Principal Firmware EngineerEdinburgh 12-month contract Paying up to £90p/h (inside IR35)The OpportunityWe are seeking a Senior or Principal Firmware Engineer to join a high-performing engineering team delivering advanced digital systems within the Aerospace, Defence, and Security sector.At Senior or Principal level, you will also provide technical leadership, supporting the delivery of work across multiple engineers while contributing to process improvement and best practice development across FPGA/Firmware teams.Key ResponsibilitiesDesign and develop innovative VHDL-based FPGA architecturesApply advanced verification techniques using VHDL or SystemVerilog / UVMWork with current FPGA technologies from:XilinxIntel (Altera)Microsemi (semiconductor manufacturer)Develop and integrate high-speed interfaces, including PCIe, DDR3, Ethernet and JESDAnalyse system-level documentation to derive detailed firmware requirementsAdopt a structured, methodical approach to the full firmware lifecycle, ideally aligned with standards such as RTCA DO-254 or similarSpecify complex timing and area constraints for efficient FPGA place and routeDebug firmware designs and support system verification and integration activitiesContribute to process enhancements and ways of working across engineering teamsCommunicate effectively within multidisciplinary teams and stakeholdersEssential Skills & ExperienceConsiderable experience designing firmware architecture using FPGA technologiesStrong hands-on experience with Xilinx, Intel (Altera), or Microsemi toolchainsExperience with fast interfaces such as PCIe, Ethernet, DDR3, JESDAdvanced verification experience using VHDL or System Verilog / UVMProven ability to derive detailed firmware requirements from system-level specificationsExperience working within structured firmware processes (e.g., DO-254)Excellent analytical and problem-solving capabilityStrong communication skills and a collaborative working styleDesirableFamiliarity with Model-Based Engineering using:MATLABSimulinkExperience leading or mentoring engineers (for Principal level)