Firmware Engineer in Crawley

Location: Crawley, United Kingdom. In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make tomorrow’s possible. Together we offer fantastic opportunities for committed employees to learn and develop their career with us. At Thales UK, we research, develop, and supply technology and services that impact the lives of millions of people each day to make life better, and keep us safer. We innovate across the major industries of Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space.

Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times. Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.

Firmware (FPGA) Engineer Crawley (Minimum 3 days onsite)

Our Opportunity

Become a key part of a team with a proven track record for delivering firmware for a wide range of defence related products. Typical firmware services provided:

• Architecture, requirements specification, design, verification and validation.
• Working in conjunction with systems, software and hardware engineers to develop electronic systems.
• Projects involve using the latest industry class development tools for FPGA and SoC hardware technologies.
• Work is carried out to a structured firmware design process.

The role is based at our Thales UK site – Crawley and supports hybrid working (typically 3 days on-site). Depending on the specific projects, specific roles may require periods of time to be spent at Customer sites and/or integration facilities.

Each successful candidate will have demonstrable experience of Firmware engineering in the defence and/or transportation and/or aerospace domain and will ideally have experience interfacing with external customers as well as internal stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver firmware projects to agreed time, cost and quality.
• Architect firmware designs to promote re-useable firmware development.
• Verify firmware using Hardware Verification Languages or Hardware Description languages.
• Design firmware using Hardware Description Languages.
• Enhancement of firmware related processes (documenting, scripting, reporting, process automation).
• Working closely with multi-disciplinary teams.

About You

We would love to hear from you if you have:

• Strong communications skills- verbal and written.
• A relevant degree (BEng, MEng, EngD, PhD) in electronics, supported by 5+ years of relevant experience.
• Membership or fellowship of a professional engineering body preferably with or working towards chartered status.

Specialisation / Knowledge

• Verification Test bench architecture with System Verilog or C++.
• Verification Methodology: Advanced VHDL verification or OSVVM/UVVM.
• Requirements Management: IBM Rationale DOORS.
• Simulation of designs using simulator tool: Mentor Graphics Modelsim / Questasim.
• Digital electronic design in hardware development languages: VHDL and either Verilog or System Verilog.
• Implementation of complex designs using any vendor specific development tools.
• Technologies: PCIe, Ethernet, Serial Comms, AXI4, OpenCPI.
• Object Oriented design Techniques.
• Image processing techniques and algorithms.
• Algorithm development using development tool: MatLab.
• Linux development environments.

The Successful Candidate Will Be Someone Who

• Is a team player with a “can-do” attitude that performs effectively in a multi-disciplinary team environment and promotes the values of inclusiveness and diversity.
• Is confident in their ability to help solve complex problems, asks challenging questions to develop their understanding, and suggests new ideas to further our product offering and increase our added value.
• Is a self-starter, with an ability to manage their own workload and meet their agreed objectives, whilst also contributing to the development and delivery of wider operational goals.

Security Clearance Statement

Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions. This role requires you to achieve Security Clearance (SC). It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance prior to commencing employment. To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years. In some circumstances, a minimum of 3 years’ residence in the UK over the last 5 years may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.

What We Can Offer

We’re committed to giving you opportunities to be your best. We believe in embracing the passion and potential of our people, and to achieve this we offer market leading training, development and experiences, along with the opportunity to be mentored and coached by some of the smartest minds in the industry. We hire from within as our first priority, so you’ll have a myriad of opportunities within our diverse, global organisation.

The Work Environment

At Thales, we believe in flexible SMART working and have the expectation this role will be delivered through a combination of remote and office based collaborative working. When working in the office, you will be based at the largest Thales site in the UK, featuring access to a wide variety of resources including manufacturing, environmental and electromagnetic test facilities and specialised laboratories. The modern site includes a subsidised restaurant, a café, break out spaces, bicycle storage facilities and more.

Benefits at Thales

• Half day every Friday, usually finishing around 13:00pm.
• Hybrid working.
• Pension Scheme.
• 28 days annual leave (Plus Bank Holidays).
• Life Cover.
• Progression and Development Opportunities.
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app.
• Employee discount shopping schemes on major brands and retailers.
• Development focused targets and relocation support can be provided if required along with a variety of learning, development and career enhancement opportunities.

Thales is an equal opportunities employer and diversity and inclusion are integral to the success of Thales. Thales UK is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process. We will provide reasonable adjustments and support to ensure neuro-diverse applicants or those with a disability or long-term condition can be their best during the recruitment process. To request an adjustment, if you need this job advert in an alternative format or if you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Resourcing Ops for mid to senior roles, or the Early Careers Team for graduate and apprentice roles. Great journeys start here, apply now!