AI SoC Validation / Bring-up Lead

About the role

Graphcore is a SoftBank Group company focused on building advanced hardware and software infrastructure for artificial intelligence. This role involves leading the post-silicon validation and bring-up process for next-generation AI system-on-chip products to ensure they meet production standards. The successful candidate will own the technical strategy and execution of validation activities for our core AI SoC products. You will be responsible for defining and driving the roadmap to achieve production readiness across all product lines. This position requires deep collaboration across multiple engineering disciplines to resolve the most complex integration challenges. The lead will establish the quality narrative and ensure alignment with business and product objectives. Ultimately, you will ensure that the silicon transitions from prototype to high-volume manufacturing with zero compromise on performance or reliability.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Architect and own the end-to-end post-silicon validation strategy for AI SoCs, defining test plans, coverage goals, and success criteria.
• Lead the investigation and resolution of critical issues spanning silicon, firmware, platform software, and operating system interactions.
• Partner with design, software, and systems engineering leaders to align on quality objectives, debug priorities, and risk mitigation plans.
• Pioneer the adoption and scaling of emulation, prototyping, and large-scale validation infrastructure to expand test coverage and reduce time-to-insight.
• Serve as the primary interface for executive leadership, translating technical validation progress, risks, and quality metrics into actionable business intelligence.
• Build and mentor a high-performance validation engineering team, fostering a culture of ownership, continuous improvement, and transparent root cause analysis.
• Establish and maintain rigorous quality metrics and reporting frameworks to track validation maturity and product readiness.
• Drive the development of automated validation frameworks and methodologies to increase efficiency and scalability.
• Ensure compliance with internal quality standards and industry best practices throughout the validation lifecycle.
• Anticipate future validation challenges and opportunities, shaping the long-term strategy for AI SoC product introductions.

Requirements

• Hold a Bachelor degree in Electronic Engineering or equivalent qualification, with a Master degree preferred.
• Bring a minimum of 20 years of cumulative experience in silicon, system, or platform validation roles.
• Demonstrate at least 10 years of proven experience in technical leadership positions managing complex engineering initiatives.
• Show a documented history of successfully leading post-silicon bring-up for complex SoCs, including GPUs, CPUs, or AI accelerators.
• Possess in-depth technical knowledge of SoC architecture, on-chip interconnects, power management strategies, and coherency protocols.
• Demonstrate strong programming proficiency in C/C++ and Python, with the ability to develop scripts and tools for validation tasks.
• Show extensive hands-on experience with Linux-based development and debugging environments.
• Exhibit expertise in DFT infrastructure, diagnosis tools, and low-level debug methodologies.
• Have a thorough understanding of industry-standard verification methodologies and validation best practices.
• Be capable of interpreting complex technical specifications and converting them into executable validation plans.

Nice to have

• Direct experience managing and operating large-scale validation clusters in a production environment.
• Prior involvement in the bring-up of AI-specific accelerators or heterogeneous compute architectures.
• Familiarity with advanced power management and performance optimization techniques for SoCs.
• Exposure to machine learning workloads and their impact on hardware validation strategies.
• Knowledge of security and isolation mechanisms within SoC architectures.
• Experience with formal verification tools and methodologies to complement simulation-based testing.

Practical notes

• This is a full-time permanent position based on a long-term contract.
• Applicants must possess the inherent right to work in the United Kingdom.
• The company does not provide visa sponsorship for this role.
• The position may require travel to Graphcore offices in Bristol and Cambridge as needed for team collaboration and planning.
• Deadlines for application review are not specified; early submission is encouraged to ensure full consideration.

This role represents a significant opportunity to shape the future of AI hardware at a company leading the next generation of compute. You will work with cutting-edge technology alongside some of the most talented engineers in the industry. The successful candidate will have the autonomy to drive major initiatives and see the direct impact of their work on product success. Graphcore offers a collaborative environment where deep technical investigation is valued and innovation is encouraged. The position requires a high degree of self-motivation, discipline, and the ability to operate effectively in a matrixed organization. You will be instrumental in bridging the gap between design intent and real-world silicon performance. The leadership will provide the support and resources necessary to achieve ambitious validation goals. This is a chance to build a legacy role within a company that is redefining the landscape of artificial intelligence hardware. If you are passionate about solving the most difficult integration challenges and delivering world-class silicon, this is the role for you.