Senior Firmware Engineer

If you’re passionate about designing innovative solutions and driving advancements in technology, I want to hear from you!

Overview:

We are seeking a Senior Firmware Design Engineer for a major Electronic Warfare (EW) programme. The role involves leading the design, development, and testing of new and existing FPGA firmware products for EW training pods. The engineer will produce customer deliverable firmware in a structured, process-driven environment, including FPGA firmware design architecture, models, configuration of FPGA SoC components, firmware tests, and documentation. Responsibilities also include review, verification, place and route, and meeting timing processes, while employing appropriate processes, practices, and tools to deliver on project timescales and quality requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

– Design, develop, and test high-speed firmware components on time, within budget, and with required quality.
– Conduct peer reviews of firmware.
– Produce supporting documentation for firmware.
– Assist in estimating, planning, and progress reporting.
– Provide support to project and systems teams.
– Collaborate with project team members to analyze and address project requirements.
– Support design review practices including System Design Review, Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review, Test Readiness Review, and Final Acceptance Review.
– Apply and comply with engineering processes and practices, including engineering framework, life cycle management, and regulatory requirements.
– Identify opportunities to improve processes, practices, and tools.
– Collaborate with peers to share and learn best practices.
– Identify and document intellectual property, such as trade secrets, patents, and controlled information.
– Perform any other duties reasonably requested by management within the engineer’s capabilities.

Competencies:

– Familiarity with the product lifecycle from system requirements to production and support.
– Knowledge of engineering processes, practices, and performance measures.
– Aptitude for complex problem-solving and creativity.
– Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
– Self-motivated with initiative and drive.
– Good team player with the ability to work in self-organized teams within a matrix management structure.
– Ability to obtain SC Security Clearance.
– Proven ability to meet deadlines.

Qualifications and Experience Required:

– Experience in developing production FPGA firmware, ideally for Software Defined Radio, EW, communications, or surveillance systems for an airborne environment.
– Expertise in designing, coding, debugging, reviewing, and testing complex digital high-speed systems.
– Proficient in digital implementation in VHDL.
– Familiar with Xilinx (AMD) Vivado and Microsemi Libero design tools, Block Diagram Design entry, VHDL, and IP integrator.
– Proficient in designing digital processing components and algorithms in Matlab/Simulink for HDL coder targeting FPGA devices.
– Proficient in scripting language Tcl for FPGA Vivado/Libero design and Modelsim simulation.
– Experience in processor system block design, schematic design, IP integrator, and VHDL firmware development.
– Experience developing firmware for I&Q signal processing, digital filter design, and frame-based sample streaming.
– Experience implementing efficient, resource, and time-critical firmware on ultra-large FPGA and SoC FPGA devices with multi-ARM processors.
– Experience designing custom programmable logic interfacing/integrating SoCs ARM multi-Processing system with DDR, Ethernet, DMA, FIFO, UARTs, I2C, SPI, IPMI, AXI, AXIStream, AXI4Lite, AHB, APB buses, etc.
– Ability to apply timing-driven optimization to achieve closure for place and route processes.
– Ability to write optimized and efficient code.
– Experience with development environments including Vivado block design, IP Integrator, VHDL source code, and Libero development IDE for SmartFusion2.
– Experience writing VHDL testbenches to verify firmware using Modelsim.
– Proficient with version control systems (e.g., GIT) and understanding of Configuration Management.
– Minimum Technical Degree in Computer Science, Electronics, or Software Engineering or equivalent.
– Desirable familiarity with communication systems, modulation schemes for VHF/UHF, EW systems, aerospace, and defense industries, products, and technologies.
– Experience designing digital firmware for FPGA in EW Systems is desirable.