Practicus
Senior DSP Firmware Engineer
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Senior DSP Firmware Engineer
DSP Firmware Engineer | Space Sector
📍 Located at: Harwell, Manchester or Stevenage 🕒 Working arrangement: 4 days on-site 📄 Contract duration: Initial 3-month contract (strong potential for extension) 🛡️ IR35 status: Inside – £550 per day
The Role
An exciting opportunity has opened up for an experienced DSP Firmware Engineer to join a leading space sector organisation, focusing on the advancement of cutting-edge telecommunications payloads, sensing technologies, and advanced space systems.
As part of a multidisciplinary engineering team, you will oversee the full FPGA development lifecycle, from capturing technical requirements and architectural design to implementation, verification, and hardware validation. The role emphasises technical excellence, precision, and innovation in addressing complex engineering challenges. This position is ideal for someone who thrives in taking ownership of projects, working autonomously, and tackling tough technical problems within a collaborative, high-performing team.
Key Responsibilities
- Capture technical requirements and develop FPGA architectures and block diagrams.
- Design, develop, and implement FPGA solutions using VHDL.
- Model and simulate DSP/IP blocks using MATLAB and/or Python as needed.
- Develop VHDL testbenches for bit-equivalent verification against test vectors.
- Perform synthesis, place-and-route, and timing closure activities.
- Generate timing constraints and other implementation constraints.
- Conduct hardware bring-up, testing, and validation to ensure successful implementation.
- Collaborate closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams developing advanced telecommunications payloads and sensing technologies.
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Requirements
Essential Skills & Experience
- Strong expertise in:
- FPGA development using VHDL
- Requirements capture and architectural design
- RTL development and FPGA implementation
- Synthesis, place-and-route, and timing constraints
- Hardware testing and validation
- MATLAB and/or Python for modelling and simulation
- Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and/or telecommunications systems
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Desirable Experience
- Embedded C++ development for parallel processing
- AMD/Xilinx FPGA technologies, including Versal ACAP devices
- Bare metal or Embedded Linux development
- 5G telecommunications experience
- Experience working in highly regulated industries such as Space, Aerospace, or Defence
Why Join Us?
- Opportunity to work on pioneering space technologies and next-generation communications systems.
- Join a collaborative, multidisciplinary team, tackling high-impact, technically challenging projects.
- Contribute throughout the full FPGA development lifecycle, from concept through to hardware validation.
- Initial 3-month contract with strong potential for extension.
- Flexible work locations across three UK engineering hubs: Harwell, Manchester, or Stevenage.
⚠️ Security Note
Successful candidates will undergo BPSS (Baseline Personnel Security Standard) screening, which includes:
- Right-to-work verification
- Identity checks
- Basic criminal record check
- Employment history verification
- Reference checks
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