Software Engineering Summer Intern, Drivers and Utilities 2027

Location: Bristol, UK 

Duration: 12 weeks

Salary: £2500 per month

Start date: June 2027

Application deadline: Midnight 29th November  

We encourage you to apply early, as we may close applications before the advertised deadline. 

The Internship Programme at Graphcore 

Explore a career at Graphcore through a 12-week summer internship, gaining hands-on experience on real projects. You’ll bring fresh ideas, put your learning into practice and help shape what we’re creating. Along the way, you’ll tackle challenging problems with a team who welcome your questions and support you as you build your skills and confidence. 

What you’ll work on 

Put your low-level programming skills to work on the drivers that connect Graphcore’s AI hardware with machine learning software. 

As a Software Engineering Intern in Drivers and Utilities, you’ll explore kernel and user-space development alongside engineers working across the hardware and software stack. Your contributions will help the wider software team use Graphcore hardware efficiently and support the systems our customers depend on. 

Your tasks could include writing code, adding unit tests and manually testing your own and teammates’ changes. You’ll also help maintain continuous integration (CI) and fix issues, contributing to the work that keeps software development moving. 

The team and culture 

The Drivers and Utilities team sits within System Software, alongside Firmware and System QA. You’ll work with engineers who collaborate directly with Poplar SDK developers, silicon engineers and hardware engineers. 

Technical design discussions, code reviews and Scrum sessions will help you understand how the team develops and coordinates its work. You can ask for help as you learn the codebase, discuss different approaches and use feedback to improve your changes. 

Decisions are shaped by design discussions, code reviews and test results. As an intern, you’ll be encouraged to ask questions, share ideas and flag problems early, with support from experienced engineers as you learn. 

How you’ll learn and grow 

Over the 12 weeks, you’ll build practical experience in low-level software development, testing and continuous integration through the work your tasks focus on. 

Following changes from an initial idea through implementation and testing will help you understand what makes driver software reliable. You’ll learn how to check your work, investigate issues and contribute to a shared codebase, gaining a clearer view of a career close to the hardware. 

Your internship is a chance to explore a future at Graphcore. Depending on your performance and the roles available, there may be an opportunity to join one of our graduate programmes once you’ve graduated. 

What we’re looking for  

• Currently studying for abachelor’s or master’s degree in Computer Science, Maths, Machine Learning, Data Science or a related field 
• Low-level software experience, such as embedded code or device drivers, and introductory programming experience in C, C++ or Python. Personal or university projects count 
• Basic electronics knowledge, including the ability to read and understand schematics and datasheets 
• Awareness of continuous integration systems such as Jenkins, plus experience using Git to manage source code, raise and review pull requests, and merge branches 

Previous industry experience is not required. Tell us what you built or investigated through coursework, personal or team projects or other relevant experience, how you approached it and what you learned. 

Benefits 

• Flexible working: Find a balance between your internship and life outside work 
• 5 days of annual leave: Take time to rest and recharge during your 12-week internship 
• Life in the office: Get to know your colleagues in spaces designed for collaboration, with free food, a great selection of ice cream and an on-site barista 
• Learning and development: Build your skills and explore your interests with access to O’Reilly, our online learning platform 

We welcome people from all backgrounds and experiences and are committed to building an inclusive environment where everyone can do their best work. 

We’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. 

Sponsorship 

Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK for the full duration of the programme, without requiring visa sponsorship. We are unable to sponsor work visas for our Early Careers opportunities. 

Introduction to Graphcore 

At Graphcore, we’re building next generation AI compute: From semiconductors and software to systems at datacenter scale. We are proud to be owned by SoftBank Group and work with other companies in the SoftBank family to deliver AI compute to customers working at the AI frontier. 

An internship at Graphcore gives you the chance to explore where your interests and skills could take you. You’ll work alongside people with different backgrounds and expertise, from AI researchers to chip designers and software engineers. Together, you’ll share ideas and solve challenging problems, building experience and confidence to help you decide what comes next. 

How to apply and what to expect 

To apply, answer the application questions below and upload your CV and cover letter. We’ll let you know the outcome of your application by early December at the latest. If successful, you’ll be invited to complete a technical assessment. Candidates who reach the final stage will then be invited to attend in-person assessments in early spring.

Curious about where your skills could take you? Apply for a summer internship at Graphcore and help us build what comes next.