---
title: 'Senior Bring up and Characterization Engineer at Graphcore'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-bring-up-and-characterization-engineer-graphcore-bengaluru-4bf092zmxpjc'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-27'
---

# Senior Bring up and Characterization Engineer at Graphcore

- **Company:** Graphcore
- **Location:** Bengaluru, India
- **Posted:** 2026-10-22
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-27
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/graphcore/jobs/8899580002

## Job description

Bring-Up and Characterization Engineer

Multiple roles across different levels

Graphcore is a globally recognized leader in Artificial Intelligence computing systems. The company designs advanced semiconductors and data centre hardware that provide the specialized processing power needed to drive AI innovation, while delivering the efficiency required to support its broader adoption.

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. We are opening a new AI Engineering Campus in Bengaluru which will play a central role in Graphcore's work building the future of AI computing.

We are looking for a Characterisation and Bring-Up engineer to work with Architecture, Silicon Engineering, Hardware Engineering, Operations (device manufacture) and Product teams to help create and execute the bring-up and characterisation of our cutting-edge silicon devices and system platforms. Graphcore design and develop leading edge silicon processors and high-power high-speed blade systems at the forefront of AI technology. As such you will need to develop a detailed understanding of our silicon and platform products. Your role will be to create and execute bring-up and characterisation plans of our silicon devices in systems to show that they will operate correctly over all conditions in the final product. You will concentrate on automated and manual testing of systems in the lab and datacentre. The results will be integrated with data from other teams to provide the complete characterisation solution for the product. For example, a large amount of device testing can be performed by the production test team using high-speed production test equipment.

## Responsibilities and Duties

- Understand the architecture and design of silicon devices and systems, and clearly document the requirements for characterisation
- Creation of product specific characterisation plans
- Liasing with engineering teams to understand what are tests are available for characterisation purposes and driving change where appropriate
- Create and maintain an automated system for running characterisation testing, capturing the results to a central database and performing data analysis
- Execution of manual characterisation tests where automation is not appropriate
- Report regularly on progress and issues during the characterisation
- Produce characterisation reports containing platform test results and feeding them up into the overall product characterisation report

Essential skills

- A proven track record of delivering technical output, perhaps as an individual contributor, manager, or project manager
- Solid experience and understanding of silicon digital device design characterization
- Knowledge of silicon process technology and how that impacts device performance at transistor and system level
- Knowledge of high-performance processor and system-on-chip systems
- Experience of high-speed digital interfaces, such as PCIe, Ethernet or DDR
- Knowledge of measurement automation and data analysis
- The ability to code or script automation and data analysis using appropriate coding languages such as Python, JMP for example
- An ability to work independently without daily oversight

Desirable skills:

- Knowledge of PCBA and system level technologies
- Background knowledge of ATE systems and capabilities. Whilst you will not be directly involved with such testing, some of the characterisation work will be performed on such systems

Benefits:

In addition to a competitive salary, Graphcore offers a competitive benefits package. 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)

## Other roles at Graphcore

- [Director, Logical Design](https://feeny.ai/job/director-logical-design-graphcore-bengaluru-876bbm6xanfz) — Bengaluru, India
- [Director, Sustaining Engineering](https://feeny.ai/job/director-sustaining-engineering-graphcore-milpitas-hp5nj92q8k71) — Milpitas, CA
- [Staff Manufacturing Test Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-manufacturing-test-engineer-graphcore-taipei-taipei-city-vt775yc0kr3n) — Taipei Taipei City, Taiwan
- [Staff System Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-system-software-engineer-graphcore-gdansk-pomeranian-voivodeship-4ct5agjm9zqx) — Gdańsk Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland
- [Software Engineer - Triton](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-triton-graphcore-bristol-vyhxx4d4ey3n) — Bristol, United Kingdom
- [Staff Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-mechanical-engineer-graphcore-austin-5gcwxsmc80a7) — Austin, TX
- [Asset & Logistics Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/asset-logistics-specialist-graphcore-bengaluru-1a1sg9jyzm03) — Bengaluru, India
- [Manufacturing Quality Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-quality-engineer-graphcore-hsinchu-city-yyqx6j2b1t8e) — Hsinchu City, Taiwan / Taipei Taipei City, Taiwan
- [Supply Quality Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/supply-quality-engineer-graphcore-hsinchu-city-wy2bg79bwnm3) — Hsinchu City, Taiwan / Taipei Taipei City, Taiwan
- [Staff SoC Architect](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-soc-architect-graphcore-bristol-ye3nprtwpacc) — Bristol, United Kingdom