Principal Hardware System Test Engineer

About the Position

Principal Hardware System Test Engineer

Bristol, UK; Cambridge, UK

Shape how advanced AI hardware is tested before it reaches customers.

You'll lead the technical direction of manufacturing test solutions for Host Processor Modules, Server Blades, and multi-node rack systems. Your work will help ensure every system meets the highest quality standards before deployment.

You'll own the architecture of the test executive software and develop manufacturing test content that validates complex hardware at scale. Working across hardware, firmware, and software teams, you'll enable reliable, efficient testing throughout production.

This role offers broad technical influence. You'll solve complex engineering challenges, improve manufacturing quality through data, and help shape the future of Graphcore's production test capability.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical direction of manufacturing test solutions
• Own the architecture of the test executive software
• Develop manufacturing test content for complex hardware
• Collaborate with hardware, firmware, and software teams
• Improve manufacturing quality through data-driven test optimization

Requirements

Essential

• Extensive experience developing and deploying manufacturing test solutions for high-performance servers, accelerators (GPU-class), or comparable large-scale compute hardware.
• Proven technical leadership as an individual contributor, owning architecture and driving alignment across multiple teams without direct line management responsibility.
• Deep technical understanding across silicon, board, and system design sufficient to define effective manufacturing test coverage and lead complex debug/root-cause analysis.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with experience driving requirements and delivery with internal software/firmware/platform teams to enable testability and diagnosability.
• Hands-on experience using Linux, OpenBMC, and vendor-specific test tools, diagnostics, and system-level utilities to test hardware in lab and manufacturing environments.
• Strong software engineering skills with scripting and automation (e.g., Python, Bash, or similar), including building reliable test infrastructure and integrating heterogeneous test content.

Desirable

• Familiarity with rack-scale/multi-node systems, high-speed interconnects, and production qualification of complex assemblies.
• Experience improving manufacturing KPIs (yield, test time, false fail reduction) through data-driven test optimisation and robust statistical/diagnostic approaches.
• Knowledge of open-source tools commonly used for manufacturing test, system bring-up, and hardware diagnostics.
• Experience designing testability/diagnosability features into products (e.g., telemetry, self-test hooks, debug interfaces) in partnership with design teams.

We Offer

• Unlimited annual leave
• Up to 5% matched pension
• Phantom equity – share in Graphcore’s success
• True flexibility in how and where you work
• Office spaces designed for collaboration
• Free food and an on-site barista
• Health cash plan
• Income protection
• Life assurance
• Along with other benefits you can choose from (private medical insurance, dental plan etc)

About the Company

Join the team at Graphcore

Graphcore is building the compute platform for the next generation of artificial intelligence. From advanced silicon to intelligent software, our technology is designed to unlock breakthroughs in AI and bring its benefits to every industry.

As part of the SoftBank Group, we’re backed by one of the world’s most ambitious technology investors, working alongside companies shaping the future of AI. Together, we share a bold goal: to help enable artificial superintelligence and ensure it delivers meaningful impact at a global scale.

At Graphcore, you’ll work with people who are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Our teams bring together AI researchers, chip designers, software engineers and systems experts from a wide range of backgrounds. It’s an environment where we take on big challenges with curiosity and focus, move quickly and decisively, take real ownership of our work, and speak up to challenge ideas, stepping up to support each other and lead through action.

If you want to lead the engineering behind manufacturing test for advanced AI hardware and help deliver quality at scale, we'd love to hear from you. Apply now to join Graphcore.