Principal FPGA Engineer in Bristol

Are you ready to revolutionise the world with TEKEVER? At TEKEVER, we lead innovation in Europe as the European leader in unmanned technology, where cutting-edge advancements meet unparalleled innovation.

We operate across four strategic areas, combining artificial intelligence, systems engineering, data science, and aerospace technology to tackle global challenges — from protecting people and critical infrastructure to exploring space. We offer a unique surveillance-as-a-service solution that delivers real-time intelligence, enhancing maritime safety and saving lives. Our products and services support strategic and operational decisions in the most demanding environments — whether at sea, on land, in space, or in cyberspace.

Become part of a dynamic, multidisciplinary, and mission-driven team that is transforming maritime surveillance and redefining global safety standards. At TEKEVER, our mission is to provide limitless support through mission-oriented game-changers, delivering the right information at the right time to empower critical decision-making. If you're passionate about technology and eager to shape the future — TEKEVER is the place for you.

Mission: Technical owner of FPGA and programmable logic design inside gimbal payloads. The work covers the video capture and processing chain, sensor and high speed serial interfaces, real-time pointing and stabilisation control, and the interface to mission computing. A significant part of the role is taking payload electronics designed in-house from prototype to production, in place of bought-in units. Design cycles are short and the engineer who owns the logic sees it fly.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own FPGA and system-on-chip design for payload video and control: RTL design, simulation, synthesis, timing closure and hardware bring-up.
• Develop the video pipeline, from sensor capture and correction through stabilisation and overlay to video and metadata output.
• Implement real-time interfaces for pointing and stabilisation, working with the control, mechanical and software engineers.
• Take in-house image processing and position control boards through to qualified production, reducing reliance on bought-in units.
• Define verification and chase the results: testbenches, coverage, hardware-in-the-loop rigs, and investigation of test findings that trace back to logic or interfaces.
• Review schematics in Altium for pin assignment, clocking and constraints, set the standards for coding, review and configuration control, and mentor other engineers.

Qualifications, Experience & Commitments:

• Degree in electronic engineering or a related discipline, with around 10 years or more of FPGA development.
• Strong VHDL or SystemVerilog, with fluency in the main FPGA vendor toolchains.
• Delivered video or imaging pipelines in hardware, including common camera and serial sensor interfaces.
• Experience of designs where programmable logic and an embedded processor share the work, including register maps, drivers and boot.
• Practical on real hardware: debug with scopes, logic analysers and protocol tools, and able to read and mark up schematics in Altium alongside hardware designers.
• Airborne or defence hardware experience is an advantage.

Security Vetting: Due to the nature of our Defence contracts, all applicants must be eligible to hold and willing to undergo the vetting process for UK SC level Security Clearance.

Travel: Willingness to undertake occasional national and international travel to TEKEVER sites (UK, Portugal, US, Europe) and potentially to deployed operations globally.

Profile and requirements:

• Pragmatic about the split between logic, software and hardware, and willing to argue the case either way.
• Methodical with verification evidence, so claims about latency, throughput and image quality are backed by measurement.
• Comfortable in a small team with short decision cycles and frequent changes of direction.
• Documents interfaces and constraints clearly, since several teams depend on them.
• Happy to travel to other sites in the UK or Portugal.

What we have to offer you:

At TEKEVER, we offer a comprehensive package designed to reward, support, and develop our people. This includes a highly competitive salary with a discretionary annual bonus and a company pension contribution match of up to 10%. To support your wellbeing, we provide 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, Private Medical Insurance (with optional family cover), Private Dental care, and an Employee Assistance Programme. We are deeply committed to investing in future talent; our scale allows us to provide clear career development opportunities and dedicated initiatives to boost your skill sets, ensuring you remain future-ready for the evolving workplace. Furthermore, our team enjoys a flexible hybrid working model, typically three days a week at our core UK sites like Bristol, and access to a bespoke rewards platform featuring a variety of high street discounts and salary sacrifice schemes, including Electric Car, Cycle to Work, and Technology options.

Do you want to know more about us? Visit our LinkedIn page at TEKEVER LinkedIn.