Staff Robotics Engineer

Graphcore; Austin, Northern (TX, KY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Graphcore, a leading AI compute company, seeks a Staff Robotics Engineer based in Austin to lead the design, integration, validation and deployment of robotic automation for data center operations. You will collaborate with SoftBank Robotics and partners to turn R&D concepts into scalable, production-ready capabilities for data centers.

Reporting to the automation leadership, you will align internal teams and external partners, guide technical direction, and mentor engineers in Mechatronics.

Responsibilities

• Operate with high autonomy, define technical direction for ambiguous robotics problems and influence partner roadmaps.
• Align robotics and data center teams to provide scalable autonomy capabilities.
• Mentor Softbank Group engineers and third-party partners on Mechatronics best practices.
• Contribute to technical planning, estimation and delivery of project milestones.
• Establish and execute verification and validation processes including simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Support troubleshooting and root-cause analysis across software, controls, mechanical, and electrical systems.
• Iterate on end effectors and robotic subsystems with partners.
• Help build scalable software infrastructure, device management systems and fleet coordination protocols.
• Lead the transition of R&D feasibility studies into production-ready systems.
• Evaluate emerging technologies to improve robotics capabilities and productivity.
• Produce technical documentation and communicate engineering decisions to stakeholders.

Job description

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

Reporting to the Director of Automation, the Staff Robotics Engineer will provide technical leadership for the design, integration, validation, and deployment of robotic automation systems for data center operations. This role will work closely with internal Graphcore teams, SoftBank Robotics, SoftBank Group affiliates, and external technology partners to turn R&D concepts into scalable, production-ready robotic capabilities. Example systems may include robotic manipulation, material transport, inspection, rack/server handling, autonomous mobile robots, or other automation solutions for data center operations. This role is based in Austin and may require periodic travel to partner, manufacturing, lab, or deployment sites, including occasional collaboration across APAC time zones.

The Team

The automation team is responsible for helping the vision of Softbank Group to automate data center, working with internal Graphcore teams and Softbank Group affiliates. The team works closely with Softbank Robotics and its partners and other third parties to solve complex solutions for data center operations. Our focus is on delivering robust, production-quality systems that bridge cutting-edge research and real-world deployment.

Responsibilities and Duties

• This role is expected to operate with high autonomy, define technical direction for ambiguous robotics automation problems, influence partner roadmaps, and establish engineering standards for scalable deployment.
• Align robotics, data center, internal engineering, SoftBank Group, and third-party partner teams to provide scalable autonomy capabilities.
• Guide and mentor Softbank Group engineers and third-party partners without direct people management responsibilities, elevating technical judgment and Mechatronics best practices.
• Contribute to technical planning, estimation and delivery of key project milestones.
• Experience establishing or executing verification and validation processes, including simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, FAT/SAT, site validation, or field deployment.
• Support troubleshooting and root-cause analysis across software, controls, mechanical, and electrical systems.
• Iterate on end effectors, hardware interfaces, and robotic subsystems with partners.
• Help build scalable software infrastructure, device management systems, and fleet coordination protocols by collaborating with Softbank Group affiliates and third-party partners.
• Lead the transition of R&D feasibility studies into production-ready integrated systems.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, tools and methodologies to improve robotics capabilities and engineering productivity.
• Produce clear technical documentation and communicate engineering decisions effectively to a range of stakeholders.