Principal FPGA Design Engineer; Contractor

Job Title: Principal FPGA Design Engineer (Contract)

Location: UK (Hybrid – with occasional on-site requirements)

Salary: £90-£100 per hour

Shift Type: Day Shift, Monday to Friday

Benefits: Long-term programme, high-impact technical role, opportunity to influence system architecture, flexible working where project permits

We are supporting a high-technology systems manufacturer operating in regulated and mission-critical environments, seeking an experienced Principal FPGA Design Engineer (Contract) to lead complex FPGA developments across multiple programmes.

This is a senior, hands-on technical role focused on translating top-level system requirements into robust FPGA architectures, delivering verified designs to hardware, and providing technical leadership across firmware teams.

• Decompose system and product requirements into FPGA architectures and detailed design specifications
• Lead FPGA developments from concept through to verified hardware implementation
• Design, implement and debug complex VHDL-based FPGA solutions
• Develop test benches, vectors and verification strategies
• Perform system-level design and documentation to support downstream implementation
  
  Take ownership of multiple work packages, including scope, estimates and delivery tracking
• Support firmware releases, configuration control and technical documentation
• Provide technical mentoring, design reviews and guidance to other engineers
• Act as technical liaison with internal stakeholders, suppliers and customers
• Support hardware validation using lab equipment (oscilloscopes, spectrum analysers, signal generators, etc.)

• 10+ years’ FPGA design experience in complex, multi-FPGA systems
• Strong background in VHDL design and verification
• Proven ability to translate high-level system requirements into implementable FPGA solutions
• Experience delivering designs to schedule within structured development environments
• Background in Radar systems, DSP or closely related high-speed signal processing applications
• Comfortable operating at system, firmware and hardware interface level
• Excellent technical documentation and communication skills

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Electronics, Engineering or a closely related discipline

• Occasional UK travel may be required, sometimes at short notice
• Suitable for contractors seeking long-term, technically challenging programmes with genuine architectural ownership

If you are an experienced FPGA contractor looking for your next senior-level assignment, please apply with your CV or contact the Pertemps Engineering Division on  for a confidential discussion. We specialise in placing high-level engineering contractors into complex manufacturing and engineering environments across the UK.