As a Principal Firmware Engineer (FPGA) (m/f/d) supporting our Surgical R&D Engineering Organization, you will lead the architecture, development, and validation of FPGA-based firmware solutions for advanced ophthalmic surgical systems in Erlangen, Germany. You will play a critical role in delivering innovative, high-quality, and regulatory-compliant medical device products that help improve patients' vision and quality of life.

In this role, a typical day will include:

• Leading FPGA firmware architecture, requirements definition, and technical design for next-generation medical device platforms
• Developing and maintaining FPGA firmware using VHDL and/or SystemVerilog, including timing-critical and deterministic logic such as video processing pipelines and control systems
• Driving hardware-firmware integration activities and collaborating with system, hardware, software, and verification teams to deliver robust end-to-end solutions
• Defining and executing verification and validation strategies, ensuring firmware quality through coding standards, linting rules, testing frameworks, and quality gates
• Supporting modern CI/CD workflows, development automation, AI-enabled engineering practices, and continuous improvement initiatives while ensuring compliance with medical device development processes and regulatory standards
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WHAT YOU’LL BRING TO ALCON:

• Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• Residence within commuting distance of the Erlangen site or willingness to relocate
• Fluent English communication skills and intermediate German language skills
• Minimum 7 years of FPGA and firmware development experience, including at least 2 years in a technical leadership role
• Expert knowledge of FPGA architecture, digital design, and system-level firmware development
• Advanced experience with VHDL and/or SystemVerilog
• Hands-on experience with Xilinx/AMD Zynq UltraScale+ SoC, including AXI interconnect, PS/DDR integration, and Vivado toolchain.
• Proven experience leading distributed and cross-functional engineering teams
• Strong understanding of firmware verification, validation, and quality assurance methodologies
• Excellent analytical thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and communication skills