isolate and resolve issues across FPGA logic, surrounding electronics, and software/hardware boundaries.
• Strong communication skills and a collaborative mindset – you can explain a complex technical trade‑off to non‑specialists and turn user feedback into clear engineering requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Industry or startup experience in instrumentation, embedded systems, scientific hardware, or related high‑performance engineering environments.
• Experience with the hardware side of FPGA systems, including board‑level bring‑up, signal interfacing, and integration with surrounding electronics.
• Experience developing custom FPGA boards or FPGA module carrier boards (specification, design, debugging).
• Experience with National Instruments FPGA systems and their associated development workflows.
• Familiarity with high‑speed interfaces, data acquisition systems or real‑time control in demanding hardware environments.
• Experience working on systems where FPGA, software, and hardware co‑design are tightly linked.
• Programming ability beyond VHDL – enough to interface with test infrastructure, automation, or diagnostic tooling where needed (Rust highly desirable).

Physical Demands

• Fine motor skills for operating computers and lab/instrumentation tools.
• Ability to move light‑to‑moderate items (typical lab supplies/computers); may include occasional lifting/carrying with appropriate equipment (e.g., carts/dollies, kit).

Position Type / Schedule

• Full‑time at 40 hours/week preferred but will consider freelance contracting for the right fit.
• Lab location based in London or Cambridge – ability to travel to both preferred.
• Work arrangement: Hybrid with expected regular onsite presence due to laboratory responsibilities.

Additional Information

• Application materials: CV/resume + cover letter + 2 references.
• For exceptional candidates, we will consider sponsoring visas and supporting relocation.
• Compensation: competitive salary commensurate with experience.
• Generous Benefits will be communicated in interviews.

£80,000 - £100,000 a year.

We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and do not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion or religious belief, ethnic or national origin, nationality, sex, gender, gender‑identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law or company policy. We strive for a diverse, healthy and safe workplace and strictly prohibit harassment of any kind. We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgement. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.