NPI Product Engineer

Axelera AI

About Us Axelera AI is not your regular deep-tech startup. We are creating the next-generation AI platform to support anyone who wants to help advancing humanity and improve the world around us. In just four years, we have raised a total of $370 million and have built a world-class team of 220+ employees (including 49+ PhDs with more than 40,000 citations), both remotely from 18 different countries and with offices in Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy, the UK, headquartered at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, Netherlands. We have also launched our Metis™ AI Platform, which achieves a 3-5x increase in efficiency and performance, and have visibility into a strong business pipeline exceeding $100 million. Our unwavering commitment to innovation has firmly established us as a global industry pioneer. Are you up for the challenge? Position Overview You'll own Silicon Product Engineering and our Bristol validation lab end-to-end — from tapeout through NPI to volume production — and lead the teams that get us there. The NPI Engineering Manager and Lab Manager report to you; you report to the executive team and partner closely with Design, Sales, and our external manufacturing ecosystem. This is a director-level leadership role. It needs someone with the technical depth to make sound ATE, NPI and OSAT calls and earn senior engineers' respect, plus the commercial judgement to own budgets, headcount, and the day-to-day running of two technical departments as we scale across concurrent chip programs. Key responsibilities: Product engineering & strategy * The product engineering roadmap across all silicon programs, from tapeout planning to high-volume manufacturing * ATE strategy and major NPI decisions: build-vs-buy, test-coverage trade-offs, OSAT selection * Tapeout-to-production timelines — surfacing risk early and coordinating resolution across design, validation, and partners * Product qualification strategy for datacentre and automotive markets * NPI governance: phase gates, cross-functional reviews, executive reporting External partners * Strategic relationships with OSATs, ATE vendors, foundries, and test houses — selection, negotiation, production readiness * Test program transfer, ramp, and ongoing yield improvement with OSAT and foundry partners Bristol lab * Evolving the validation lab into a scalable, well-run operation; owning its budget, standards, and safety * Through the Lab Manager, overseeing silicon bring-up, characterization, and production test development * Ensuring validation capability (power, JTAG/scan, signal integrity, thermal) keeps pace with the roadmap Team * Building, leading, and mentoring a multidisciplinary team of test engineers, validation engineers, and lab technicians * Recruiting and retaining senior talent in a competitive market * Translating executive strategy into clear direction, and representing both functions to the exec team, board, and key customers What we are looking for: * A background spanning product, test, assembly, and qualification of complex SoCs — ideally including hands-on lab time and exposure to startup or high-growth environments * Deep command of ATE platforms and test program development, from early silicon to volume * Strong grasp of reliability physics and qualification methodology, including automotive and datacentre standards * Working knowledge of DFT, silicon debug/FA workflows, and test/manufacturing economics * A proven track record leading and scaling technical teams in fast-moving semiconductor environments * Senior-level OSAT/foundry/test-house management, including commercial negotiation * Director-level department ownership: budgets, headcount, resourcing * Strong executive communication — able to take complex technical topics to a board-level audience * Comfort building process and infrastructure from scratch, and making high-impact calls with incomplete information Nice to have: automotive (AEC-Q100) or datacentre qualification experience; prior time in AI hardware or a high-growth deep-tech startup. Success in the first 12 months * Next chip program brought up and qualified on schedule * Current products transitioned into qualified, cost-effective production * A clear, executive-aligned test and product engineering strategy across all active programs * A better-structured, better-equipped, better-controlled Bristol lab * Key OSAT and foundry partnerships strengthened and formalised Location * Our Bristol (UK) office in an on-site / hybrid capacity. What we offer  This is your chance to shape and be part of a dynamic, fast-growing, international organisation. We offer an attractive compensation package, including a pension plan, extensive employee insurances and the option to get company shares.    An open culture that supports creativity and continual innovation is awaiting you. Collaborative ownership and freedom with responsibility is characteristic for the way we act and work as a team.  At Axelera AI, we wholeheartedly embrace equal opportunity and hold diversity in the highest regard. Our steadfast commitment is to cultivate a warm and inclusive environment that empowers and celebrates every member of our team. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds to join us in shaping the future of AI.

