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…