Principal Firmware Validation Engineer

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 

We are seeking a Principal Firmware Validation Engineer to lead validation and quality assurance for the rack-level firmware stack across Graphcore’s ARM-based server platforms. 

This role focuses on ensuring reliability, security, and functionality of firmware components including SoC firmware, OpenBMC, rack management services, and platform infrastructure used in hyperscale AI data center environments. 

The Team 

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

The Platform Validation team ensures Graphcore’s firmware and system software stack operates reliably across server nodes and rack-scale AI infrastructure. 

The team collaborates with firmware engineering, silicon teams, hardware engineering, and ODM partners to validate complex platform management stacks and ensure production readiness. 

Responsibilities and Duties 

• Define and lead validation strategy for rack-level firmware stacks across ARM-based server platforms. 

• Develop comprehensive validation plans and automated test frameworks for platform bring-up and firmware lifecycle. 

• Validate platform management interfaces including Redfish, PLDM, MCTP, IPMI, and D-Bus. 

• Validate firmware update frameworks including signed updates, redundancy mechanisms, and rollback protection. 

• Drive validation of platform security features including Root of Trust, secure boot chains, and TPM integration. 

• Validate server RAS capabilities, telemetry pipelines, and system health monitoring. 

• Lead system-level debugging and root cause analysis across firmware and hardware layers. 

• Develop automation frameworks and CI/CD integration for firmware validation and regression testing. 

• Validate high-speed platform interfaces including PCIe and server I/O subsystems. 

• Collaborate with silicon vendors, ODM partners, and engineering teams during bring-up and production ramp. 

Candidate Profile 

Essential 

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience. 

• 10+ years of experience in firmware or platform validation for server or data center systems. 

• Experience validating ARM server firmware stacks including UEFI/EDK II and OpenBMC platforms. 

• Deep understanding of server architecture including power delivery, thermals, networking, and rack infrastructure. 

• Strong experience validating platform management protocols such as Redfish, PLDM, MCTP, and IPMI. 

• Experience validating firmware security features including Root of Trust and secure boot. 

• Strong familiarity with firmware lifecycle management and update frameworks. 

• Experience with server hardware interfaces including I2C, I3C, SPI, PCIe, SMBus, UART, and GPIO. 

• Strong system debugging skills using JTAG, GDB, logic analyzers, and protocol analyzers. 

Desirable 

• Experience validating rack-scale firmware platforms in hyperscale or AI cloud environments. 

• Hands-on experience with EDK II/UEFI validation and OpenBMC system testing. 

• Experience validating firmware for liquid-cooled or high-density server platforms. 

• Experience building hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) or rack-level automated validation environments. 

• Experience validating high-speed interconnects such as PCIe in large-scale deployments. 

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.