---
title: 'Principal Electrical Engineer at Graphcore'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/principal-electrical-engineer-graphcore-austin-texas-p8qycrwbhqct'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-08'
---

# Principal Electrical Engineer at Graphcore

- **Company:** Graphcore
- **Location:** Austin Texas, United States
- **Posted:** 2026-07-28
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/graphcore/jobs/8651485002

## Job description

## About us

Graphcore is one of the world’s leading innovators in artificial intelligence compute.

We are developing hardware, software and systems infrastructure that will unlock the next generation of AI breakthroughs and support the widespread adoption of AI solutions across every industry.

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

Graphcore brings together AI researchers, silicon designers, software engineers and systems architects to solve complex technical challenges and deliver innovative computing solutions.

Job Summary

The Principal Electrical Engineer will be a technical authority within Data Center Engineering, leading the architecture and delivery of safe, resilient and scalable electrical infrastructure for high-density AI computing environments. Working with internal teams, data center developers, utilities, consultants and equipment partners, this role will guide projects from early technical studies through design, construction, commissioning, operation and lifecycle improvement.

The successful candidate must reside in, or be willing to relocate to, Austin, Texas. Approximately 10% travel may be required.

The Team

The Data Center Engineering team is responsible for defining and enabling the infrastructure needed to deploy and operate Graphcore’s computing systems at scale. The team works across electrical, mechanical, thermal, controls, systems and operational disciplines, collaborating with external engineering and construction partners to deliver reliable, efficient and maintainable data center environments.

## Responsibilities and Duties

- Act as the technical authority for electrical engineering across data center infrastructure projects, from the utility or on-site power source through to the IT rack.
- Lead electrical architecture development through conceptual studies, detailed design, construction, commissioning, operation and lifecycle improvement.
- Develop electrical standards, specifications, reference designs, qualification plans and acceptance criteria for power distribution and conversion systems.
- Define electrical protection and safety approaches for AC and DC systems, including fault detection, interruption, isolation, grounding, stored energy, insulation monitoring, lockout and safe maintenance.
- Develop resilient power solutions for highly dynamic AI and high-performance computing loads, including ride-through, short-duration energy buffering, backup generation, energy storage and utility interconnection.
- Evaluate established and emerging power conversion, protection, control and energy-storage technologies, making clear recommendations based on safety, reliability, efficiency and maintainability.
- Lead technical due diligence, design reviews, failure-mode assessments, factory and site acceptance testing, site inspections and commissioning activities.
- Direct engineering consultants and technology partners, ensuring that designs, calculations, specifications and construction documentation meet project requirements.
- Develop and manage owner’s project requirements and review consultant deliverables, submittals, requests for information and proposed technical changes.
- Collaborate with construction partners during the delivery of laboratory and data hall spaces, supporting site reviews, technical issue resolution and project risk management.
- Partner with teams across IT, silicon, mechanical, thermal, controls, operations and sustainability to resolve cross-disciplinary design challenges.
- Support operational readiness, incident investigation and root-cause analysis, identifying practical improvements to reliability, safety and system performance.
- Engage effectively with authorities, utilities and relevant industry bodies to support compliant project delivery.
- Maintain current knowledge of developments in AI and high-performance computing infrastructure, electrical equipment, engineering standards, codes and regional utility requirements.
- Mentor engineers and provide technical guidance across projects without direct people-management responsibility.

Candidate Profile

Essential

- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, a closely related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
- Substantial experience delivering mission-critical electrical infrastructure in hyperscale data centers, colocation facilities, semiconductor facilities, utilities or comparable high-availability environments.
- Demonstrated ability to lead a significant technical area, make independent engineering decisions and influence outcomes across multiple disciplines and external partners.
- Deep knowledge of medium- and low-voltage AC systems and high-power DC distribution systems.
- Strong understanding of power electronics and conversion technologies, including rectifiers, inverters, isolated and non-isolated DC/DC conversion, controls and galvanic isolation.
- Strong knowledge of electrical fault behaviour and protection, including grounding, insulation monitoring, selective coordination, interruption, arc hazards, stored energy and safe maintenance.
- Broad technical knowledge of utility and medium-voltage systems, transformers, switchgear, uninterruptible power supplies, generators, battery energy storage, power distribution units, busway, monitoring and controls.
- Experience designing electrical interfaces for high-density computing or other highly dynamic mission-critical loads.
- Proficiency with ETAP or SKM PowerTools, together with experience using an electromagnetic-transient or power-electronics simulation environment such as PSCAD, EMTP-RV, PLECS, PSIM or MATLAB/Simulink.
- Strong familiarity with applicable North American and international electrical requirements, including relevant NFPA, IEEE, IEC, UL, CSA and local standards.
- Experience directing consultants, reviewing technical deliverables and supporting construction, testing and commissioning activities.
- Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to explain complex engineering decisions clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Sound engineering judgement and the ability to lead cross-functional work in a fast-moving environment with competing priorities.
- Willingness to travel approximately 10% as required.

Desirable

- Professional Engineer licence or equivalent international professional certification.
- Experience with behind-the-meter generation, microgrids or other on-site energy systems.
- Experience developing, testing or deploying high-power DC data center architectures.
- Hands-on experience with emerging transformer, converter or electrical-protection technologies.
- Experience integrating battery energy storage, supercapacitors, fuel cells, renewable generation or demand-response capabilities.
- Experience designing Tier III or Tier IV data centers, or infrastructure with comparable availability requirements.
- Participation in relevant industry standards groups or technical forums.
- Experience with reliability engineering, FMEA or FMECA, functional safety, controls, telemetry or operational-technology cybersecurity.
- Familiarity with engineering and design tools such as Visio, Bluebeam, AutoCAD or Revit.

In addition to a competitive salary, Graphcore offers flexible working and a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, wellbeing and financial future. Our benefits include medical, dental and vision coverage, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), disability and life insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan, commuter benefits, wellness services and an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). 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.

## 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. [builtin.com/company/graphcore](https://builtin.com/company/graphcore)

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