Graduate Firmware / FPGA Engineer

We are looking for talented, enthusiastic Science and Engineering Graduates, who enjoy solving complex problems, to work alongside some of the most talented people in the UK. Do you want to work on real-time projects alongside leading scientists and engineers within a globally renowned company? Leonardo is an international leader in electronic and information technologies for defence systems, aerospace, data, infrastructures, land security and protection, and sustainable ‘smart’ solutions.

Our 18-month Engineering Graduate Programme

Joining the Leonardo Graduate Scheme is the opportunity to grow your career in hardware design. You’ll start on a salary of £33,000, with a welcome bonus and a Temporary Accommodation Allowance for those moving more than 40 miles for the role. You will be provided with a wealth of development opportunities in both virtual and applied working environments. On our programme, you will engage with challenging and exciting project work and deliver innovative business or technical solutions as part of a team of subject matter experts. Throughout the programme, you will receive coaching and support from your team to achieve your objectives as well as your personal development goals. We are committed to developing our graduates into leading technical or business professionals, and as such, we will also support you through your preferred route for chartership. Most training will be delivered via on-the-job experience working on real production hardware within project groups delivering sensor systems to our customers. Additional formal technical training to augment the on-the-job training will be provided via taught courses depending on the business needs and your career direction.

At Leonardo, we value individuals who continuously demonstrate dedication to their personal development, and this is no different for our graduates. We have partnered with Coursera and LinkedIn online training platforms that offer around 4,000 courses you can sign up to, according to your professional and personal interests. Self-directed learning is actively supported.

Responsibilities

• Work on the design, development, and verification of firmware and digital systems using FPGAs, which are central to our advanced electronic systems.
• Collaborate on the development of high-performance digital signal processing solutions and real-time systems for a variety of avionic sensor systems.
• Learn to write efficient, reliable, and maintainable code using hardware description languages (HDLs) such as VHDL.
• Gain experience in simulation, debugging, and testing your designs in laboratory environments, ensuring optimal performance in demanding environments, optimizing firmware designs to improve performance, efficiency, and reliability.
• Design, implement, and verify FPGA firmware for complex embedded systems, ensuring adherence to performance and safety requirements.
• Document and present design solutions and progress to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Collaborate with software, electronics, and systems engineers to ensure smooth integration of firmware components.
• Develop test plans and simulation environments to verify designs meet functional and timing requirements.
• Contribute to technical reviews. Your role may even take you across the UK or abroad for technical reviews.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives for hardware design processes and methodologies.

What We Need From You

• Minimum of a 2:2 Bachelor’s, Integrated Master’s degree, or higher degree (MSc or PhD) in Electrical Engineering, Electronics, or a related discipline.
• A strong interest in firmware and FPGA development. Basic familiarity with hardware description languages (HDLs) such as VHDL is desirable but not required as training will be provided.
• Strong problem-solving abilities, with excellent communication skills and a desire to work collaboratively in a team.
• A proactive approach to learning new technologies is crucial.

Security Clearance

Please note that to apply for this opportunity you must be eligible for UK security clearance. Normally this is to the level of Security Check (typically known as “SC”) for our business, which includes having a minimum of five years of permanent residency in the UK.

Life at Leonardo

With a company-funded benefits package, a commitment to learning and development, and a flexible approach to working hours focused on the needs of both our employees and customers, a career with Leonardo has never offered as many opportunities or been more accessible to as many people.

• Flexible Working: Flexible hours with the possibility of some hybrid working.
• Company funded flexible benefits: Access to private healthcare, dental schemes, Workplace ISA, Go Green Car Scheme, technology and lifestyle options (£500 annual allowance).
• Holidays: 25 days plus bank holidays, option to buy/sell leave and to accrue up to 12 additional flexi leave days per year.
• Pension: Award-winning pension scheme (up to 15% employer contribution).
• Wellbeing: Employee Assistance Programme with access to free mental health support, financial wellbeing support and network groups to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to diversity & inclusion.
• Lifestyle: Discounted Gym membership, Cycle to work scheme.
• Training: Free access to more than 4000 online courses via Coursera.
• Referral Incentive: You can earn a reward for successfully referring a friend or family member.

To find out about all of our Company benefits please visit our website. Leonardo is a global high-tech company and one of the key players in Aerospace, Defence and Security. Headquartered in Italy, Leonardo has over 45,000 employees, of which 8,000 are based at 8 sites throughout the UK. At Leonardo UK, we believe that a diverse and inclusive work environment unlocks our people’s full potential and drives innovation and creativity. We work hard to offer a welcoming, accessible, and inclusive place to work for all of our people, creating a culture where everyone can thrive, feel safe and have a sense of belonging and connection. We strive to ensure that our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition that could affect how you perform in certain assessments, just let your recruiter know. We’ll work with you to explore any adjustments that might help. This is a great opportunity to bring your talents and form an integral part of Leonardo’s future. We can help you develop your skills and offer great opportunities to develop and grow, so why not join us.