Graphcore

About Graphcore  At Graphcore, we’re building the future of AI compute.We’re a team of semiconductor, software and AI experts, with deep experience in creating the complete AI compute stack - from silicon and software to infrastructure at datacenter scale.As part of the SoftBank Group, backed by significant long-term investment, we are delivering key technology into the fast-growing SoftBank AI ecosystem.To meet the vast and exciting AI opportunity, Graphcore is expanding its teams around the world.We are bringing together the brightest minds to solve the toughest problems, in a place where everyone has the opportunity to make an impact on the company, our products and the future of artificial intelligence. Job Summary   As a Senior Manufacturing Product Engineer, you will be working closely with the Graphcore Design and Test Engineering teams, Quality and Supply Chain Management in support of NPI development and volume production. You will work closely with the relevant Contract Manufacturer (CM) to provide day to day manufacturing support as well as continuous improvements in manufacturing capabilities, quality and yield. A key focus for this role will be to develop and improve data-driven decision making methodology using lean six sigma and similar techniques within Graphcore and our suppliers.  The Team  The role will be as part of the Manufacturing and Technology Process team at Graphcore. This team is part of the Operations group and has members in Bristol, Cambridge and Taiwan. The team is responsible for developing and maintaining robust manufacturing processes at the wafer foundry, package assembly and PCBA subcontractors based in Taiwan.  Key Responsibilities and Duties  * Develop a deep technical understanding of the CM capabilities and ensure alignment with hardware design  * Support the technical interface between internal engineering teams and the CM during NPI and mass production  * Drive continuous improvement in PCB assembly process capability, yield, throughput, and quality at CM sites, working with Graphcore and supplier quality teams  * Work with supplier engineering to apply Lean Six Sigma tools and statistical methods to reduce defects, variation, scrap, and rework.  * Champion best practices in manufacturing data collection and management, traceability, analysis and reporting  * Use manufacturing data analytics to identify process trends, systemic issues, and opportunities for automation or optimization.  * Lead structured problem-solving activities using methodologies such as: DMAIC, 8D, fishbone analysis, FMEA and Design of Experiments  * This position will require travel in Taiwan and global travel to Graphcore sites or to other suppliers.     Essential Skills  * Strong working knowledge and experience of L6 (PCB assembly) processes, equipment, materials and inspection  * Experience in introducing and sustaining complex products in an SMT environment   * Understanding of root cause analysis of manufacturing faults and their resolution  * Understanding of manufacturing execution and engineering data collection systems  * Have a data driven approach to decision making; experienced in industry standard statistical analysis tools (e.g. JMP, SQL, python) and data visualisation techniques   * Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt and demonstrable experience implementing these methodologies in a production environment  * Ability to work on own initiative as well as in cross functional and cross regional teams by employing strong interpersonal skills  * Fluent in Mandarin with strong working proficiency in spoken and written English  * Degree or equivalent in Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, or related discipline     Desirable  * Ability to understand the interaction between silicon, package and PCB in order to provide DfMA feedback to design teams  * Strong fault diagnosis, problem solving and failure analysis skills, eg ICT to SMT debug  * Knowledge of L10 mechanical design and system build for HPC/AI data centre compute products    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.

Graphcore

About us  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 enjoys a culture of continuous learning and constant innovation.   Job Summary   As a Staff Manufacturing Product Engineer, you will be working closely with the Graphcore Design and Test Engineering teams, Quality and Supply Chain Management in support of NPI development and volume production. You will work with Design Engineering to ensure product is manufacturable and with Supply Chain to identify suitable suppliers. You will work closely with the contract manufacturers to provide day to day manufacturing support as well as continuous improvements in manufacturing capabilities, quality and yield.  You will develop an understanding of Graphcore products and link the manufacturing processes to key product performance metrics. You will be expected to understand, analyse and develop relevant manufacturing KPIs and metrics and be comfortable with the use and development of leading-edge data analysis tools.  The Team  The role will be as part of the Manufacturing Technology team at Graphcore. This team is part of the Manufacturing Operations department and has members in Bristol, Cambridge and Taiwan. The team is responsible for developing and maintaining robust manufacturing processes at the wafer foundry, package assembly and PCBA subcontractors based in Taiwan.   Key Responsibilities * Provide input into the hardware design team to ensure optimum manufacturability and ensure timely and focussed DfM feedback to the PCB and system design teams.   * Understand the capabilities of the contract manufacturer and ensure good alignment between their capabilities and the hardware design.   * Work closely with the Contract Manufacturer to identify and drive improvement activities in L6 assembly  * Investigate, research and develop new and novel technologies for next generation products with suppliers.   * Work with the quality team to drive yield improvements and partake in activities internally and externally at L6 and L10 system assembly partner(s)  * Manage external engineering relationships at our manufacturing partners during NPI and the early stages of volume manufacture  * Expert in L6 and L10 manufacturing methods and able to provide expert support in volume manufacture to understand and resolve issues as and when they arise.   * Drive data analysis methods and requirements for volume production data  * Work closely with product engineering and quality to drive system quality improvements  * Support customer engagements as required  * This position will require travel to Taiwan. Other global travel may be necessary to sub suppliers and customers.  Essential Skills:  * Strong fault diagnosis, problem solving and failure analysis skills, eg ICT to SMT debug  * Extensive experience and expertise in PCB assembly and test processes (L6)   * Practical experience in the assembly and test of complex PCBAs either in-house or at a Contract Manufacturer  * Working knowledge of L10 mechanical design, system build; ideally for HPC products  * Understanding of manufacturing execution and engineering data collection systems  * Ability to understand the interaction between silicon, package and PCB assembly in order to provide DfM feedback to design teams and optimise manufacturing yield  * Experience and demonstrable knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies employing tools such as DMAIC, SPC and DoE, and with lean six sigma methods  * Ability to work on own initiative as well as in cross functional and cross regional teams by employing strong interpersonal skills  * Experience in working with leading edge suppliers in Semiconductor Manufacture, PCB Manufacturer and Contract Manufacturers  * Degree level education in electronic or mechanical engineering, manufacturing, or related subject  Desirable  * Green Belt accreditation  * Understanding of advanced node wafer fabrication technologies as well as package assembly processes  * Knowledge of advanced packaging technologies such as 2.5D and 3D integration, large copper pillar flip chip packages, advanced thermal management solutions etc  BENEFITS In addition to a competitive salary, Graphcore offers flexible working, a generous annual leave policy, private medical insurance and health cash plan, a dental plan, pension (matched up to 5%), life assurance and income protection. We have a generous parental leave policy and an employee assistance programme (which includes health, mental wellbeing, and bereavement support). We offer a range of healthy food and snacks at our central Bristol office and have our own barista bar! 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. Applicants for this position must hold the right to work in the UK. Unfortunately at this time, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship or support for visa applications