Principal Post Silicon Lab Characterisation Engineer Bristol, UK

Graphcore is one of the world’s leading innovators in Artificial Intelligence compute. We develop hardware, software and systems infrastructure that unlocks the next generation of AI breakthroughs and powers the widespread adoption of AI solutions across every industry.

As part of the SoftBank Group, Graphcore is a member of an elite family of companies responsible for some of the world’s most transformative technologies. Together, we share a bold vision: to enable Artificial Super Intelligence and ensure its benefits are accessible to everyone.

We are looking for a Principal Characterisation and Bring‑Up engineer to work with Architecture, Silicon Engineering, Hardware Engineering, Operations (device manufacture) and Product teams to help create and execute the bring‑up and characterisation of our cutting‑edge silicon devices and system platforms.

Graphcore designs and develops leading‑edge silicon processors and high‑power high‑speed blade systems at the forefront of AI technology. In this role you will develop a detailed understanding of our silicon and platform products. Your role will be to create and execute bring‑up and characterisation plans of our silicon devices in systems to show that they will operate correctly over all conditions in the final product. You will concentrate on automated and manual testing of systems in the lab and datacentre. The results will be integrated with data from other teams to provide the complete characterisation solution for the product.

About the Role

We are seeking a highly experienced Principal Post‑Silicon Lab Characterisation Engineer to contribute to silicon bring‑up, validation, and characterisation efforts for cutting‑edge SoCs and IP blocks. This role is critical to ensuring first‑pass success and delivering high‑quality products to market. You will be part of a team of multi‑level Engineers and work with similar international silicon characterisation teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute comprehensive post‑silicon characterisation and validation plans for advanced SoCs and high‑speed interfaces (PCIe, CXL, DDR, SerDes, Ethernet).
• Perform hands‑on lab testing using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, BERTs, and other high‑speed instrumentation.
• Design and implement automated test frameworks and scripts (Python, Linux) for data collection and analysis.
• Conduct root‑cause analysis of functional, electrical, and performance issues; collaborate with firmware, Product Engineering, Manufacturing, Architecture, policy and verification teams to resolve.
• Drive lab infrastructure improvements and develop custom hardware setups for validation.

Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field (Master’s or Ph.D. preferred).
• 15+ years in post‑silicon validation, characterisation, or hardware bring‑up of SoCs or ICs.
• Experience within a hands‑on lab environment performing measurements at bench level.
• Knowledge of high‑performance processor and system‑on‑chip systems.
• Knowledge of measurement automation and data analysis.
• Expertise in high‑speed interface validation (PCIe Gen5/6, CXL, Ethernet, DDR5, SerDes).
• Strong proficiency with lab equipment and debug tools LabVIEW and JTAG.
• Support and development of engineers in a lab environment.
• Familiarity with PVT corner testing, compliance standards, and reliability validation.
• Analog and mixed‑signal experience.
• Programming skills in Python and Linux scripting for automation.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with HPC/AI SoCs and advanced memory technologies (HBM, DDR5).
• Knowledge of pre‑silicon emulation and modelling tools.
• Ability to code or script automation and data analysis using appropriate coding languages such as Python, JMP, etc.

Nice to Have Skills

• SOC Boot flow experience.
• Background knowledge of ATE systems and capabilities; some characterisation work may be performed on such systems.

Benefits

Graphcore offers a competitive salary and benefits package. We welcome people of different backgrounds and experiences; we’re committed to building an inclusive work environment that makes Graphcore a great home for everyone. We provide an equal‑opportunity process and understand that there are visible and invisible differences in all of us. We can provide a flexible approach to interview and encourage you to chat to us if you require any reasonable adjustments.