Embedded Design Engineer - FPGA Academy in Newcastle upon Tyne

Your Impact

Are you looking for a change of role and are wondering if a move into FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) design might be for you? Leonardo provides a route to develop your existing skills in our on-site FPGA Academy, to allow you to become a full-time Senior FPGA / Firmware Engineer. You’ll then apply your talents to a range of cutting edge designs in our world class Radar and Advanced Targeting Systems (RATS) team.

About the FPGA Academy

The FPGA Academy is a 16‑week structured training and development program designed for engineers with transferable technical skill sets (such as electronic engineering, embedded software, or systems engineering) who wish to transition into FPGA / Firmware Engineering. The Academy provides focused technical training, mentored practical exercises, and hands‑on project work. On successful completion, engineers are deployed across a range of complex design projects, contributing to real systems alongside experienced FPGA and Electronics engineers. This programme is not intended for absolute beginners; it is aimed at capable engineers with strong fundamentals and proven problem‑solving ability who can quickly adapt and progress.

About the Role

As an FPGA Academy Engineer, you will re‑skill into a FPGA / Firmware engineering role and apply your existing engineering and coding experience to the design, implementation, and verification of complex electronic systems. You will learn how to translate requirements into robust FPGA-based solutions and work within established engineering processes suitable for high‑reliability and mission‑critical applications.

What You’ll Do

During the Academy, and following deployment, you will:

• Undertake a structured 16‑week FPGA training programme combining:
• Practical labs
• Mentored design exercises
• Online training material and self‑led research
• Apply systems thinking to hardware design challenges
• Post training deployment into established engineering teams

Once you have completed the Academy, as a FPGA / Firmware Engineer, you will be responsible for (with support appropriate to your development stage):

• Hardware requirements, capture and management
• Concept development for complex functions and systems
• FPGA design, implementation, and analysis
• Applying verification techniques using VHDL or SystemVerilog, with exposure to UVM where applicable
• Production of material for design reviews
• Development of test planning, integration, and design verification activities
• Ensuring all firmware designs comply with the company firmware development process
• Working with FPGA technologies and tools from AMD, Altera, or Microchip

What you’ll bring

• A degree (BSc, BEng, MEng, MSc, PhD, EngD) in Electrical & Electronic Engineering (preferred) or a related science (e.g. Physics)
• Coding experience, such as: Embedded C / C++, Python / scripting languages, Low‑level or real‑time software, algorithmic or systems‑level programming
• Proven engineering problem‑solving experience, demonstrated through academic projects, industrial experience or personal / independent engineering work
• Strong digital engineering fundamentals and the ability to learn quickly

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre‑employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV).

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company‑funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award‑winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee‑led networks championing inclusion and diversity.
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website. Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety. At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know. Be part of something bigger - apply now!