Lead Hardware Engineer

Role - Lead Hardware Engineer

Location

• Luton, UK

My client is seeking an experienced Lead Hardware Engineer to support the development of next-generation Electronic Warfare and Defensive Aids Systems deployed on fast jets, helicopters, UAVs, naval and land-based platforms.

This role is ideal for engineers who enjoy solving complex technical challenges involving high-speed digital design, FPGA-based architectures, signal processing, hardware integration and system qualification within a highly regulated defence environment.

Working within multi-disciplinary engineering teams, you will contribute across the complete development lifecycle from requirements analysis and architecture definition through detailed design, integration, qualification and customer acceptance. You will be designing advanced electronic hardware that delivers mission-critical capability to frontline operators.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop complex digital and mixed-signal hardware solutions for defence and aerospace applications.
• Define hardware architectures for FPGA, SoC and processor-based systems.
• Capture schematics and support PCB layout activities for high-speed, high-performance digital designs.
• Design and verify high-speed interfaces including DDR memory, PCIe, Ethernet and similar protocols.
• Integrate FPGA, processor, software and firmware components into complete system solutions.
• Perform design analysis, simulation, validation and verification activities.
• Support hardware bring-up, debugging and root-cause investigation at board and system level.
• Work closely with Systems, Firmware, Software, RF, Mechanical and Production Engineering teams.
• Support environmental, EMC/EMI and qualification testing in accordance with defence and aerospace standards.
• Produce technical documentation, design evidence and progress reporting in accordance with structured engineering lifecycles.
• Support customer demonstrations, integration activities, acceptance testing and trials.

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience designing high-speed digital electronics within aerospace, defence or other safety/mission-critical industries.
• Strong background in FPGA and SoC-based hardware architectures (Xilinx, AMD, Intel/Altera or equivalent).
• Experience designing complex multilayer PCBs incorporating:

High-speed serial interfaces

High-performance processors

DDR memory subsystems

FPGA-based signal processing solutions

• Hands-on experience with schematic capture and PCB design tools such as:

Altium Designer

Xpedition/Expedition

OrCAD

Similar industry-standard tools

• Practical board-level debugging using oscilloscopes, logic analysers, spectrum analysers and protocol analysers.
• Experience integrating hardware, firmware and software on complex embedded systems.
• Strong understanding of signal integrity, power integrity and timing considerations in high-speed digital designs.
• Experience developing products to demanding EMC, EMI and environmental requirements.
• Ability to interpret, decompose and implement system requirements into robust hardware solutions.
• Experience supporting verification, validation and qualification activities.

If you’re an experienced consultant looking for your next opportunity, apply now for a confidential discussion.