Digital Electronics Hardware Engineer

About SPHERICAL
SPHERICAL is transforming semiconductor chip design using agile techniques and model-based engineering approaches. We leverage advances in software to empower engineers while increasing productivity by 10x. Our mission is to design high-quality electronics for the space industry - initially power products, and soon advanced computation.

About the Role
This role blends  digital hardware development  with  traditional PCB engineering , making it ideal for an engineer who understands high-reliability PCB systems but is equally fluent in  FPGAs, HDL design (Verilog), digital interfaces, microcontrollers, firmware, and system bring-up .

You will own the complete design and verification flow of the hardware you produce, ensuring it meets demanding space-industry reliability and performance requirements. You will collaborate closely with semiconductor, software, and system architects to define specifications and deliver robust, production-ready designs.

Key Responsibilities:

Digital & Mixed-Signal Electronics Architecture

Analyse system requirements and derive internal specifications for digital hardware subsystems

Architect digital functions spanning  FPGA logic , microcontroller interfacing, digital power control, timing, and high-speed communications

Collaborate with microchip/IC designers on interface definitions and system partitioning

Ensure radiation tolerance, reliability, and robustness in design decisions

FPGA Design, Implementation & Verification

Implement FPGA logic in  Verilog , including RTL development, simulation, and timing closure

Develop FPGA architectures for control, monitoring, digital signal processing, and interface bridging

Perform FPGA synthesis, P&R, constraints definition, timing analysis, and resource optimisation

Conduct verification using  simulation, CocoTB, self-checking tests, and CI-driven verification flows

Integrate and verify FPGA logic with microcontrollers, RISC-V soft cores, embedded software, and PCB hardware

Support hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) verification

Participate in radiation testing and reliability assessments for FPGA-based systems

PCB Design, Verification & Manufacturing Ownership

Design multi-layer digital PCBs incorporating FPGAs, microcontrollers, high-speed interfaces, digital power domains, and mixed-signal components

Perform schematic capture, component selection, constraint definition, layout review, DFM checks, and signal-integrity analysis

Lead board bring-up, debugging, and hardware validation

Serve as the primary technical contact for PCB fabrication and assembly partners

Drive the test, verification, and qualification of space-grade PCB systems

Embedded Integration (Microcontrollers & Firmware)

Develop low-level embedded C/Rust firmware for microcontrollers interfacing to FPGA and digital hardware

Implement and debug protocols (SPI, I²C, UART, CAN, Space Wire, AXI4, etc.)

Support driver development, boot-time configuration, and hardware control flows

Conduct system bring-up and validate digital/firmware interactions

Verification, Testing & Qualification

Create comprehensive test plans for electronics, FPGA logic, and embedded interfaces

Perform digital verification, functional testing, environmental testing, and qualification for high-reliability aerospace conditions

Support automated regression testing, CI pipelines, and coverage-driven verification methodologies

Collaboration, Leadership & Best Practices

Set a high standard for principled, high-quality design within SPHERICAL

Guide and mentor junior engineers across hardware, FPGA, and embedded engineering tracks

Work cross-functionally with system architects, software engineers, and semiconductor specialists

Contribute to internal methodologies for hardware reuse, digital design guidelines, and verification frameworks

Required Skills

Strong experience in  PCB schematic design, layout, manufacturing, and board bring-up

Demonstrated competence in  FPGA development  (Verilog/VHDL, simulation, synthesis, timing closure)

Experience with embedded systems including  microcontrollers  and  embedded C development

Strong understanding of digital electronics, digital timing, logic design, and communication interfaces…