Staff Firmware Validation Engineer

Location: US - Milpitas

Department: BMC Dev.

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 a Staff Firmware Validation Engineer to support validation and quality assurance for the rack-level firmware stack across Graphcore’s ARM-based server platforms. 

This role focuses on validating firmware components including SoC firmware (EDK II/UEFI), OpenBMC firmware, rack management services, and platform-level infrastructure used in hyperscale AI server deployments. 

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 Platform Validation team ensures the reliability and quality of Graphcore’s firmware and system software stack across server nodes and rack-scale AI infrastructure. 

The team collaborates closely with firmware engineering, silicon teams, hardware engineering, and ODM partners to validate complex platform management stacks and ensure production readiness. 

Responsibilities and Duties 

• Define and execute validation strategy for rack-level firmware stacks across ARM server platforms. 

• Develop validation plans and automated test frameworks for platform bring-up and firmware lifecycle management. 

• Integrate automated test cases for rack-level firmware components into CI/CD pipelines. 

• Validate firmware update frameworks including signed updates, redundancy mechanisms, and rollback protection. 

• Drive validation of platform security features including Root of Trust, secure boot, and TPM integration. 

• Participate in system-level debugging and root cause analysis across firmware, hardware, and platform integration. 

• Develop automation frameworks and regression testing pipelines supporting firmware validation. 

• Collaborate with silicon vendors, ODM partners, and platform engineering teams during bring-up and manufacturing ramp. 

Candidate Profile 

Essential 

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience. 

• 8+ years of experience in firmware or platform validation for server or data center systems. 

• Experience validating ARM server firmware stacks including UEFI/EDK II and OpenBMC platforms. 

• Strong understanding of server architecture including power delivery, thermals, networking, and rack infrastructure. 

• Experience validating firmware security features including Root of Trust and secure boot. 

• Strong familiarity with firmware lifecycle management and firmware update frameworks. 

• Experience building automation frameworks and CI/CD pipelines for firmware validation. 

Desirable 

• Experience validating rack-scale firmware platforms in hyperscale or AI cloud environments. 

• Hands-on experience with EDK II/UEFI validation and OpenBMC system testing. 

• Experience validating firmware for liquid-cooled or high-density server platforms. 

• Experience building hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) or rack-level automated validation environments. 

• Experience validating high-speed interconnects such as PCIe in large-scale deployments. 

• Familiarity with hardware debug tools including JTAG, GDB, and logic analyzers. 

• Experience validating platform management protocols such as Redfish, PLDM, MCTP, and IPMI. 

Benefits:

In addition to a competitive salary, Graphcore offers a competitive benefits package. We welcome people of different backgrounds and experiences; we’re committed to building an inclusive work environment that makes Graphcore a great home for everyone. We offer an equal opportunity process and understand that there are visible and invisible differences in all of us. We can provide a flexible approach to interview and encourage you to chat to us if you require any reasonable adjustments.