Senior FPGA Engineer

Overview of the role:

The Senior FPGA Engineer is responsible to the Head of Hardware Engineering for executing allocated FPGA Work Packages within agreed cost, time and quality constraints.

Responsibilities:

The Senior FPGA Engineer is responsible for demonstrating that the developed product meets all specified product and customer requirements, by:

• Analysing requirements, specifying and documenting the FPGA solution and work breakdown
• Preparing FPGA architectural and detailed designs and documentation
• FPGA design generation and implementation
• FPGA design verification
• Integration of FPGAs onto the target platform
• Providing FPGA technical support
• Controlling and reviewing work of the members of their team (where a team exists)
• Supporting the company FPGA development process and procedure updates
• All FPGAs are designed, developed, integrated and tested in accordance with Clients Defence and Space standards; all supporting documents are produced in accordance with Clients Defence and Space standards.
• Appropriate processes and methodologies are used to design and deliver allocated FPGA development work packages meeting cost, time and quality targets, agreed with their development team leader.
• Technical design decisions are made within the context of known practices, established precedents and acquired technical expertise.  The cost/benefits of design possibilities are understood, and that judgement calls can be made based on them
• The provision of technical guidance to fellow team members in at least one major tool or technique used by Client
• Success of both internal and external design reviews and project reviews throughout the development life cycle.
• The support of the design and development of critical components where decisions may have a significant impact on project timescales.
• Customer liaison, by representing Clients Defence and Space on project related technical matters at Stakeholder meetings.
• Design and Development by taking a technical role as a Prime on a critical component where necessary.
• Report to Team Leader or Prime as appropriate
• Technical interface to Customers
• Effective collaboration with other engineering disciplines to agree specifications and to carry out integration and test
• Co-ordinate own time management with regard to project task milestones
• The focus of the job is Operational - delivery of project funded Work Packages.
• Analytical – To identify and isolate errors in the FPGA or integrated target platform, their likely causes and solutions.

• Ingenuity – To work on his/her own on a complete FPGA design from concept to delivery.

Proven Knowledge

• FPGA design & implementation for communications equipment or equivalent.
• Must have excellent FPGA development process knowledge.
• Fully versed in design methodologies for their field able to work on their own, but providing regular reporting.
• Recent design of devices from the following suppliers:
• Altera
• Microsemi
• Xilinx

Essential Skills

• Proficient in the use of VHDL
• Proficient in the use of at least one simulation tool
• Proficient in the use of at least one FPGA synthesis tool
• Must have a good understanding of requirements capture, and of work package definition and estimation

Desirable:

• Desirable to have recent familiarity of using several of the following tools/development environments:
• Altera Quartus II
• Mentor ModelSim
• MicroSemi Libero IDE
• Microsemi Libero SoC
• Xilinx Vivado