Senior Firmware Engineer

Location: Crawley, United Kingdom

Thales is a global technology leader with more than 83,000 employees on five continents. With over 7,500 people in the UK, operating across defence, space, aerospace, and digital security, we help build a future we can all trust. Thales supports the security and stability of our nation by providing extraordinary technology to our customers, as well as delivering social value to the UK with our products and services.

Join a proven firmware engineering team delivering advanced solutions for defence and related electronic systems. You will help design, develop and verify FPGA firmware for mission-critical products, working with modern FPGA and System-on-Chip technologies in a structured, quality-driven engineering environment.

This is an opportunity to shape reusable firmware architectures, solve complex technical challenges, and influence how firmware is designed, verified and delivered across multi-disciplinary programmes.

What you’ll do

• Architect FPGA firmware designs that promote reuse, scalability and maintainability.
• Design FPGA firmware using VHDL or SystemVerilog.
• Verify FPGA firmware using Hardware Verification Languages or Hardware Description Languages.
• Develop and improve verification test benches, simulation environments and verification methodologies.
• Work alongside systems, software and hardware engineers to deliver complete electronic systems.
• Contribute to requirements definition, architecture, design, verification and validation.
• Enhance firmware processes through documentation, scripting, reporting and automation.
• Collaborate effectively with internal teams, customers and integration facilities.
• Deliver firmware projects to agreed time, cost and quality targets.

What we’re looking for

You will bring demonstrable firmware engineering experience within defence, aerospace or transportation, ideally including exposure to external customers and internal engineering stakeholders.

Essential experience

• A relevant degree in Electronics or a related discipline — BEng, MEng, EngD or PhD.
• You will bring demonstrable experience in FPGA firmware design and verification, including the ability to deliver complex firmware solutions within a structured engineering environment.
• Strong FPGA design experience using VHDL or SystemVerilog.
• Experience verifying FPGA firmware using test benches and simulation tools.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently while contributing within a multi-disciplinary team.

Desirable technical experience

• FPGA architectures: Xilinx/AMD, Altera/Intel, Microsemi/Microchip, Lattice.
• Development tools: Vivado, Vitis, Quartus, Libero, Diamond, Radiant, Precision or Propel.
• Verification methodologies: OSVVM, UVVM or UVM.
• Simulation tools: Siemens ModelSim/QuestaSim or AMD XSim.
• Scripting: TCL and/or Python.
• Requirements management: IBM Rational DOORS or Siemens Polarion.
• Interface and protocol knowledge: PCIe, Ethernet, serial communications, AXI4, OCP, Wishbone, JESD204, CameraLink or SMPTE.
• Object-oriented design techniques.
• Algorithm development using MATLAB or Simulink.
• Linux development environments.
• Familiarity with process assurance standards such as DO-254, IEC 61508, ISO 26262 or OpenCPI.
• Awareness of cyber-security standards, particularly IEC 62443.

What we offer

As a People 1st Employer, we are committed to supporting your long-term engineering career. You will have access to:

• Support for Professional Registration applications, including Chartership.
• Funding for membership of a relevant professional engineering body.
• A comprehensive e-learning platform and structured development pathways.
• Clear progression routes towards Firmware Architect, Firmware Engineering Manager, or recognised Thales Specialist or Expert roles.
• Hybrid working, with regular time required at customer sites and/or integration facilities.

Who will thrive here

You will be a proactive team player with a “can-do” attitude, comfortable solving complex problems and asking challenging questions. You will manage your own workload effectively, contribute to wider operational goals, and bring ideas that strengthen our products, processes and engineering capability.

We welcome candidates who promote inclusiveness, collaboration and diverse thinking in everything they do.

Security Clearance Requirement:

Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions.  This role requires 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.

Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance:

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At Thales, we ensure equal opportunities, pay and working conditions for all. The benefits we offer include private medical insurance, buying or selling annual leave, cycle to work schemes, employee discounts, paid volunteering day, stocks and shares, annual bonus and much more depending on the role. Read more about our benefits here.

We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued for who they are and the unique strengths they bring. Discover more about our programmes, employee networks, wellbeing policies, and inclusive features here.

If this role isn’t quite right for you, we encourage you to join our talent community where your details will be shared with our recruitment teams for other potential opportunities. Join the Talent Community here.

Join Thales in the UK – Innovate with us and shape the future!