At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead post-silicon debugging and validation for cutting-edge AI compute technologies.
- Company: Join Graphcore, a leader in AI semiconductor technology under the SoftBank Group.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, flexible working, generous leave, and comprehensive health plans.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for growth in a fast-paced tech environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on next-gen AI systems while collaborating with top tech teams.
- Qualifications: Strong experience in post-silicon validation and programming skills in Python or C.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Graphcore is building AI compute semiconductor and software technology as part of the SoftBank Group. This Debug Validation Engineer role reports to the Senior Director of Post Silicon Validation and leads post-silicon debug and validation activities for next-generation AI compute silicon and systems, combining deep technical debugging expertise with cross‑functional collaboration across hardware, firmware, software, and systems teams.
What You’ll Do
- Lead post-silicon debugging and validation efforts for AI compute silicon and platform technologies across multiple projects.
- Analyze and address complex silicon, firmware, software, and system‑level problems during bring‑up, characterization, and validation phases.
- Debug CPU, memory, interconnect, and high‑speed I/O subsystems under functional, stress, and workload conditions.
- Develop and improve automated debug, regression, and validation infrastructure using Python and related technologies.
- Analyze logs, traces, telemetry, and hardware data to isolate and characterize system failures and performance issues.
- Develop structured debug methodologies and failure analysis processes to improve issue resolution efficiency.
- Collaborate closely with architecture, RTL, firmware, software, and systems engineering teams to determine root causes and implement corrective measures.
- Support silicon readiness reviews and contribute to product quality and release decisions.
What You Need
- Strong experience in bare metal environments and post-silicon validation processes applied in digital ASIC environments.
- Strong understanding of SoC and platform architectures.
- Expertise in debug infrastructure and post‑silicon debug methodologies.
- Strong programming skills in Python, C, or debug scripting languages such as CMM.
- Strong Linux and Python experience.
- Deep knowledge of scan, DFT, JTAG, and trace infrastructure.
- Strong debug skills including fault tree analysis, failure isolation, fishbone methodologies, and system‑level debug techniques.
- Outstanding communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively to solve complex problems.
- Excellent problem‑solving, analytical, and diagnostic skills.
- Capability to operate autonomously on technically intricate debug and validation tasks spanning hardware, firmware, and software.
Nice to Have
- Understanding of DFT flows from insertion through post-silicon validation.
- Experience developing tooling for parsing and analyzing debug data, including scan dump parsing.
- Driver-level experience with PCIe, Ethernet, Memory technologies (LPDDR, DDR, HBM), or Peripheral interfaces (I2C, I3C, SPI).
- Experience using CoreSight and similar debug infrastructure including CTI, ETx, DStream, JLink, Lauterbach, ATB, and STM.
- Strong understanding of mixed‑signal components like PLLs and high‑speed PHYs.
- Experience with Arm CPU architectures, system IP, and associated debug tooling.
- Experience with AMBA protocols.
- Understanding of ML applications and associated workloads.
- Experience in characterization, failure analysis, test development, and statistical analysis.
Competitive salary, flexible working, generous annual leave policy, private medical insurance and health cash plan, dental plan, pension (matched up to 5%), life assurance and income protection, generous parental leave policy, employee assistance programme including health and mental wellbeing support.
Debug Validation Engineer — Multiple Levels in Bristol employer: Linuxcareers
Graphcore is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment that fosters innovation and collaboration in the cutting-edge field of AI compute technology. Employees benefit from competitive salaries, flexible working arrangements, and a comprehensive benefits package that includes private medical insurance, generous leave policies, and robust support for health and wellbeing. With a strong emphasis on professional growth and cross-functional teamwork, Graphcore provides unique opportunities for engineers to lead impactful projects and develop their skills in a rapidly evolving industry.
