Hardware Development Engineer - 12 Months

Contract: Inside IR35
Duration: 12-month contract
Location: Hybrid - Bristol

As a Hardware Development Engineer, you will analyse system requirements and design hardware solutions in close collaboration with Silicon, Architecture, and Software teams. You will generate schematics and PCB layout constraints, working closely with the PCB CAD team to realise robust circuit designs.
In this role, you will define test and validation plans, execute test campaigns, report findings, and collaborate with firmware and system architecture teams to interpret results, debug issues, and improve system performance.

You will have expertise in microprocessor system design and debug, with a strong understanding of processor power supply, reset and clocking requirements, memory, communication interfaces, and control subsystems.

Development of production systems and test boards, including:

• Circuit design, requirements analysis, functional definition, and component selection
• PCB layout constraint definition and support of the PCB CAD team
• Circuit validation and verification
• Designing and executing tests to validate circuit performance and operating margin
• Debugging and optimisation of microcontroller hardware behaviour in collaboration with the firmware team
• Prototype build support, including bring-up, evaluation, system test, and validation
• Supporting the transfer of designs into mass production

• Knowledge of DC/DC voltage regulators (including multi-phase), LDOs, and PCB design practices for efficient power delivery
• Processor system development (e.g., STM32) with experience in processor interfaces such as Ethernet, PCIe, DDR, Flash, USB, I C, SPI, JTAG, etc.
• Experience with SERDES technologies (e.g., 112 Gbps, PAM4) is a strong benefit

• Demonstrable experience in digital circuit development and validation
• Extensive hands on lab experience: bring up, debugging, validation, and characterisation
• Experience using Siemens/Mentor PCB design tools for schematic capture, design constraints, and PCB layout
• A rigorous, detail oriented approach ensuring first time right design
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work independently or as part of a small, collaborative team
• Willingness to participate across the full development cycle-from concept to delivery
• Proficiency with high speed digital oscilloscopes, logic analysers, and signal generators
• Experience scripting tests and analysing data using Linux, Python, Bash, and Excel