Job Title: Principal Engineer - FPGA/ASIC Design

Working Pattern: Hybrid (3 office days a week)

Working location: Reston, VA

Rolls-Royce is looking for a Principal Engineer - FPGA/ASIC Design (Field Programmable Gate Arrays / Application Specific Integrated Circuit) Design Specialist to join our growing team.

This is an exciting opportunity to work on flagship Rolls-Royce programs and play a vital role in solving some of the most complex and interesting technological challenges in the industry while being part of a global, multi-disciplinary team. In this role, you will travel up to 25% between Rolls-Royce sites in Indianapolis and West Lafayette, IN as needed for work.

In this technical role, you will design, verify, integrate, and test FPGA/ASIC solutions, which will be integrated in current and future Rolls-Royce engine control system products. You will be responsible for developing FPGA/ASIC architectures, coding, running simulations, synthesis, creating test benches, and preparing documentation to be reviewed by certification authorities.

***This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule allowing for remote and in-office days each week. Hybrid work arrangements are subject to change based on business needs and/or changes in company policy. All hybrid employees must have a secure, high-speed internet connection and an appropriate workspace that complies with applicable information security and confidentiality requirements.

Why Rolls-Royce?

Rolls-Royce is one of the most enduring and iconic brands in the world and has been at the forefront of innovation for over a century. We design, build and service systems that provide critical power to customers where safety and reliability are paramount.

We are proud to be a force for progress, powering, protecting and connecting people everywhere.

We want to ensure that the excellence and ingenuity that has shaped our history continues into our future and we need people like you to come and join us on this journey.

Rolls-Royce has been recognized as the top employer in the Engineering & Manufacturing category on the prestigious Forbes Top Employers for Engineers list for 2025. This ranking highlights our commitment to innovation, employee development, and fostering a collaborative environment where engineers can thrive.

Be part of a team that sets the industry standard and drives groundbreaking solutions.

At Rolls-Royce, we are committed to creating a workplace where all employees feel respected, supported, and empowered to do their best work. We foster a welcoming and innovative work environment that invests in you, giving you access to an incredible breadth and depth of opportunities where you can grow your career and make a difference.

Rolls-Royce is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristics.

What you will be doing

With this attractive opportunity you will get a chance to:

• Participate in all phases of project, to produce detailed design documentation, verification plans and reports

• The design and development of all custom digital devices (ASIC or FPGA), to support RR electronic engine control units

• The verification of complex products that use FPGAs and/or ASICs to DO-254

• Develop RTL utilizing a hardware description language (e.g. VHDL, Verilog, and/or SystemVerilog) and debug the design via simulation tools

• Expertise achieving timing closure on FPGA designs and generating test benches

• Evaluate the process flow including but not limited to high level design, synthesis, place and route, timing constraints and power utilization

Who we’re looking for:

At Rolls-Royce we put safety first, do the right thing, keep it simple and make a difference. These principles form the behaviours that guide us and are an essential component of our assessment process. They are the fundamental qualities that we seek for all roles.

Basic Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering and/or Computer Engineering with 5+ years of experience, OR

• Master's degree in Electronics Engineering and/or Computer Engineering with 3+ years of experience, OR

• PhD in Electronics Engineering and/or Computer Engineering

• In order to be considered for this role, you must be a U.S. Citizen

Preferred Requirements:

• Validate the FPGA hardware in the lab using test equipment (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers) and debug tools (e.g ILA, JTAG)

• Experience in scripting with languages such as TCL, Python, Shell scripts

• Able to work with Windows and Linux development environment

• Demonstrable experience in version control, such as Git, SVN

• Experience of Actel & Xilinx tool flows to implement complete designs

• Development of model-based systems with digital engineering toolsets (MATLAB, Simulink and/or similar)

• Knowledge of systems engineering, and robust design tools and techniques coupled with the latest model-centric development approaches

• Experience with Cameo Systems Modeler (MagicDraw) or similar SysML modelling software

What we offer

We offer excellent development opportunities, a competitive salary, and exceptional benefits. These include bonus, employee support assistance and employee discounts.

Your needs are as unique as you are. Hybrid working is a way in which our people can balance their time between the office, home, or another remote location.  It’s a locally managed and flexed informal discretionary arrangement. 

As a minimum we’re all expected to attend the workplace for collaboration and other specific reasons, on average three days per week.

Relocation assistance is not available for this position.

Closing date:   September 15th, 2026

Benefits

Rolls-Royce provides a comprehensive and competitive Total Rewards package that includes base pay and a discretionary bonus plan. Eligible employees may have the opportunity to enroll in other benefits, including health, dental, vision, disability, life and accidental death & dismemberment insurance; a flexible spending account; a health savings account; a 401(k) retirement savings plan with a company match; Employee Assistance Program; Paid Time Off; certain paid holidays; paid parental and family care leave; tuition reimbursement; and a long-term incentive plan. The options available to an employee may vary depending on eligibility factors such as date of hire, employment type, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.