Freelance FPGA Verification Engineer (DO‑254) – Aerospace

Location: South Germany 3 days a week onsite (flexible travel as required)
Contract: 12‑month freelance contract (extendable)
Start: ASAP
Languages: English or German
Engagement: All‑in rates only

About the Project

A leading aerospace company is seeking an experienced FPGA Verification Engineer with strong DO‑254 knowledge to support a major avionics development programme. The design phase has already been completed — this role is focused heavily on verification, reviews, compliance, and quality assurance.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys structured verification, compliance, documentation excellence, and ensuring first‑time‑right certification readiness.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the DO‑254 verification and review phases for FPGA hardware.
• Perform in‑depth requirements‑based verification, including test planning, test case development, traceability, and results documentation.
• Conduct independent reviews of FPGA design artefacts, including requirements, architecture, detailed design, and VHDL code (design already completed).
• Prepare and evaluate verification evidence for certification audits.
• Participate in peer reviews, milestone reviews, and quality gates.
• Support the creation and refinement of DO‑254 life‑cycle documentation (V&V Plans, Test Procedures, Review Records, Trace Matrices, etc.).
• Work closely with cross‑functional teams, including systems, quality, and certification engineers.
• Ensure all verification activities comply with DO‑254 Level A/B standards and internal quality processes.

Required Skills & Experience

• Strong commercial experience in FPGA verification within DO‑254 regulated environments (A/B preferred).
• Expertise in verification methodologies for safety‑critical hardware (requirements‑based testing, reviews, traceability).
• Solid understanding of VHDL, FPGA architectures, and avionics hardware life‑cycles.
• Ability to conduct independent reviews and provide clear technical feedback.
• Highly detail‑oriented with strong documentation and quality‑assurance skills.
• Fluent in English or German (spoken and written).
• Willing to travel onsite as required (major work onsite, flexible on frequency).

Nice to Have

• Previous experience with aerospace certification authorities or audits.
• Background in safety‑critical embedded hardware in aerospace, defence, or industrial sectors.
• Familiarity with Jira, DOORS, Polarion, or similar requirement management tools.

What’s Offered

• 12‑month freelance contract, long‑term extension likely.
• High‑impact role focused on quality and certification rather than design.
• Onsite collaboration in a well‑structured engineering environment.
• All‑in daily/hourly rate contract (no split expenses).