---
title: 'Principal Test Framework Software Engineer at Graphcore'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/principal-test-framework-software-engineer-graphcore-austin-z7fctbftbnzs'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-03'
---

# Principal Test Framework Software Engineer at Graphcore

- **Company:** Graphcore
- **Location:** Austin, TX
- **Posted:** 2026-10-29
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-03
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/graphcore/jobs/8875535002

## Job description

## About Graphcore

Graphcore is a leading innovator in artificial intelligence computing. We develop hardware, software, and systems infrastructure designed to support the next generation of AI systems and expand the practical use of AI across industries.

As part of SoftBank Group, Graphcore works alongside companies developing advanced technologies. Our teams bring together hardware, software, systems, and AI expertise to solve complex engineering problems across the computing stack.

The Opportunity

As Principal Test Framework Software Engineer, you will define and evolve the software architecture used to qualify and validate Graphcore's AI hardware platforms. You will combine hands-on software development with Principal-level technical leadership, creating common frameworks that help engineering teams run reliable, repeatable tests across development, system validation, and production environments.

Working within Test Software and Automation, you will translate hardware requirements into maintainable test solutions, improve the speed and quality of validation, and provide clear technical direction across hardware, firmware, systems, product, and manufacturing teams.

## What You Will Do

- Own the architecture and technical roadmap for shared test automation frameworks used in hardware bring-up, qualification, regression testing, and production validation.
- Design and implement framework components, interfaces, configuration models, and reusable libraries that support multiple hardware platforms and test environments.
- Translate hardware specifications, validation plans, and quality requirements into scalable automated test suites with clear coverage and traceability.
- Establish engineering standards for framework reliability, maintainability, versioning, documentation, observability, and test-result integrity.
- Integrate automated testing with continuous integration and delivery pipelines, source control, lab infrastructure, and test orchestration systems.
- Develop tools and data pipelines that collect, process, analyze, and visualize test results so teams can identify failures, trends, and quality risks.
- Lead complex debugging across test software, operating systems, firmware, hardware, and lab environments, and drive issues to clear technical resolution.
- Improve test execution time, reproducibility, resource use, and validation methods across development and production workflows.
- Partner with hardware, firmware, systems, product, quality, and manufacturing teams to align test coverage with product and business requirements.
- Provide technical guidance, conduct design and code reviews, mentor engineers, and communicate status, risks, tradeoffs, and recommendations to engineering leaders.

## What You Will Bring

- A bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- Substantial professional experience building software for test automation, validation infrastructure, developer tooling, or related systems, including technical leadership at Principal, Staff, or Lead Engineer scope.
- Strong software development skills in Python and proficiency with Bash or comparable scripting languages.
- Demonstrated success designing modular, scalable, and maintainable frameworks, including stable interfaces, reusable components, configuration management, and automated verification.
- Experience with Linux or Unix environments, Git-based development, continuous integration and delivery pipelines, and software engineering practices for production-quality tools.
- Experience working at the boundary between software and hardware, including hardware test, system validation, or embedded platform environments.
- Strong debugging and systems-thinking skills, with the ability to isolate problems across software, firmware, hardware, networks, and lab infrastructure.
- Ability to turn technical specifications and quality goals into measurable coverage, repeatable tests, and actionable results.
- Proven ability to influence cross-functional technical decisions, mentor engineers, and communicate clearly with both technical teams and engineering leadership.

## Preferred Qualifications

These qualifications are helpful, not required. We encourage you to apply even if you do not meet every preferred qualification.

- Experience with test orchestration, lab management, hardware farms, scheduling systems, or distributed automation infrastructure.
- Background in AI hardware, server platforms, embedded systems, baseboard management controllers, or related low-level environments.
- Experience integrating automated tests with manufacturing, deployment, or product-release workflows.
- Experience developing test-data pipelines, dashboards, or visualization tools for engineering analysis and quality reporting.
- Familiarity with containerized environments, remote execution, or infrastructure-as-code practices used to manage test systems.

United States Benefits Overview

Graphcore offers compensation and benefits designed to support employees' health, financial well-being, work-life needs, and professional growth. Benefits and programs for eligible U.S. employees may include:

- Medical, dental, and vision coverage, with options that may extend to eligible dependents.
- Mental health, wellness, and employee assistance resources.
- Retirement savings benefits and company contributions where applicable.
- Paid vacation, sick time, company holidays, and parental or family leave in accordance with applicable plans and policies.
- Life insurance and short-term or long-term disability coverage.
- Flexible working hours and hybrid working arrangements where compatible with the role and team requirements.
- Professional development resources, learning programs, office amenities, and team-led activities.

Benefits vary by work location, employment status, scheduled hours, and plan eligibility and are subject to the terms of the applicable plans and company policies. This overview is not a contract or guarantee of benefits.

## Equal Opportunity and Accommodations

Graphcore is an equal opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.

Graphcore is committed to an inclusive and accessible hiring process. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, please let the recruiting team know.

Candidate Privacy

Personal information submitted during the recruiting process will be handled in accordance with Graphcore's applicable candidate privacy notices.

## 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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