--- title: 'Electronics Laboratory Lead (UK) at Graphcore' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/electronics-laboratory-lead-uk-graphcore-bristol-j952ak1dcn7x' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-08' --- # Electronics Laboratory Lead (UK) at Graphcore - **Company:** Graphcore - **Location:** Bristol, United Kingdom - **Posted:** 2026-07-22 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/graphcore/jobs/8644899002 ## Job description ## About the job Keep Graphcore’s Bristol electronics laboratories ready for the teams building the future of AI compute. As Electronics Laboratory Lead, you will own the safe, reliable operation of our Bristol labs. You will make sure facilities, equipment and infrastructure support critical work across engineering and operations. Your impact will be felt across hardware bring up, validation, characterisation, manufacturing technology and product test. You will turn complex lab requirements into controlled, dependable environments where teams can move faster. You will manage test equipment, lab infrastructure, ESD controls, goods in and out, maintenance planning and technical readiness. You will also build and guide a technician team that supports multidisciplinary lab users. This is a hands-on leadership role with real ownership. You will shape how our labs run, scale and support Graphcore’s next stage. The team and culture You will sit in our DC Engineering Team, working closely with Facilities, Supply Chain, Quality, Product Test and Diagnosis, Infrastructure Solutions and Hardware Engineering. Work happens through clear priorities, practical decisions and direct collaboration with the teams using the labs. You will have the ownership to set standards, improve processes and solve problems before they slow delivery. Decisions are made close to the work, with safety, technical readiness and pace all held together. Graphcore teams think big, act fast and speak up. In this role, you will bring structure to complex lab activity while helping engineers do their best work ## What we’re looking for - Strong technical understanding of electronic test equipment, lab infrastructure, setup, calibration and troubleshooting - Practical knowledge of ESD prevention, control systems, audits and training - Deep understanding of health and safety requirements in electronics laboratory environments - Ability to work with engineering teams to plan, configure and support technical lab setups - Experience coordinating subcontractors for maintenance, calibration, upgrades or specialist technical services - Leadership skills to build, manage and mentor a team of technicians ## Benefits - 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) We welcome people from all backgrounds and experiences and are committed to building an inclusive environment where everyone can do their best work. We’re an equal opportunity employer and recognise that everyone brings different strengths and perspectives. If you need any adjustments during the interview process, just let us know - we’re happy to support you. Join the team at Graphcore 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. Together, they share a bold vision: to enable Artificial Super Intelligence and ensure its benefits are accessible to everyone. Graphcore’s teams are drawn from diverse backgrounds and bring a broad range of skills and perspectives. A melting pot of AI research specialists, silicon designers, software engineers and systems architects, Graphcore brings together deep expertise to solve complex problems and deliver meaningful progress in AI compute. If you want to shape the labs that help Graphcore’s engineering teams move faster, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now to be part of the journey. ## About Graphcore ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Graphcore designs and builds the Intelligence Processing Unit (IPU), a processor purpose-built for machine intelligence, and provides a complete AI compute stack from silicon to software. - **Entity Type**: Private (wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp as of 2025/2026) - **Headquarters**: Bristol, England, UK - **Founded**: 2016 - **Founders**: Nigel Toon and Simon Knowles ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: AI hardware/accelerators, semiconductor design, AI software platform - **Target customers**: Cloud providers (Microsoft Azure), enterprises, AI researchers, hyperscalers - **Mission statement**: “Let innovators create the next breakthroughs in machine intelligence to enhance human potential” ## Products & Services - **[IPU (Intelligence Processing Unit)](https://www.graphcore.ai/)**: A processor designed from the ground up for machine intelligence workloads; uses a massively parallel architecture (MIMD) with fine-grained compute and on-chip memory. - **[IPU-Machine M2000](https://www.graphcore.ai/about)**: Second-generation IPU platform – a 1U server appliance housing 4 MK2 GC200 IPU processors, delivering an 8× performance uplift over the first generation. - **[C2 IPU Accelerator PCIe Card](https://www.graphcore.ai/about)**: PCIe form factor accelerator for server integration, first demonstrated at ICML 2018. - **[Poplar Software Stack](https://www.graphcore.ai/)**: Full SDK and framework integration (PyTorch, TensorFlow) that lets developers target the IPU directly. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Acquired by SoftBank Group Corp (amount undisclosed); prior to acquisition valued at $2.77 B (Series E, lead by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board). - **Key Metric**: Total funding raised prior to acquisition – over $680 M across Series A through E. - **Notable Investors/Partners**: SoftBank (owner), Microsoft (customer and investor), BMW, Samsung, Dell Technologies, Bosch, Sequoia Capital, Atomico, Fidelity, Baillie Gifford, Ontario Teachers’. - **Growth Signals**: Part of the fast-growing SoftBank AI ecosystem; expanding teams globally (Bristol, London, Cambridge, Gdańsk, Hsinchu, Bengaluru); first customer (Microsoft Azure) live since 2018. ## Competitive Advantages - **First purpose-built AI processor**: The IPU architecture is fundamentally different from GPUs – designed specifically for the sparse, parallel nature of neural network computation. - **Full stack ownership**: Graphcore controls silicon, system hardware, and software (Poplar), enabling tight optimisation across the entire compute chain. - **Cloud + on‑prem availability**: IPUs are available in the cloud on Microsoft Azure and as hardware from Dell, giving customers flexible deployment options. - **Strong IP and ecosystem**: 99+ engineering staff; deep expertise in semiconductor, systems, and AI software, backed by long-term SoftBank investment. ## Strategic Focus - **Scale AI infrastructure**: Delivering key technology into SoftBank’s global AI ecosystem and expanding the IPU platform to meet growing demand for AI compute. - **Expand into new regions**: Opening offices and hiring in India (Bengaluru) and across Europe (Gdańsk, London, Cambridge) to accelerate R&D and customer support. - **Democratise AI**: Continuing to lower the barrier for machine intelligence by providing accessible, high-efficiency hardware and software for innovators worldwide. ## Why Work Here - **Flexible hybrid work**: Employees are expected on-site three days a week, with trust and flexibility to balance work and life. - **Comprehensive benefits**: Unlimited annual leave, private medical insurance (UK), dental & health cash plan, income protection, life assurance, pension matched up to 5%, generous parental leave, and a personal development plan. - **Culture and growth**: ML reading groups, board game socials, book clubs, yoga, running, watersports, team events; strong DE+I initiatives; ambitious but supportive environment. - **Perks**: Free barista‑made coffee, snacks, and wellbeing rooms; cycle‑to‑work scheme; gym membership discount; education/training allowances. - **Purpose-driven work**: Opportunity to shape the future of AI compute and see your contributions used by global innovators. ## Sources 1. [graphcore.ai/about](https://www.graphcore.ai/about) 2. [graphcore.ai/](https://www.graphcore.ai/) 3. [graphcore.ai/careers](https://www.graphcore.ai/careers) 4. [graphcore.ai/jobs](https://www.graphcore.ai/jobs) 5. 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