Hardware Validation Manager

Graphcore; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A tech company specializing in AI seeks an experienced Hardware Validation Manager in Austin, Texas, to lead the validation of hardware platforms from prototype to production release. The successful candidate will define validation strategies, manage a high-performing team, and ensure products meet performance and reliability targets. Essential qualifications include 10+ years of experience in hardware validation and strong leadership skills. This role is pivotal in driving improvements in validation methodology and automating testing processes.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in board-level hardware validation, system testing, or product validation.
• 3+ years of experience leading engineering teams.
• Strong understanding of hardware development lifecycle (Proto, EVT, DVT, PVT).

Responsibilities

• Define and implement board and multi-board hardware validation plans.
• Develop and execute validation strategies covering electrical, functional, and system-level requirements.
• Drive root cause analysis and corrective actions for hardware validation failures.
• Build, mentor, and manage a team of hardware validation engineers.

Skills

Board-level hardware validation

Team leadership

Problem-solving

Electrical engineering

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Spectrum analyzers

Power analyzers

Job description

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 an experienced Hardware Validation Manager to lead the validation of Graphcore hardware platforms from prototype through production release. This role is responsible for defining validation strategies, building and leading a high-performing validation engineering team, and ensuring our hardware products meet electrical, functional, and reliability targets across all development phases.

The successful candidate will combine deep technical expertise in hardware validation with strong leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and program execution to deliver high-quality products at scale.

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 Hardware Validation team ensures Graphcore’s AI hardware platforms meet performance, quality, and reliability targets before production release. Working closely with silicon, board design, system architecture, firmware, and manufacturing teams, the group develops and executes validation strategies across development phases.

The team plays a critical role in bridging design and production by identifying issues early, driving root cause analysis, and enabling robust, production‑ready hardware platforms.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Define and implement board and multi-board hardware validation plans across Proto, EVT, DVT, and PVT phases.
• Develop and execute validation strategies covering electrical, functional, and system-level requirements.
• Ensure validation coverage aligns with product specifications, customer requirements, and industry standards.
• Drive root cause analysis and corrective actions for hardware validation failures.
• Build, mentor, and manage a team of hardware validation engineers.
• Collaborate with hardware design, silicon, firmware, and manufacturing teams across the product lifecycle.
• Establish validation milestones and deliverables aligned with program schedules and product release goals.
• Drive improvements in validation methodology, tooling, automation, and data analysis.

Candidate Profile

Essential

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in board-level hardware validation, system testing, or product validation.
• 3+ years of experience leading engineering teams.
• Strong understanding of hardware development lifecycle (Proto, EVT, DVT, PVT).
• Experience with lab instrumentation such as oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and power analyzers.
• Proven track record delivering hardware products from prototype through production.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with experience driving root cause investigations.

Desirable

• Experience influencing validation requirements during architecture and schematic phases.
• Experience embedding validation hooks and testability features into hardware designs.
• Experience implementing automated hardware regression testing.
• Familiarity with data pipelines, dashboards, and validation data analytics.
• Experience validating multi-board systems and high-speed interfaces (PCIe, DDR, SerDes).
• Experience working with power-dense or high-performance compute systems.