Principal Software Architect New Bristol, UK

Graphcore is one of the world’s leading innovators in Artificial Intelligence compute. It is developing hardware, software and systems infrastructure that will unlock the next generation of AI breakthroughs and power 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.

We are looking for a Principal Architect to define and drive the architectural vision of the software stack for the Graphcore ML accelerator. In this role, you will shape the architecture of our software ecosystem and maintain a deep understanding of the product’s hardware and software components, their interfaces, and how they interact.

The software architecture team is responsible for defining, maintaining and communicating the overarching architecture of our software stack, from firmware to ML frameworks. The team works within the wider software organisation, partnering closely with engineering teams who deliver against this architectural vision.

• Define & document the software architecture of the software stack.
• Work across different software domains to ensure a coherent end‑to‑end architecture.
• Clearly communicate the software architecture to engineering teams.
• Ensure teams understand key software architectural components, interfaces, and guiding principles.
• Continuously maintain the software architecture as the product evolves.
• Communicate architectural changes proactively to all relevant stakeholders.
• Stay informed about trends and developments in the ML/software ecosystem.
• Assess the architectural impact of new technologies.
• Be aware of the usability, performance, reliability, maintainability, testability, security and observability constraints on the software architecture.
• Prototype and validate architectural concepts through proof‑of‑concept implementations.
• Contribute to future and/or related product definitions with a forward‑looking mindset, understanding and communicating the impact of future direction on software architecture.
• Work with the HW and Silicon architects to ensure the needs of the software stack.
• Ensure the software architecture meets the product requirements.
• Work closely with engineering, product, leadership, and partners to ensure alignment between business goals and architectural direction.

• Expertise in one or more of these technologies: Firmware, Drivers, ML frameworks (PyTorch, Triton, etc.), Collectives, HPC, Tooling, C & C++, CPU architectures.
• Technical expertise in the ML accelerator software space.
• Excellent communication skill, both written and verbal.
• Collaborative mindset and ability to influence.
• Pragmatic approach to decision making, being very aware of trade‑offs and implications.
• Demonstrable experience in a previous architecture role.

In addition to a competitive salary, Graphcore offers flexible working, a generous annual leave policy, private medical insurance and health cash plan, a dental plan, pension (matched up to 5%), life assurance and income protection. We have a generous parental leave policy and an employee assistance programme (which includes health, mental wellbeing, and bereavement support). We offer a range of healthy food and snacks at our central Bristol office and have our own barista bar.

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 offer 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.

Applicants for this position must hold the right to work in the UK. At this time, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship or support for visa applications.