FPGA Firmware Engineer

The Science Directorate at the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Lund, Sweden, invites applications for an FPGA Firmware Engineer.

Description of directorate/division 

The Detector Group is part of the Instrument Technology Division under the Science Directorate. Our division provides the technological tools required for the design, construction and operation of the neutron instruments at the ESS, and Detector Group is working with partners worldwide to provide novel neutron detectors based on diverse technology and requirements.

Description of main responsibilities

The successful candidate will join Detector Group’s readout team who are developing and integrating readout for the large suite of instruments to be deployed at the ESS. This is an opportunity to acquire, develop and refine skills and be involved in the creation of a world-class facility. ESS is a pan-European project and we will be designing readout systems in partnership with several leading European research institutes.

This position will be based in the UK, working directly with our collaborating partners from the Science and Technology Facilities Council. STFC’s Detector Systems Group at Daresbury Laboratory and Electronic Systems Design Group at Rutherford Appleton Lab bring wide experience in FPGA based readout from light source, particle physics and astronomy projects. You will be working with these teams to develop hardware and firmware using the latest FPGA technologies, delivering readout systems for ASIC integration and data collection, signal processing, and data links to the computing infrastructure.

Your role will be central in ensuring overall coherence of the project, and you will be a frequent visitor to the ESS main offices in Lund and other collaborating partners. The nature of the work will be very much ‘hands on’; you will be developing complex firmware as part of a multinational team, to include high speed serial link data transmission protocols and interfaces to centralised ESS wide control and timing systems. We will also need to develop stand alone readout frameworks to allow the testing of front end electronics (ASICs etc.) and to perform module level testing as for pre-installation detector commissioning, and you will be involved in software development and overall integration of these systems.

Qualifications
We are looking for a self-motivated, creative person who is confident in their ability to tackle complex FPGA designs in very large devices. You may have worked on large scale signal processing or high performance telecommunications applications. You will have demonstrated your ability to handle large hierarchical designs, preferably as part of a team of collaborating engineers working in a modular way. This is a specialist role requiring considerable depth of expertise in FPGA programming, but you should also be able to demonstrate experience of related software development and practical experience of creative problem solving.

We are particularly interested in you experience with the following (or comparable) tools 


• Xilinx Vivado
• Altera Quartus
• Mentor Graphics Questa

As a person, you must be a perfectionist who will not accept second best. You must be flexible in your approach to work and prepared to adapt to whatever is required by the tasks in hand to ensure successful and timely delivery. You must be able to self-manage your time and prioritize work to meet tight schedules and deadlines. Central to this will be your positive outlook; you must share our values and fit into the culture of a young organisation committed to building something really special!

Your English skills need to be good in both verbal and written form, and a basic knowledge of Swedish or Danish would be valuable. Experience of working in an international collaborative environment would also be of value.

Duration & Location

At this stage the position is a 24-month time limited contract. There
may be a possibility for extension after that period in Lund, depending on
performance and the Organisation´s need. The position is to be filled as soon as possible. 

Application & Contact

Please provide your curriculum vitae and cover letter in English by clicking on “apply” and following the instructions. Please note we only accept applications via the ESS website. The deadline for applications is 20th of September 2015.
For further information regarding the position, please contact, Scott Kolya, scott.kolya[at]esss.se and for further information regarding the recruitment process, please contact HR Business Partner, Kristina Bacos, kristina.bacos[at]esss.se.

We look forward to receiving your application.