Senior Principal Electrical Engineer - FPGA VHDL Design

Job Title

Senior Principal Electrical Engineer - FPGA VHDL Design

Role Summary

Senior Principal FPGA Digital Design Engineer supporting Countermeasure & Electromagnetic Attack (CEMA) systems. Responsible for end-to-end FPGA development, verification, lab bring-up, product support, and mentoring within a hybrid work format.

Experience Level

Senior - the posting specifies 6+ years of relevant experience with a bachelor’s degree; fewer years expected with an advanced degree.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include hands-on FPGA design and verification across the full development lifecycle and technical leadership of design efforts.

• Lead FPGA design through architecture, RTL implementation, synthesis, place-and-route, and timing closure.
• Own RTL coding (VHDL preferred, or Verilog) and basic testbench development.
• Perform lab bring-up, hardware debug, and validation testing.
• Support FPGA security requirements, product support, and maintenance of legacy designs.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and mentor junior engineers.
• Contribute to continuous improvement and “Design it Right” initiatives.

Requirements

Must-have skills and conditions followed by preferred skills.

• 6+ years of relevant FPGA/ASIC design and development experience.
• Hands-on experience with FPGA toolflows: synthesis, place-and-route, timing analysis, and implementation.
• Proficient in VHDL (preferred) or Verilog coding and RTL design practices.
• Strong debug and problem-solving skills; experience with lab testing and hardware bring-up.
• Strong written and oral communication skills; self-starter and effective team player.
• Ability and willingness to mentor others and be mentored.
• Eligible to obtain a U.S. DoD security clearance; U.S. citizenship requirements apply (see Education/Location notes).

Preferred:

• DSP fundamentals and FPGA implementation experience.
• Matlab/Simulink familiarity.
• Experience with legacy designs and product sustainment.
• Working knowledge of UVM/SystemVerilog, data communications (Ethernet MAC/PHY, GigE Vision), and C/C++.
• Active DoD security clearance (preferred).

Education Requirements

The posting specifies a bachelor’s degree is required (6+ years relevant experience with a bachelor’s); fewer years are expected with an advanced degree. No specific field of study was listed and no certifications were mandated.

About the Company

Company: BAE Systems

Headquarters: London, United Kingdom

Global defense, aerospace and security company delivering products and services for air, land and naval forces, advanced electronics, cyber and intelligence solutions, and space and mission systems for government and commercial customers.