About Graphcore

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

As an Operations Hardware Engineer, you will be working closely with the Graphcore Design and Test Engineering teams, Quality and Supply Chain Management in support of NPI development and volume production. You will work with Design Engineering to ensure product is manufacturable and with Supply Chain to identify suitable suppliers. You will work closely with the relevant Contract Manufacturer (CM) to provide day to day manufacturing support as well as continuous improvements in manufacturing capabilities, quality and yield.

The Team

The role will be as part of the Manufacturing and Technology Process team at Graphcore. This team is part of the Operations group and has members in Bristol, Cambridge and Taiwan. The team is responsible for developing and maintaining robust manufacturing processes at the wafer foundry, package assembly and PCBA subcontractors based in Taiwan.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Provide DFMA (Design for Manufacture and Assembly) feedback during product development phases to ensure good manufacturability and enable smooth production scaling
• Lead the technical interface between internal engineering teams and the CM during NPI and provide expert support during volume ramp to production
• Develop a deep understanding of the CM capabilities and ensure alignment with hardware design
• Drive continuous improvement in PCB and L10 assembly process capability, yield, throughput, and quality at CM sites, working with Graphcore and supplier quality teams
• Work with supplier engineering to understand, analyse and develop relevant manufacturing KPIs
• Investigate, research and develop new and novel technologies for next generation products with suppliers and technology partners
• Drive data analysis methods and requirements for volume production data
• Work closely with product engineering to drive system quality improvements
• Support customer and supplier engagements as required
• This position will require travel in Taiwan and global travel to Graphcore sites or to other suppliers.

Candidate Profile

Essential:

• Expert in L6 (PCB assembly) processes, materials and design constraints
• Significant experience in introducing complex products into a Surface Mount environment
• Significant experience in Root Cause Analysis of manufacturing faults and their resolution
• Sound working knowledge of L10 mechanical design and system build for HPC/AI data centre compute products
• Strong fault diagnosis, problem solving and failure analysis skills, eg ICT to SMT debug
• Understanding of manufacturing execution and engineering data collection systems
• Have a data driven approach to decision making, experienced in industry standard data analysis tools and visualisation techniques
• Ability to understand the interaction between silicon, package and PCB in order to provide DfMA feedback to design teams
• significant knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies employing tools and processes such as SPC,Lean Six Sigma and DOE
• Ability to work on own initiative as well as in cross functional and cross regional teams by employing strong interpersonal skills
• Degree or equivalent in Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, or related discipline

Desirable

• Understanding of advanced node wafer fabrication technologies as well as package assembly processes
• Knowledge of advanced packaging technologies such as 2.5D and 3D integration, large copper pillar flip chip packages, advanced thermal management solutions etc