System Test Manager

Graphcore; Bristol; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology company in Bristol is seeking a Hardware System Test Engineering Manager to lead the test engineering team responsible for developing manufacturing solutions for high-performance modules and servers. You will define manufacturing strategies, oversee test software development, and ensure collaboration across teams. This role offers a competitive salary, flexible working options, and a commitment to inclusion and employee well-being.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Flexible working

Generous annual leave

Private medical insurance

Dental plan

Pension (matched up to 5%)

Qualifications

• Experience developing manufacturing test solutions for high-performance servers.
• Demonstrated people leadership managing mixed hardware/software teams.
• Deep understanding of silicon, board, and system design.
• Hands-on experience with diagnostic tools in lab and manufacturing environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of hardware and software test engineers.
• Define the manufacturing test strategy and roadmap.
• Own delivery of test software for manufacturing and lab.
• Implement metrics and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Linux

Scripting languages (Python, Bash)

Cross-functional collaboration

Debug/root-cause analysis

Manufacturing test solutions

Tools

OpenBMC

Vendor specific test tools

Job description

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 the Hardware System Test Engineering Manager, you will lead the Hardware System Test Team responsible for developing manufacturing test solutions for High Performance Modules (HPM), Server Blades, and Multi-node racks as part of the production assembly process. You will drive the creation of robust test executive software that sequences tests and integrates test content from multiple internal and external sources. You will guide the development of manufacturing test contentand test fixturesinformed byadeep understanding of silicon, board, and system design. Working cross-functionally with hardware, firmware, and software teams, you will ensure the right tools and functionality exist to efficientlyvalidateproduct quality at scale.

The Team

The Product Test and Diagnosis teamis responsible foridentifyingand diagnosing hardware defects introduced during the manufacturing process. The team defines, develops,and executes an end-to-end test strategy spanning silicon, board-level assemblies, server blades, and rack-scale systems. Testing is performed across the full product lifecycle, including manufacturing, and deployed field environments.

Product Test and Diagnosis is part of the Manufacturing Operations organisation, which also comprisesManufacturing Technology, Supply Chain, and Quality teams. The groupoperatesas a global team, with engineers based in the UK (Bristol and Cambridge), Taiwan, India, and the United States.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Lead and grow a multidisciplinary team of hardware and software test engineers delivering manufacturing test solutions for complex compute systems.
• Define the manufacturing test strategy and roadmap for High Performance Modules, Server Blades, and Multi-node racks .
• Own delivery of test executive software used inbothmanufacturingand lab environmentsto orchestrate test sequencing, logging, results aggregation, and integration of test content from diverse sources.
• Partner with internal software, firmware, and platform teams to ensure required hooks, diagnostics, telemetry, and APIs exist to enable effective manufacturing test.
• Establish best practices for test coverage, traceability, release management, and configuration control of test software and content.
• Implement metrics and dashboards for manufacturing test (yield, escapes, false fails, coverage, cycle time) and lead continuous improvement initiatives.
• Drive root-cause analysis of manufacturing failures and field returns , coordinat ing corrective actions across design, validation, and manufacturing engineering.
• Own the delivery of manufacturing test fixtures for High Performance Modules and Server Blades, including defining requirements, managing external subcontractors, and ensuring fixtures meet quality, cost, schedule, and production readiness needs.
• Ensure test solutions are scalable, maintainable, and production-ready, including documentation, training, and support processes for factory deployment.
• Support supplier/contract manufacturing engagements as needed, including test station readiness, deployment qualification, and ongoing production support.

Candidate Profile

• Experience developing manufacturing test solutions for high-performance servers, accelerators (GPU-class), or comparable large scale compute hardware.
• Demonstrated people leadership experience managing a mixed hardware/software engineering team (hiring, coaching, performance management, and team development).
• Deep technical understanding across silicon, board, and system design sufficient to define effective manufacturing test coverage and guide debug/root-cause analysis.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with experience driving requirements and delivery with internal software/firmware/platform teams to enable testability.
• Hands-on experience using Linux , OpenBMC , and vendor specific test tools, diagnostics, and system-level utilities to test hardware in lab and manufacturing environments.
• Experience with scripting languages such as Python, Bash, or similar.
• Familiarity with rack-scale/multi-node systems, high-speed interconnects, and production qualification of complex assemblies.
• Experience improving manufacturing KPIs (yield, test time, false fail reduction) through data-driven process and test optimization.
• Knowledge of open-source tool s commonly used for manufacturing test

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

UK Demographic Data

We take pride in our commitment to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace. As part of our recruitment process, we ask for confidential diversity data from all applicants. This data will be anonymised so that no personal identification information will be collected, and is retained for statistical purposes only and is not attached to your application. Your responses to the following three questions will remain confidential and will not impact or be used in any way in regards to your application. We are only using this data to improve our hiring process to be inclusive of all diversity backgrounds.

By checking this box, I consent to Graphcore collecting, storing, and processing my responses to the demographic data surveys above. *