General Dynamics Mission Systems engineers a diverse portfolio of high technology solutions, products and services that enable customers to successfully execute missions across all domains of operation. With a global team of more than 13,000 top professionals, we partner with the best in industry to expand the bounds of innovation in the defence and scientific arenas. In the UK, we are leading the way in avionics and communication systems. Given the nature of our work and who we are, we value trust, honesty, alignment and transparency.

General Dynamics in St Leonards-on-Sea currently provide avionic mission computing systems for a wide range of military fast jets, helicopters, and UAVs. Recent success has resulted in General Dynamics developing the next generation of Advanced High Performance, Safety Critical Mission Computer Systems to meet the needs of latest platforms in development by several aircraft manufacturers. These Mission Computing Systems provide the functionality that integrates aircraft systems, sensor systems and stores management systems with the information and control systems required by the aircrew to meet the demanding operational needs of these aircraft.

We are hiring talented Junior Firmware Engineers to help develop the next generation of avionics systems.

As a Junior Firmware Engineer, you will be assigned to one of our avionic systems development teams using a variety of design tools and languages across the development life cycle.

You will undertake a range of activities, including:

• Firmware development and verification, primarily VHDL using latest generation of FPGAs
• Participate in internal and external firmware design reviews throughout the development life-cycle

For the full job description please click here

To apply for these entry level Firmware Engineer roles, you will need degree-level education in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Electronics or Hardware engineering.

Successful candidates should be able to demonstrate:

• Experience of FPGA design and implementation for simple functions
• Knowledge of VHDL
• Understanding of the benefit of the use of simulation tools and test benches
• General understanding of digital hardware design principles

Professional registration as an Incorporated Engineer (IEng, IET or equivalent) is desirable, but not essential. We actively support employees in attaining professional registration status.

These full-time roles are based in Hastings and offers an attractive starting salary of up to 33,000 and our excellent flexible benefits package.

We pride ourselves in being a great place to work with a shared sense of purpose, offering impressive benefits:

• A compressed nine-day fortnight and compressed hours - which means every other Friday off.
• A personalized career development plan, alongside regular progress reviews - supporting and valuing your progression within the Company.
• A flexible working environment where your contributions are recognized and rewarded with flexible benefits

Please note As part of this hiring process, if successful the next stage will be an invitation to an Assessment Centre. This will be held on the either the 14th/ 15th April 2026. Closing date for all applications 30th March 2026.

We believe in maintaining a diverse workplace - inclusive of beliefs, cultural background, job experiences, thoughts and ideas. If who we are and what we do resonates with you, we welcome you to join our inclusive team!

Our success is fuelled by our colleagues and the wide variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills they bring to the Company.

We are a Disability Confident Employer, as such we offer an interview to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the job.
Please email disabilityconfident@gd-ms.uk if you would like your application to be considered under the DC Scheme.

All successful/appointed applicants must be able to obtain a level of UK Security clearance that is appropriate for the role and undertake suitable Right to work checks.

Every application matters to us. We want you to know that each application we receive is reviewed by a real personnot just an algorithm. Our screening questions are also carefully considered to help us understand your experience and fit for the role.

We appreciate the time you take to apply.