{"id":115615,"url":"https://alion.io/job/graphcore-director-of-characterisation","title":"Director of Characterisation","company":{"id":33,"name":"Graphcore","domain":"graphcore.ai","url":"https://alion.io/company/graphcore","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":88,"open_postings":171,"ghost_share":0.111,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":69,"computed_at":"2026-10-15T05:46:00Z"}},"role":"Operations","role_family":"Operations","seniority":"head","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Bristol, United Kingdom"],"countries":["GB"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":98000,"max_usd":172000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":21},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Together AI","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-07-29T14:24:17Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-09","last_verified_at":"2026-10-16T01:09:56Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":78,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":["company_stale"],"days_open":77},"description":"About the job\nLead the team that proves our AI silicon performs reliably before it reaches customers.\nYou will build and lead Graphcore's characterisation capability for next generation silicon and system platforms. Your work will help ensure our products perform consistently across real world conditions.\nYou will define bring up and characterisation strategies, lead technical execution, and shape the lab infrastructure needed for success. You'll work across silicon, hardware, manufacturing, architecture and product teams to solve complex engineering challenges.\nThis is a hands on leadership role with the opportunity to influence both product design and how Graphcore validates future AI systems.\nThe team and culture\nThis is a newly formed team within Manufacturing Operations. You'll have the opportunity to establish how the team works while building strong partnerships across engineering and operations.\nDay to day, you'll work closely with architecture, silicon, hardware, production test and product teams. Decisions are driven by data, technical evidence and close collaboration across disciplines.\nWe value ownership and clear communication. You'll be trusted to lead technical direction, remove blockers and help teams make progress with confidence.\nWhat we're looking for\nEssential \nProven track record of delivering complex technical projects as an individual contributor, manager, or project manager, with the ability to work independently and drive execution.\nStrong expertise in silicon digital device design, bring-up, characterisation, and silicon process technologies, with an understanding of their impact on transistor- and system-level performance.\nIn-depth knowledge of high-performance processors, system-on-chip (SoC) architectures, and high-speed digital interfaces such as PCIe, Ethernet, and DDR.\nExperience with measurement automation, data analysis, and scripting/coding to develop automated test and analysis workflows, with familiarity of ATE systems and their capabilities.\nExcellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, supported by a bachelor's degree (or equivalent practical experience).\nDesirable\nKnowledge of PCBA and system level technologies. \nProject management experience. \nBenefits\nUnlimited annual leave\nUp to 5% matched pension\nPhantom equity - share in Graphcore's success\nTrue flexibility in how and where you work\nOffice spaces designed for collaboration\nFree food and an on-site barista\nHealth cash plan\nIncome protection\nLife assurance\nAlong with other benefits you can choose from (private medical insurance, dental plan etc)\nWe welcome people from all backgrounds and experiences and are committed to building an inclusive environment where everyone can do their best work.\nWe're an equal opportunity employer and recognise that everyone brings different strengths and perspectives. If you need any adjustments during the interview process, just let us know. We're happy to support you.\nJoin the team at Graphcore\nGraphcore is building the compute platform for the next generation of artificial intelligence. From advanced silicon to intelligent software, our technology is designed to unlock breakthroughs in AI and bring its benefits to every industry.\nAs part of the SoftBank Group, we're backed by one of the world's most ambitious technology investors, working alongside companies shaping the future of AI. Together, we share a bold goal: to help enable artificial superintelligence and ensure it delivers meaningful impact at a global scale.\nAt Graphcore, you'll work with people who are pushing the boundaries of what's possible. Our teams bring together AI researchers, chip designers, software engineers and systems experts from a wide range of backgrounds. It's an environment where we take on big challenges with curiosity and focus, move quickly and decisively, take real ownership of our work, and speak up to challenge ideas, stepping up to support each other and lead through action.\nIf you want to lead the team that validates the technology powering the next generation of AI systems, we'd love to hear from you. Apply now to join Graphcore.","description_format":"text","description_chars":4145,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Annual leave","Equity","Health insurance"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Processors, MCUs & AI Chips","AI Chips & Accelerators"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-05T07:49:46Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"GB","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"Licensed UK visa sponsor (Senior or Specialist Worker, Skilled Worker)","filings_12m":null,"filings_prev_12m":null,"green_card_filings_12m":null,"median_offered_wage_usd":null,"route":"Global Business Mobility: Senior or Specialist Worker; Skilled Worker","cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-15T06:21:15+00:00","sources":["UK Home Office: register of licensed sponsors (workers)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":35,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.799,"p_room":0.44,"age_days":77,"expected_fill_days":69,"reasons":["conf:3","velocity","win:tail","crowd:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-10-15T05:46:00Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/graphcore-director-of-characterisation","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/graphcore-director-of-characterisation.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-16T01:58:42Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":3234,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-17T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":33},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=33"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fgraphcore-director-of-characterisation"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fgraphcore-director-of-characterisation"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fgraphcore-director-of-characterisation"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/graphcore-director-of-characterisation\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fgraphcore-director-of-characterisation"}]}